What I'd Like to Say When I Officiate My Next LGBTQ Wedding
I speak for this couple before us to say “Welcome” to every one of you here at this important occasion on this special day. We are here to witness these two people who are not only in love but who have chosen to love one another, as they publicly express, confirm, and formalize their loving commitment among and before us, their friends and family. Make no mistake about it. Their moment of commitment on this day is not only an important event for them, but a special moment in all our lives. There are long histories, not only in our cultures but around this world, where powerful people and institutions have enforced limits on who can publicly and legally commit to the person they love. That’s why most cultures have their own versions of “Romeo and Juliet,” stories of love challenging those accepted boundaries. Those limits were rooted in prejudice and fear. But they’ve been justified again and again by the forces of religious and political institutions as if those proh...