NY marriage equality

In an open letter to the New York Republican Party, Meghan McCain once again invited her chosen party to reconsider its position on gay marriage.

McCain has long been an advocate and ally to the LGBT community, speaking in April at the Log Cabin Republicans Convention.

"Gays and lesbians are a vital part of our communities. They are doctors, teachers, firefighters, emergency personnel and neighbors. In this way, marriage equality is also about supporting good citizens and strengthening our communities. When a committed gay couple seeks to declare their love for one another and get married, the whole community benefits from the added stability and strength of that family. On top of that, we don't give up anything by sharing responsibilities and protections with those whom we love.

That's why I believe in marriage equality."

McCain recalled the 5 Republicans in the NY Assembly that voted for the equality bill and asked that as the vote comes to a full vote before the Senate officials to recall the "Republican values and fairness by passing the marriage bill."

Despite being more aligned with the moderate wing of the GOP, McCain continues to be her party's best hope of going mainstream and connecting with a generation that abhors the "culture wars" and embraces values like equality, choice, and inclusion.

The LA Times is reporting that the California Supreme Court just upheld Proposition 8, the ballot initiative banning same sex marriage, by a vote of 6 - 1. This is hugely disappointing

Many blogs will have excellent analyses of this ruling over the coming hours, but right now, I want to point out something of a silver lining that should give hope to all Americans that support marriage equality. As a recent report by the Center for American Progress makes clear, this will pass and marriage equality will likely become a reality all across the country within a decade.

Why? Because today's denial of the civil rights of millions of Americans, this remnant of the culture wars of the late 20th C, remains a non-starter among young Americans of the Millennial Generation. Just as young voters were the only age group to originally vote against Prop 8 (61 - 39%), nationally young voters remain highly supportive of gay marriage.

The Millennial Generation is so huge, that CAP estimates that by 2018, via a simple matter of cohort replacement (old people dying, young people aging into the electorate), a majority of Americans will be supportive of marriage equality.

The moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends towards justice. While we are waiting for that bend, check out these two youth-led efforts in support of gay marriage:

• New Yorkers for Marriage Equality
• Textbooks for Change