Saving Marriage... Really...
Last night was another chance for me to catch a movie at Penn State's One in Ten Annual Film Festival and the selection of the evening: Saving Marriage.
A brief description from the web site:
Three years in the making, Saving Marriage is on the scene as one state grapples with a simple question: Should gay and lesbian couples have the right to marry?You'll hear the personal stories of people that are shaping history. Career politicians who stand up to their constituents and follow their hearts. Seasoned lobbyists who see the holy grail of the gay rights movement suddenly within reach. And regular people thrust suddenly into the world of politics by an issue that could change their lives.
I have to confess, my ignorance to what's been going on in politics and even the political process were evident as I watched the story unfold. Although the documentary focused on the Massachusetts constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage that was struck down a few years ago, I was learning about a lot of the story for the first time and what should have been an education about the legal process involved turned into a riveting drama for me as I watched things unfold without a clear knowledge of how this would end. Needless to say, I was moved... and I think this documentary could help give a face to the people who are directly involved in this civil rights issue.
One of the things that most moved me was a statement made by Senator Brian Lees, one of the original sponsors of the amendment to ban gay marriage and legalize civil unions, at the Second Constitutional Convention vote. By the time of this convention, gay marriage had already been legal in Massachusetts for eighteen months. "Gay marriage has already begun, and life has not changed for the citizens of the commonwealth, with the exception of those who can now marry."
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