New York Couple Seeks Annulment In Support of Gay Marriage
HOPEFUL ROMANTICS
New York Couple Seeks Annulment In Support of Gay Marriage
AMERICANS' DEBATE ON SAME-SEX MARRIAGE REACHED an all-time high during the 2004 election.
The religious right cited "the sanctity" of marriage as their main objection, but in an age when vows are exchanged on reality TV shows, what exactly are they talking about?
New Yorkers Rachel Murch and Matthew D'Olimpio are forcing the courts to answer that question. The married couple is seeking an annulment claiming their union violates "constitutional equality guarantees and is thus void" in New York.
We all have heard the claims that other couples -- including Brangelina -- have refused to marry until gays are allowed. But Murch and D'Olimpio have turned their protest into an act of civil disobedience.
It may sound like a longshot, but it has the potential to be the shot heard round the world.
As an openly gay man, I admit that I feel the outrage and disbelief that the D’Olimpios seem to feel. I endured ridicule in high school and know what it's like to be devalued.
As a straight couple, Murch and Matthew are using their position of empowerment in their favor. They understand that the system is stacked to their advantage and they are using that knowledge to give a voice to the disenfranchised.
The couple has taken their protest to the public and have started a Facebook group to get the word out.
Personally I have sent invitations to all of my Facebook friends in an effort to raise the couple’s profile. If people are at all interested in this cause, I recommend you check out their group Anull (sic) Our Marriage In The Name Of Equality!"
Even if their approach fails, they've empowered themselves and their fellow citizens by actively questioning the prejudicial system. Their grand gesture is a heart-warming act of solidarity.
Calhoun Kersten is a Cincinnati, Ohio native who now calls Chicago home. He is a senior in the film program at Columbia College Chicago.
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