Last week’s decisions by the Supreme Court constitute a milestone in the progress of the United States toward complete equality and justice, paving the way as they do for nationwide acceptance of gay marriage. The nullification of the indefensible Defense of Marriage Act and the overturning of California’s Proposition 8 are especially welcome in their affirmation of American values on the eve of our nation’s 237th birthday. At the risk of dampening the celebration, however, I gently suggest that the full legalization of same-sex marriage, however commendable in its own right, represents only a partial solution to the problem of marriage inequality, for Americans whose sexual orientation is pluralistic in nature remain outside the pale. Their marriages are illegal, their very identity is denied, and they experience discrimination on a daily basis because their capacity for love transcends the restrictive custom of monogamy.
I shall now therefore humbly propose my own thoughts, which I hope will not be liable to the least objection.
