It came just the same!

He HADN'T stopped Christmas from coming!
IT CAME!
Somehow or other, it came just the same!
And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow,
Stood puzzling and puzzling: "How could it be so?
It came without ribbons! It came without tags!
"It came without packages, boxes or bags!"
And he puzzled three hours, `till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!
"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store.
"Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!"

These are the words that started going through my head a few weeks ago when I read an article about gay couples. In a nutshell, it talks about how census data shows that gay couples are very similar to straight couples in income, home ownership, and even in raising children. The article mentioned how surprising it is that in Wyoming and Utah, where gay marriage (or even civil unions) are far from legal, there are a higher percentage of gay couples that live as though they are married that in other states.

Huh. So, gay marriage comes without a legal piece of paper, with churches and individuals fighting them on every side. Somehow or other it comes just the same. Maybe it means just a bit more than the tax benefits and such that come from marriage. Maybe it means more than just sex and selfishness. Maybe, perhaps, it means love and commitment and family.And maybe, just maybe, that could be a good thing for society.

Meanwhile, while organizations argue that we need to "save the children" from viewing this alternative type of family, wouldn't it be better for children to learn that families are different, and that Bobby who has two dads or two moms still has a family that is part of the community and deserves respect? Because regardless of whether or not gay marriage is ever legal here in Utah, the fact is that these "marriage-like" situations with families and children continue to exist, and will continue to do so. They are not going away.