My wife Heather, my daughter Samantha and I attended the wedding of Leslie and Colleen at the Cleary International Center in Windsor, Ontario this past Saturday: January 21, 2006.

    Leslie, Heather’s aunt and a prominent Lesbian in the Detroit gay community, met Colleen about a year ago and, from what I’ve been told, they soon fell in love and very quickly decided that they wished to be married.

    In Michigan, we not only don’t have legalized gay marriage, but our sizeable and vocal religious conservative movement put forth and passed a ballot initiative creating a state constitutional amendment specifically prohibiting same-sex marriages. The ACLU has, however, won a lawsuit preserving domestic partner benefits such as medical insurance and inheritance rights. Even this bit of progress is in danger, however, as there are those attempting to defeat this newly won protection in the courts and legislature.

    This state of affairs is not so dire across the border in Canada however. There gay marriage is the law of the land as of late June, 2005. Not through any manipulatively worded ballot initiative, either. In the House of Commons gay marriage was legalized in a 158 to 133 vote.

    So when Colleen and Leslie decided that they wished to be wed, there was only one option available to them: a brief migration to the land of the Maple leaf. Windsor, Ontario is Detroit’s sister city; a relatively small and painfully trendy town on the other side of the Detroit river. It is but a quick trip across the Ambassador Bridge (or through the Detroit-Windsor tunnel, if you are a mole). Not from our area? Windsor was famously featured in Micheal Moore’s documentary “Bowling for Columbine”, where it was revealed that the only murders there seem to be purpetrated by visiting Detroiters. Spread the love, Metro Detroit!

So there was a wedding. The reverend…or pastor…or whatever the fellow was, conducted the ceremony in what I feel was an overly political tone. Seemed as if his sermon was more about gay marriage than their marriage, which I don’t think helps the cause.     When the struggle is the message, then the struggle goes on. But if the marriage is the message, then the struggle is won.     In any case, it was lovely in its own right, especially after the sermon was behind them and the vows were exchanged.     Below is a picture of the newly married couple immediately after being pronounced wife… and wife.

the honorable…

Mrs. and Mrs.

the couple at the reception

    After the ceremony came the reception. The most remarkable thing about this gay wedding reception was how much it seemed just like any other wedding reception in America (or Ontario, as the case may be). There was a wedding couple dance followed by a wedding party dance.
    There was good food, of which I particularly enjoyed the pork roast with peach sauce and the garlic potatos.
    People tapped their glasses with spoons to goad the couple into kissing.
    We all ate cake.
    The DJ made us dance the Hustle, the Macarena, YMCA, and then all those willing to do so proceeded to boogie down to Cool and the Gang’s Celebration.
    People got drunk.
    People made fools of themselves.
    Eventually everyone went on their merry way and the evening drew to a close. We retired to our large-party-discounted hotel room at the adjoining Hilton, where Heather and I faught the attempts of the overly soft mattress to devour us whole while our daughter slept peacefully on the neighboring bed.

    In the morning I awoke to the ironic realization that our hotel, where the majority of the wedding guests stayed, was serving as a local launching point for last minute Conservative party campaigning in Windsor. Some party bigwig appeared in the lobby while I was passing through; he proceeded to photo op and rally his troops.
    Such is the difference between American and Canadian politics that we saw no body guards, and barely a fuss was made. Anyone know who this fellow was? Everyone standing in line to see him had “Harper” shirts on. (Stephen Harper is now the Prime Minister elect for the Conservative party.)
    I leave you with these images from the reception. Notice the lovely Detroit skyline, complete with Canadian Coast Guard cutter. Ironic…the only way to get a good view of Detroit is from another country.

Wanna see any of these pictures closer up? Click HERE.