Global Pride 2020

What does Global Pride mean to us this year?

I remember this exact date 5 years ago. We were in Mexico having a small vacation in Puerto Vallarta. We were there for one of our favorite destination weddings of all time the following week in romantic Sayulita (hi Rick and Sabrina – we love you both x).

One morning we were on the rooftop of our condo and we could see giant rainbow flags starting to fly across the town and cheering echoing through the streets.

We decided to join the celebrations making their way through town still not completely fully aware of what was happening (you know when you’re on vacation and you’re totally out of touch with the news??!! That was us.) We just knew it was something highly emotional, lots of crying and music. And hugging. And we love following rainbow flags. So we were all in. And then we got a phonecall.

From a beautiful same-sex couple whose wedding we were doing at the Ritz Carlton in Atlanta later that year in September. “Have you heard? We were always still going ahead regardless of the ruling. But this is momentous. It’s going to make the wedding even more incredible. We can’t wait for hugs”.

The penny dropped. The US Supreme Court had just ruled that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples . Yes, 2015.

Equal Dignity in the Eyes of the Law.

Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote that the plaintiffs asked “for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right.“

Wow. Looking around at Mexico, celebrating for the USA (Mexico had become the first Latin American jurisdiction to legalize same-sex marriage in 2009), it was just overwhelming. It was a party. People were happy.

It was that simple. People were happy for other people. When everyone is treated as equal, we are all more free. And we were happy. It was right to celebrate. Australians in Mexico celebrating for the USA. It wasn’t about countries, but about life and love and humanity.

“No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right.”

Kennedy in his reading above, is responding to opponents of gay marriage who argue that it undermines the traditional sanctity of an ancient institution by redefining it. The point of same-sex unions is not to weaken marriage, he argues, but to expand it and honor it more fully in their own lives.

Australian Same-Sex Marriage ruling

Australia took a little longer to pass same sex marriage laws. Which is still mindblowing in itself. To be so cruel in an inability accept is hard to wrap my mind around. I love my country. But we truly were too long in correcting this injustice.

It wasn’t corrected until 2017. Just 2 ½ short years ago.

“Yes responses, 7,817,247, representing 61.6% …” read the chief statistician of the Australian Bureau of Statistics, David Kalisch, on the big screen. The huge crowd erupted. Hugging, crying, comfort, joy.

We had to watch this decision on tv from Tokyo. We were happy to not be in Australia while the debate was raging for weeks in the leadup to the vote. News form home said the ‘no’ campaign was negative and cruel and it was taking it’s toll mentally. But not being home for the result was really difficult. As it was truly still one of the happiest moments of our life. It felt like the world was changing. And that people had stood up for what was right. People had stood up for other people. The ones that needed the support.

(And we tried not to focus on the fact that there 38.4% of the population that believe in inequality.) Focus on the history. Focus on the positive.

People have emotions. We’re full of feelings. They run deep. And to have people disagree or not like a certain lifestyle is one thing. But to actually campaign against people, against equality, is inhumane. And it hurts. What makes someone more worthy for marriage in the eyes of the law? And what makes others just stand by and watch this happen?

Thankfully we’re surrounded by supportive family and friends who would never have campaigned against same-sex marriage. And we love them all the more for it.

Still so much to do

However, it still upsets us on so many levels that the world has to actually fight for equal love. There’s something so exquisitely agonizing about this. People shouldn’t have to exist and thrive despite adversity. Everyone should be allowed to live without fear, and without a fight. So much energy expended on a battle that should just ‘be’. But we celebrate Global PRIDE this month. A weight lifted for a while. Until it’s back to the uphill efforts of acquiring equality in the workplace, adoption and family equalities, combatting prejudice and trying to still win acceptance in so many ways.

And there are some battles that can’t be won in the courtroom. Acceptance is one of them. There’s still work to do. But this June, during global PRIDE, let’s remember to start with acceptance. It’s something that everyone can do.

We appreciate that we can now turn on tv and see LGBTQ characters represented. We appreciate that there are high profile politicians, actors, celebrities and sportspeople leading open lives. So appreciative that there are now some workplace protections. And, in our world of weddings, we appreciate that now two people in love, two soulmates, can unite and be seen equal in the eyes of the law. It’s a culture that we couldn’t have imagined when we were growing up. So we focus on how far we’ve come. Not how far we still have to go.

To our LGBTQ+ community, friends and family please remember that you are vibrant, strong, gorgeous, brilliant, creative, loving, and resilient. We love you. We support everyone that’s out there advocating for change to make the world a better place. All those pushing for institutional change. Our gratitude is overflowing. I wish we could do more. Participate more. But to those working to change the world for the better. Thank you.

Real love is walking through life side by side with your soulmate. Your person. We celebrate that today. Global Pride. Bringing the LGBTQ community together. June 27: Global Pride.

Pride shining through Covid-19. Pride organisations from across the world will celebrate Global Pride 2020. With musical and artistic performances, speeches from activists and campaigners, and addresses by public figures, they will stream 24 hours of content that reflects and celebrates the beautiful diversity of LGBTI+ people everywhere.⁠
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Global Pride will be live-streamed and you can watch anywhere with a computer or mobile device and an internet connection. ⁠
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Let’s celebrate today. Everyone being able to live their lives with the freedom to love, live and celebrate without discrimination or prejudice. Love is love. And we’re so proud to be a beautiful rainbow company. Happy Pride everyone. 🏳️‍🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🏳️‍🌈⁠