It's taken a great majority of my life to accept that I love the great state of Nebraska. When I was growing up, I thought it was so boring. Just awful. Farms and cows and the biggest city had (still has) only two "skyscrapers." Why couldn't I have grown up in New York City or Los Angeles or London or Berlin or anywhere more interesting than here? Now, I love the quiet of the country, the beauty of running on gravel roads, and I could not live far from the lake where I grew up.
     In high school, I was frustrated with the people. I couldn't wait to jump to the defense of any group I felt might be marginalized in a debate. I fought teachers on gender roles and did everything I could to make sure people knew when I felt they were overstepping a line. I know now that there are racists and sexist people everywhere, not just Nebraska.
     In college I was so immersed in academia (a far more liberal setting than I'd grown up in), that I forgot that these issues of equality were so prevalent in my state. I traveled to Europe in the summer of 2008 and in London, Paris, Berlin, most cities we traveled to, people wanted to ask us about who we thought would be elected president. I was hesitant. I wanted to believe that America was ready for its first African American president, but I was afraid that wouldn't come. The people of Europe loved Obama. At least the ones I came in contact with. And these Europeans had way more faith in the American people than I did. "Obama will be president," they told me. "Americans will make the right choice," they said.
     In graduate school, I defended Nebraska to all of my from the east and west coasts. I had friends who were sure they would be hanged--in 2012-2014, mind you--if they ever came to Nebraska because they were African American or Latina or gay, or Jewish, or anything other than white, Christian, heterosexual. "It's not that bad," I said. "Haven't you heard of Nebraska Nice? Nebraska people are very nice and we have a lot of immigrants in small towns and Omaha has a few cool gay bars and downtown is kind of diverse." Kind of diverse.
     I have come to I tell myself that history teaches us that society never becomes more conservative, society progresses. Sometimes faster, sometimes slower, but always progresses. Today we are appalled at the way African Americans were (are) treated. The way women were once not allowed to vote. But here we are today with a black president and many female CEO's of companies. Maybe history of progress is what the Europeans had better faith in than I when they told me Obama would surely be president.
     On Sunday, Nebraskan law makers lifted a ban that made gays and lesbians ineligible to be foster parents. To me that this is just now happening seems silly and archaic. If a child needs a positive, loving, stable couple/person in his/her life, I don't care if that couple or person is gay, lesbian, green, blue, whatever. Love and support can come in all different shapes and sizes. Isn't living with a gay man who loves said child better than the child continuing to live without food or clothing with his birth parents? Duh.
     Today a judge has blocked Nebraska's ban on gay marriage. I am beyond happy. Finally, we weren't the last in the nation to come to the 21st century. We aren't the last state to hide behind a vail of religion in a nation where we supposedly have separation of church and state. We aren't the last to deny part of our population a basic right to love, stability, and all of the rights that go with marriage.
     Of course the state is planning to appeal and overturn the ruling. To those trying to overturn, I say why? Why spend so much money and breath to fight something that has nothing to do with you? What is it hurting you if homosexual people are allowed to marry and thus share benefits and tax privileges, social security, and make decisions with wills and children like all other married couples. Are these people second class citizens not worthy of all benefits? I don't think any of that affects you one bit. And let's get real, what on earth could possibly be wrong with love? Because that's what marriage is supposed to be about, right? Come on, Nebraska, love the people who love you. Love all of your people equally. Isn't that what Jesus was all about, anyway? It's America the land of the free?