Today the United States Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) paving the way for gay marriage.  I am exhilarated and so deeply moved that it will take me some time to process the significance of this event.  I would like to write a few immediate thoughts as I take in the ramifications of this day.

On a national level the ruling raises the concerns of LGBT people to their rightful place in the discourse on human rights.    And, on a very personal level, it means that my marriage is now federally recognized.

Yet, there is so much more.

I am deeply grateful to Edith Windsor.  In fighting for her rights as a married woman, she took up a cause that will have implications for all of us.  I applaud all the activists who participated in this case and who are fighting for LGBT rights in so many other battles.  There are too many people who continue to experience the pain of abuse and oppression.

When I heard the news my mind went immediately to my lover who died of AIDS in 1991. He participated in changing his world for the better and I think he would have been so proud to know how far we have come.  There is a long history of activism in our community that has led to this event, and I want to honor those who came before and are not here to reap the rewards.

In my psychotherapy practice I often have to help people through feelings of sadness that accompany a joyful event.  They wonder why they should be crying when they are so happy.  I let them know that it is normal to feel grief when we get what we want.  We are encountering the feelings of loss that have been kept at bay when we couldn’t have what we were longing for.

As with any change, including changes for the better, there will be a period of adjustment.  For many of us this ruling will create shifts in how we relate to ourselves and others.  We must reexamine the walls that we created to protect ourselves from the homophobia of our pasts.   We might find that defenses that were necessary at the time  may no longer serve us.   As someone I spoke with today said so eloquently, “I need to learn how to be accepted.”

I feel such love for my husband.  I have to wonder whether the lack of recognition of our marriage might have affected the quality of our relationship and how this judgment could offer us an opportunity to deepen the commitment we have to one another.

I’m glad to be alive on this momentous day, to learn and grow. Lets keep the conversation going and help each other adapt to the changes ahead.