Prop 8 Overturn Serves As My 37th Birthday Present

In honor of my 37th birthday, I received a present with no outright monetary value, but filled with limitless potential to create positive effects on my same-sex, romantic relationship.  Yes, on August 4th, 2010, a California judge ruled Prop 8 unconstitutional.     During the initial Prop 8 protests of late 2008 and early 2009, I did not have the opportunity to participate to the extent I would have liked due to work obligations (sorry, but my work as a veterinarian does not permit me to “call out gay”).  So, when U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker overturned the rule on August 4th, 2010 I felt eager to be involved in the West Hollywood festivities recognizing the event’s importance.   The timing of the overturn was a very fortuitous event that just happened to coincide with my birthday.  My partner and a few close friends started our gleeful (or we could say, gay) celebration at The Abbey, which is conveniently located next to the rally site in West Hollywood.   The atmosphere was festive and all eyes focused on the speakers, including Los Angeles Mayor, Anthony Via Riguoesa, who spoke bi-lingually in support of the cause. At the conclusion of the rally, my partner and I noted a woman with a highly styled, “news anchor” look causing her to notably stand out in the crowd.  I thought I recognized her from a local (Los Angeles metro area) news channel, but was unable to immediately place a name to her heavily made up face.   It turned out to be Leslie Miller from KABC Channel 7 news who approached and asked if we were a couple.  When we confirmed her suspicion and clarified our residence as being West Hollywood, she then asked permission to inquire further.   We both then answered a series of questions about our feelings on Prop 8’s repeal.  When asked would we consider marrying each other, instead of my partner professing his undying love, he amusingly claimed “yes, if it makes good financial sense.”  Leslie’s blank reaction to his frank and honest answer (read: not the one she was looking for) perhaps played a role in my partner’s notable absence from the broadcast.   As we did not anticipate our guest appearance as the face of the West Hollywood GWM (Gay White Male) couple’s perspective on the event, our DVR was not set to record the evening news.  Fortunately, the website for the KABC Channel 7 news featured the segment you are about to see.  Watch for me at the 1:29 mark! http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/video?id=7593573&syndicate=syndicate§ion Thank you for reading my article. To receive my next article via email, please press the “Don’t Miss a Blog Post” button on the right upper corner of this page. Copyright of this article (2010) is owned by Dr. Patrick Mahaney, Veterinarian and Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist. Republishing any portion of this article must first be authorized by Dr. Patrick Mahaney. Requests for republishing must be approved by Dr. Patrick Mahaney and received in written format.