Last Friday, queers across the nation breathed a sigh of relief as the Supreme Court ruled that states could no longer deny the right of same-sex marriage. It’s been a long road for advocates and activists, from the troubling bedsides of victims of the AIDS crisis, where families can deny a gay person’s right to be with a loved one in their final moments, to legal battles in which states will not legitimize adoptions due to the sexual orientation of custodial parents.

I don’t believe in marriage. I have my reasons, and they’re not insignificant. But I’ve done my best to step aside for a moment, because I know what this means for so many others. I know the change will help a lot of people, and while I may never personally understand, that’s OK. What I can share with the people who are celebrating is relief. I’m relieved that this fight is over, although I know that for some, the fight likely isn’t over yet. I’m also excited for the next fight, and for the coming days, weeks, months, and years, though hopefully not that long, of lifting the voices of and fighting for trans people, queer people of color, and homeless LGBT youth.

I am ready. When people say “love wins,” I hear something different: “solidarity forever.”

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EMILY HOPKINS

Sustaining on a diet made up entirely of IPAs, angry letters and male tears, Emily Hopkins writes weekly under the column Free Radical and also sometimes brings you other stuff relating to social justice.

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Latest posts by EMILY HOPKINS (see all)

• A DEPARTURE: AFTER FOUR YEARS OF BLISTERING COLUMNS, A FREE RADICAL CHANGE - April 20, 2016
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• THE THIN BLUE PAYWALL - February 23, 2016