| Somebody sent me to Americablog a few days ago because I was in a crap mood, and Americablog had a frontpaged video of 3 kittens spinning around on turntables. Anybody who knows me knows that kind of thing actually works on me. I reposted kittens to my facebook and got on with my day. Why don't we have more kitten videos at Blue Jersey?
 But, I digress. Next to the spinning orange kittens was a link to Americablog's new collection of New York-flavored tee-shirts. Each, an expansion of the iconic Milton Glaser design known around the world. Which, ironically, was designed in the 1970s, when NYC was considerably less "lovable". Less lovable, the way New Jersey feels to me right now. Want to take a guess how much money that logo is hauling in for New York? Or, take a crack at this: How much in tourism dollars New York is about to see from their forward-thinking legislative decision.
I remember when we were lobbying NJ legislators in the run-up to the Senate marriage equality vote January of last year. There were so many reasons to urge support; one was tourism. I was in the room, when that case was made to Sen. Steve Sweeney. Didn't work.
In October, I get to watch two good friends, two men I love separately but especially together, get married on a boat in New York waters. There's water in New Jersey, too, and I imagine this wedding and many others, and a lot of NJ tourism dollars, will go to the city and state that invites it, a city and state that recognizes all of us more fully.
This Sunday, Garden State Equality is holding a rally to celebrate New York State's first-ever day of marriage equality. Co-host is Lambda Legal, which is now coming at Jersey equal marriage through NJ's courts. Couples at the center of that lawsuit will be there. Love will be in the air, both in New York, and across the water in Hoboken, where this rally will take place. The location is symbolic. Hoboken's Pier A Park is only a half-mile across the water from New York and another measure of equality. So close.
Disclosure: I serve on the board of Garden State Equality. I'd write about this even if I didn't. |
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