Note: I’ve missed the anniversary date by a few days, but five years ago, late on the night before an anticipated ruling by the Supreme Court that could potentially change the concept of equality in America, I scribbled out this little parable, with fingers crossed…
Mommy: “The end. Now, wasn’t that a lovely fairy tale?”
Sally: “Well…”
Billy: “I don’t think the Prince is going to be very happy.”
Mommy: “But he got to marry the princess!”
Sally: “I don’t think he really wanted to marry her. He only did it because the families made him.”
Billy: “I think he wanted to marry the stable boy.”
Mommy: “The stable boy?”
Sally: “Yes, Bruce the Poor! He and Prince McDreamy always had so much fun together, at least when the prince’s father wasn’t around, being all snooty and making people do stuff for him.”
Billy: “And they never talked about girls when they were away from court. I think the Prince is going to be sad now, because he didn’t get to do what he wanted to do.”
Mommy: “But the Prince can’t marry another man. It’s part of the rules.”
Sally: “Well, it’s a stupid rule.”
Billy: “You’re supposed to marry for love.”
Mommy, pausing to make sure that Gladys, next door, wasn’t once again leaning as far as she could out her window to try and catch every bit of dialogue and then run tell everybody, because Gladys was an annoying piece of work: “Well, I think you’re both right. It’s not fair that we have rules that only hurt certain people.”
Sally: “Then let’s change the rules!”
Billy: “How do we do it?”
Mommy: “It’s not that easy. There are a lot of people who like these rules, where they get to decide what other people do with their lives.”
Sally: “Why do they get to decide? Shouldn’t they only worry about things that affect them?”
Billy: “Why are they more important than me?”
Mommy paused again, letting things click in her mind, then smiled, grasping Billy’s hand. “No one is more important than my children, my family.” Then grasping Sally’s, squeezing both. “I only want what’s best for you. I want you be happy, whatever it takes to get you there.”
Sally: “So you think princes can marry princes?”
Billy: “And princesses can marry princesses?”
Mommy: “Why shouldn’t I? Love comes in a lot of interesting packages, but until we can get everybody to understand that, it may take some time before you can pick the package that suits you. Some people don’t like change. It scares them. Because accepting change means they might have to rethink anything they’ve ever been taught by other people who didn’t like change. And some people, well, some people are just mean in their heart. They don’t want anybody to be happy, because they are unhappy themselves.”
Sally: “Like Gladys next door?”
Mommy smiled again: “Something like that, only I think Gladys wouldn’t be that way if her husband paid more attention to her.”
Billy: “Maybe he should have married a prince instead.”
Mommy: “Maybe.” She closed the book and ran her fingers over the embossed cover. “It will take some time before everyone in the kingdom can be happy. But perhaps someday, someday soon, everyone in this country will be able to marry the person that they love.”
Suddenly, there was a jubilant knock at the door…
Previously published, no changes made to the actual story. The 2015 Supreme Court ruling made gay marriage legal across the land, striking down hateful prohibitions in many of the 50 states (including Texas, where I typed out these anticipatory words). To be fair, there was a fair number of states that already allowed gay marriage. But that’s how it always goes: Some people embrace equality, some people don’t, some people will fight progress with every weapon they can muster, standing outside their mansions and aiming guns at peaceful protestors. (Cue “Meet Me in St. Louis”, for those who get the reference.)
Trivia: This is the only Past Imperfect, so far, that has a date as the post number, instead of the next sequential figure in the Past Imperfect series. This is a somewhat meaningless detail, but the life-embracing ruling by the Supreme Court was monumental.
More Serious Trivia: On 06/15/20, just a few weeks ago, the same Supreme Court, despite a marked right-wing slant, ruled that Federal civil rights laws also protect the LGBT community. Which means, of course, in case you didn’t know, that until that ruling, gay people could still be legally fired in the United States just for being gay. Yep, in the year 2020, gay people had no workplace protections in many states until those few weeks ago. It boggles my mind, but I’m glad it finally happened. It infuriates the conservatives, who are once again proclaiming the End of Times since equality is one of the many things they hate. Because they’re assholes. Excuse my French.
Still, in a delicious double entendre, maybe fairy tales do come true. And this fairy will keep writing stories until all of them have a happy ending, with a jubilant knock at the door.
Peace.
Categories: Hope
Bonnywood Manor 
OMG! I didn’t know that until very recently, you could be fired for being gay! Yikes. I remember when the marriage ruling was made here. A good friend was so ecstatic, even though it was really just a formality, but those “formalities” are so important.
And, would you like a connasse or a connard? Could have a little fun with this, right? The Carrot that walks like a connard? No! No! The Carrot that IS a connard! Although that’s a little harsh on connards. 😉
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To be fair, many individual states had LGBT workplace protections, but many other states did not, especially in the “red” states, including Texas. You could be fired for being gay and you had no legal recourse. The Supreme Court ruling helped level the playing field but, sadly, it was not a complete win. There are some exemptions, such as small businesses with a limited number of employees. We still have work to do.
I’m not sure about the connasse or connard conundrum. I don’t think either of those terms are strong enough to condemn The Carrot and his ilk…
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Love is love is love! Too many haters get too caught up in when happens in the bedroom. There are plenty of gay couples who have boring vanilla sex lives, just like there are plenty of straight couples who like to get their freak on.
Marriage and spending a life together as a duo or a poly is love. Very simple, a basic human desire and right.
I am so thankful that I grew up surrounded by a variety of skin colors and sexual orientations and gender fluid individuals (before that was even a “thing”… we’re talking 70s here) I never knew other people thought it was wrong until my teens. I did have some “fortune” in my emotionally neglected, and sexually abused childhood.
I identify as pansexual, because for me , its about the person, not the body they were born into!🤗🥰🏳️🌈☯️☮💫💝💃🏼🎶🌻🦋🌺
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All you need is love? 😆 Not to make light of your comment though Angie. I have the Beatles singing in my head now (thanks again)…. “All You Need Is Love” ♪♫♪♫
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It’s a great song! 🎶💃🏼
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Angie: Isn’t it interesting how many of us who survived child-abuse are actually on the forefront of equality for all? I don’t wish bad situations on anyone, but I think so many of the “haters” out there have never experienced abuse and neglect and discrimination. They don’t understand or respect empathy. It’s one of the downfalls of American society, where some folks have so much privilege that they can’t grasp the concept of hardship. And for what it’s worth, I think pansexuality is a worthy ideal. Love the person, screw the rules.
Melanie: I also drifted toward the Beatles song. Great minds, perhaps? 😉
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Perfect story for the times.
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Thanks, Peggy. We just need to keep telling the stories until they all have a happy ending…
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Strange how those who cling to unyielding conservative traditional values find anyone who differs from their oh so God given Right and proper ideals, value less.
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Methinks that those who insist that a God is on their side don’t understand that God doesn’t choose sides. And that’s probably the most religious expression you will ever hear out of me… 😉
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“So now as I’m leavin’/I’m weary as Hell/The confusion I’m feelin’/Ain’t no tongue can tell/The words fill my head/And fall to the floor/That if God’s on our side/He’ll stop the next war”
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Very interesting and complex. Is that a quote, or are those your own words?
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Lyrics from Bob Dylan’s “With G-d on Our Side.” I can’t believe I forgot to write that! I could have sworn I did! Darn. I’m sorry! I always give credit! Dang.
But it went together with the comment I replied to.
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Oh, no need to be sorry. I was just curious about the source of the words. (And I feel a little silly that I didn’t recognize the lyrics.) And yes, it was a great response to the comment…
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Lyrics, when taken like that, are sometimes hard to recognize. Especially when not cited properly… :*(
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Well, you can’t blame the Prince. Have you seen that stable boy?
🔥🔥🔥
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I have, indeed, seen him. And I etched my phone number into the wood of the hitching post, so to speak…
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On a more serious note, I just saw a documentary about the Stonewall riots and the history of being gay in America. Needless to say I was shocked and absolutely horrified. I had no idea and was completely disgusted.
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History is filled with misguided people doing terrible things for all the wrong reasons. Some day, hopefully, we will learn from the mistakes…
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HEAR! HEAR! Until this world is deaf, mute and blind we will have dissenters. I pray for the day when we only hear, speak and see from the heart . . .
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I don’t understand WHY people can’t see from the heart. Then again, I actually HAVE one, which gives me a leg up on the apparent multitudes who don’t….
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I didn’t know that ugly factoid about the workplace, but I’m not surprised greatly. Here in Utah I’m sure, even with the court ruling and all, that certain folks are hiding their rainbow simply out of fear. Sad. Up here in teeny tiny town Utah, a lesbian couple had a gay pride flag that they flew now and then and some inbred Jed (of the finest family I’m sure – yeah :roll:) and his cronies spray painted the couples’ house with slurs and trampled the flag. It was deemed a hate crime, but I’d BET (and I ain’t got no money so you know that’s serious) they never saw any punishment for doing it.
Gawd. This only reinforces how tired I am. I just don’t see the point of being forced to stay in a world where such stupidity, malice and hate rule the goddamned day. And they call ME ‘nuts’.
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I understand your frustration. But here’s the thing, though: At least we are now at a point where we can speak out and attempt to shame the bigots. It wasn’t that long ago when doing so could ruin your life. The American populace has shifted toward support of equality, despite the flare-ups here and there of hatred. We just need to stamp out those remaining fires. And maybe, just maybe, one of the reasons you were dropped on this planet was to help fight the good fight. Don’t give up. Keep the faith, in a number of ways…
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Jubilation T Corn Pone – o toot your own horn pone
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Now you have me wanting to sing an all-inclusive show tune. Of course, it doesn’t take much to get me to do so… 😉
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I love this even more than the first time I read it, because we need it more now. You’re right, there are so many who oppose progress, some from hate and others from fear. Both of which are consuming our country — have been for a very long time — but there are signs the tide is turning and we won’t give up on it for one second! ❤️
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I have faith in the Tide Turn. There are so many other things to worry about that I truly believe more and more people are done with the hatred and want to move on…
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