(click the picture above for
the high definition
video - but also click
YouTube
for me!)
locked until May 3rd,
2009
11:58 PM,
Saturday, August 2nd, 2008:
..and remarkably,
not mine. :-)
It's an
outstanding picture when you look at it, isn't it?
Would you believe me if I told you it barely occured
to me until just now? Would you believe me if I told
you it was the most normal, traditional, and
completely perfect wedding? Would you believe me if I
told you 2008 is going to stand as one of the most
groundbreaking, generational years in American
history?
So I
get a last second call to shoot a wedding
"guerilla" style (one camera) from Paddy
which was actually from his friend, which
was actually for his uncle...which was
actually for his daughter. Whew. Ends up
it was a lesbian wedding, which I thought
was pretty cool seeing as the recent court
ruling has made this 'Gay Summer '08', so
I'm very happy to be part of one.
Obviously curious at what it would be like
considering all I had ever seen were the
rushed courthouse ones on TV. I guess when
the state's supreme court rules - there's
a longer window for an actual event.
(Oh and lest
you assume too much, I actually think it's foolish for
the state to recognize ANY marriage as anything other
than a legal union. It's a nearsighted part of our law
that has caused a ridiculous amount of drama when all
that needed to be done was change the wording. But of
course I think gay or straight you should have
identical rights in the eyes of the government, just
as I think any church has the right to call it
marriage and make their own rules therein. If
Catholics don't want gay people to marry - who gives a
shit? The government however shouldn't even have the
word "marriage" in their vocabulary - it's a religious
term)
Anyway, so it was
quite exciting to be a part of everything and the
excitement soon gave way to the realization that you
would never know. So far, at this early stage of
American Gay Weddingdom, there are no rituals that
clearly denote a difference. The staff and I were
talking about Korean customs, or African-American
customs... all the little things that differentiate
the events but maybe there never will be Gay customs.
It's really fascinating actually - kinda wish I was
gay so I could just make some up. But yeah, it was
extremely traditional - and everyone was glowing. I
was honored to be there.
Well, there was
one difference...and you'll all laugh at this. So like
you do at any wedding (specifically the party the
night before which I also shot), you check out all the
attractive ladies that may be attending. There were
several and when the music started they got up and
were dancing together. It all seemed identical to any
other wedding I've been to. And then you realize,
oh... they're dancing together. LOL. You realize quite
quickly that you are most certainly the outsider. Then
again, I was really concentrating on being
professional and getting great shots for the video,
but it did enter my mind - and I literally did laugh
out loud when I realized just how tiny my chances were
at meeting anyone. Ha. Still funny. Wish I had a
camera on me at the moment I realized they were
dancing a tiny bit too close. You're so naive Adam.
:-)
But it was an
extraordinary thing to be a part of and a peek into
the future. A future where it's completely commonplace
and no one thinks twice. I think of all the kids at
the wedding that were oblivious that anything was
different. In 20 years, it should be wonderful. It
takes so much effort to be angry, you know? To hate or
to fight against things that have ZERO effect on your
life. Even as I watched this country become a
religious state with the current administration, and
watched "Intelligent Design" become an actual THEORY,
it didn't really bother me. If that's what the people
want, fine. It doesn't affect my freedoms. If I had a
kid in a school teaching that, I'm pretty certain that
one viewing of "Planet Earth" would be all that's
needed. Why get angry? Granted, the administration is
far worse than anti-science, but they're almost out.
The tide is turning...
