Man, you set something in motion, no telling where it might end up.

It started very slowly with the Hawaiian Supreme Court ruling, overturned by the populace. It was years before Vermont followed suit and the concept stuck, albeit in the greatly diminished form or "civil unions." But then Massachusetts stepped in this fall and suddenly we're off to the races. California followed Vermont's civil unions--first state to do so unprovoked by its court system--and in the boldest move, San Francisco just started issuing licences.

That may end up being the real spark that got the brushfire going. Yesterday Mayor Daley said Chicago might follow suit, but this morning, a remote little county in New Mexico beat them to the punch. Sandoval County, population  90,000, is officially the first entity outside hardcore homoland to issue marraige certificates to pairs of men or women:

From 365gay.com:

Sandoval County, a community of about  90,000 people just north of Albuquerque will issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

County Clerk Victoria Dunlap said she fears a lawsuit if she does not grant the licenses to gay couples.  

Sandoval County attorney David Mathews agrees there is potential same-sex couples could sue under New Mexico law if the licenses were refused.

Man, this is wonderful news. I was thinking the usual suspects like Madison, Boulder and Berkley would be jumping in, but if little country counties outside of Albuquerque are ready to join the party, no telling how far and fast this fire could spread.

Can you picture large and small towns all over America opening up their licences to include us? Gay people getting married all across the country, lawsuits in a boatload of different states required to stop us?

I love the message it sends to the general population, too: This is not abnormal. Average, everyday county clerks all across the country think it's perfectly natural to include us.

The best thing about the New Mexico decision is that no body even demanded it. No one even asked:

Dunlap said she has not been approached by any same-sex couple seeking a license but after reading about the recent court decision in Massachusetts which has similar laws she became concerned that a refusal could end up in a lengthy and expensive court battle which the county would not win.

What a moment for the unsung county clerks across America to stand up and cause a great big stir for a great big cause.

OK, guys. Two towns have taken the plunge, now you've got cover outside San Franciso. Who's next?

I liked this episode. Learning to love these guys again. Because they're finally getting twisted into each others lives? Or because I began to feel for them?

Not sure, but last night they finally started to click for me.

The storm had a big impact. The tribe flooded out of their big stupid hole really looked hapless out there. Reminded me of the incredible fragility of our lives. Jerri crying about being out there shivering for six hours! Part of me scoffed. Six hours? That's all a human being from our world can last without pretty much falling apart? Think how many days, months, years our ancestors had to live like that. But six hours for me? I'd be just as miserable, frazzled and fantasizing about salvation.

I really felt for them, too, and it moved me to watch them help each other in the morning. Interesting to see them not help each much during the worst of it, when there didn't seem much they could do for one another, outside of holding each other, which would have been plenty, but they weren't prepared to do it. But in the morning, Jenna, especially, coaxing Jerri out, actually made me a little misty. Making me a little misty remembering it this morning. Those little moments of human kindness in the face of all the other pain and suffering and competition out there, those are what make this show for me.

And Jerri, by the way--what ever happened to Satan? Did she have an exorcism, or did she actually learn something the first time and quell her natural instincts to just mouth off the first time things didn't go her way?

I was also fascinated to see how different the world can look just a few hours later, with a few fresh rays of sunshine. We have this amazing limitation as humans to see two inches beyond the present, much of the time. When it gets really bad and stays really bad--for six hours!--we have this peculiar capacity to stretch those six hours out into infinity. It will always be like this. Then the sun rises and we remember mornings. Oh yeah. It's warm during the day. We can build a different shelter. That was just one night, not the rest of our lives.

It strikes such a chord because I've been there so many times. Who hasn't. Yet it's so hard to learn.

I just love this show.

More later. 

My Survivor All Stars page.

Comments: Head here all week for Episode 4 (Feb 19) comments