Same-sex marriage ruling's ripple effect – historic celebrations of love
They came for a party, a huge, raucous jamboree of a million people dancing through the streets of San Francisco, only to discover that they were really here to celebrate history.
The city’s annual Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride festival, one of the world’s biggest, coincided with same-sex marriage becoming legal across the entire United States – a tectonic shift of such divine timing that some wondered if God is gay.
“All of this success all at once is pretty overwhelming,” marvelled Brian Basinger, a leading gay rights activist and one of the parade’s grand marshals. “Overwhelming in a great way. It’s just a feeling of ...” he searched for the word. “Of completion. I’m a little bit numb."
The ruling, in which justice Anthony Kennedy cast the deciding vote, triggered jubilation from coast to coast, with couples young and old flocking to registry offices to tie the knot. Social media exploded, with millions tweeting and posting hashtags such as #LoveWins, #LoveIsLove and #MarriageEquality.
Companies from Delta to Uber splashed rainbow colours on their websites and apps."
After the speakers had finished, the party truly began. A thousand people, maybe more, danced in the street to George Michael. There were bubbles and disco lights, body-paint and prosecco. People climbed scaffolding, sang and posed for photos."
Just before the police re-opened the road a little before 11, two exquisitely-dressed men reenacted the famous photo of a celebratory victory kiss from the second world war, and the crowd cheered them with all their hearts"
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jun/27/same-sex-marriage-celebrations-supreme-court-ruling
