As the media gleefully reports on the US Women's National Team's incredible 5-2 victory over Japan yesterday in the World Cup final, one news story in particular caught my attention. Upon winning, Abby Wambach did what anyone would do in a moment of triumph: she ran up to her spouse Sarah Huffman for a hug and a kiss. Generally a totally normal occurrence to kiss your spouse, except in this case her spouse is another woman. The moment was heartwarming, and I watched the Vine a few times with a big grin on my face.
Then I did the thing you're not supposed to do. I read the comments. For the most part, I was pleasantly surprised because there were a lot of positive messages. There were a number of people, however, who argued that since the media doesn't make a big deal about opposite-sex spouses kissing on national tv, they shouldn't make a big deal about Wambach kissing her wife.
But it is a big deal. It's a big deal because it's so rare to see a real moment of love between two married women on TV. It's a big deal because 20.3 million Americans tuned in to watch the final (more than the number who watched the average NBA Finals or Stanley Cup Finals game, by the way). It's a big deal because little kids
still cry when they discover that they're gay. It's a big deal because our nation just got full marriage equality a mere 10 days ago. It's a big deal because 39% of the country still opposes marriage equality. It's a big deal because public reaction to it serves as a benchmark for how far we've come. Can you imagine all the hateful rhetoric that would have been spewed about it if Wambach had had this moment of celebration with her wife 8, 12, 16, etc years ago?
I look forward to the day when this isn't newsworthy. When no one cares enough to say anything beyond "how sweet!" before going back to yelling USA! USA! USA! But until that day, let's celebrate the moment and everything that it stands for.
