Minnesota Is 12th State To Legalize Equality

In just the last couple of weeks, three new states have vote to legalize equality in their states (by making it legal for same-sex couples to have the same right to marry that other couples have). The newest state to do this is Minnesota, and it now becomes the 12th state in the Union to remove the barrier to marriage for same-sex couples.

This doesn't come as a shock, because the people of Minnesota had already shown they were ready for this move. Last year, the right-wing fundamentalists got a propisition on the November ballot that would keep any same-sex marriage law from being passed in Minnesota -- but the voters easily defeated that proposition. That set up the possibility for same-sex marriage legalization.

And last week, the Minnesota legislature made good on that promise. The House passed its bill to legalize same-sex marriage last Thursday on a 75 to 59 vote, and sent the bill to the Senate. Yesterday the Senate passed the bill on a 37 to 30 vote, and sent the measure on to the governor. Governor Mark Dayton said he will sign the bill today (Tuesday). The new law will go into effect on August 1st of this year.

The United States has been striving for equality under the law ever since Thomas Jefferson included the immortal words "all men are created equal" in the Declaration of Independence, but that equality has never been a reality in this country. Minnesota's new law is one more small step towards granting true equality to all American citizens. But the fight is far from over, since there are 38 states to go on the issue of marriage equality -- and some of those, especially in Texas, Oklahoma, and the South will be especially difficult to win over.

But this is a day for celebration, because another step toward equality has been taken. Now we must continue the fight -- and we must not forget that there are still battles for equality in other areas to be fought and won, particularly for women and minorities.