New York.....You Made Me Proud.

Hello again everyone. I told you I would be in better contact, and here I am - less than a week later!

As I laid down to go to bed last night, my wife says "Turn on the news - they just passed the Marriage Equality bill!" So as I quickly fumbled for the remote, I finally found it and turned on HLN because it's the only news channel I have memorized. Unfortunately, they had on Showbiz Tonight. I don't think Kim Kardashian taking an X-Ray of her posterior to prove it's all real is "news", but if they do, well good for them.

Eventually I grabbed my phone and went to where I go for all my late breaking news - Facebook and Twitter. Indeed, it was true. New York did indeed pass the Marriage Equality bill, on the same weekend of the big Gay Pride Parade in New York City. The only letdown is that it takes 30 days for the bill to become enacted, and I feel like this may be a very long month for a lot of people.

My wife and I have as many, if not more, gay friends than straight friends. Some of whom have been in more committed relationships than our straight friends. I am a happily married heterosexual male, and I don't feel the least bit threatened that the sanctity of my marriage is compromised now that a man will legally be able to marry another man in my state. Or a woman marrying a woman. I have a blast at wedding receptions, so as long as there's a party, you can count me supportive of your union!

I am so happy for my circle of friends, who are openly gay, but I still will not mention names until I get the OK from them to do so. Janel has been wanting to wear a tux to a wedding for years, and now she'll get the chance!

My biggest concern is that there will be a lot of people who now wish to get married, but there will be a lot of people who want no part of conducting these ceremonies. I have decided to follow my friend Jamie Robinson's lead and become ordained so that these situations don't have to happen. Once I am official, I will marry you - gay, straight, or somewhere in between. Love is love. Janel has always said that you love a person's soul, not their gender, and I will be honored to help committed couples share the same feeling of togetherness that Janel and I share.

Congratulations to New York and all of it's citizens that now have the same rights. Marriage is an equal union between two people. Now the right to marry is just as equal, and in my humble opinion, there isn't one thing wrong with that.

Comments as always are welcome here and on Facebook, and now on Twitter. You can follow me at @billwinters18.