BY JAMES NIMMO

Yesterday, a federal judge in Virginia ruled that the state’s ban on same-gender marriage was unconstitutional.

This is another victory in what looks like a year for a tidal change [with more than a dozen pending lawsuits] for the equality of America’s gay and lesbian taxpayers who since achieving adulthood have had to pay taxes to their state and federal governments as an obligation of citizenship. However, we have not been receiving the full benefits and privileges we should expect from that responsibility.

I know that the constant talk of loving couples and families is meant as a legitimate representation of gay life as being little different from straight life. I think most of us can handle our private lives, but that little difference between the lives of gays and straights is founded in the impediment of discriminatory laws.

I’m so heartened to read in the rulings from the various federal judges in Oklahoma, Utah, Kentucky, and Virginia during the past three weeks phrases that outline the commonality of our citizenship in a civil society.

These ruling have highlighted that straights are not asked about their private lives or future decisions about things best left to the couples – as it should be. The California Prop 8 trial with its very detailed ruling in favor of marriage equality from Federal Judge Vaughn Walker pulled out the footings from the dam of discrimination maintained by the homo-haters, based as it was on the ignorance and campfire mythology of religious views.

I welcome the flood of justice washing over our gay and lesbian colleagues.

– James Nimmo lives in Oklahoma City and is a frequent contributor to The Oklahoma Observer