"I love and adore you and I would be lucky to be in any union with you, civil or hostile."

Okay, I'll admit it. Deep down inside, far from my hard, bitchified exterior, I am a big softie. Some readers may remember me getting a little teary eyed after reading this. So I got a little teary eyed again when I read yesterday that the California Supreme Court struck down the state's gay marriage ban and ruled that,

". . . the opportunity of an individual to establish -- with the person with whom the individual has chosen to share his or her life -- an officially recognized and protected family possessing mutual rights and responsibilities and entitled to the same respect and dignity accorded a union traditionally designated as marriage . . ."

Yes, it's a mouthful of legalese, but it means that The Gays can get their marriage on in the state of California. And not some sort of half assed, second class version of marriage. Not a civil union or even a hostile union. No, marriage. The whole shebang and rights accorded with the word. You'll forgive me for being a little teary eyed.

So way to go, California. Way to reclaim your mantle for being the most forward thinking state in the nation.

As an aside, a straight friend of mine recently told me of his wedding plans, explaining that he was mostly leaving the details up to his fiancée, but that he had two requests. One, not to spend tens of thousands of dollars on the day and two, not to get married in New York state. When he said that, I asked why? What did he have against New York besides being a Boston Red Sox fan?

His explanation touched me beyond words. "I'm not going to get married in a state that doesn't let everyone get married," he said.

The wedding will take place in Massachusetts, the first and until just recently the only state in the US that affords marriage to everyone. Maybe he should think about getting married in California too.

PS: Congratulations, Ellen and Portia.