There are moments in history, both good and bad, uplifting as well as tragic, which leave lasting imprinted memories on people. For me some of these memories include the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, the moments when I found out that Princess Dianna and Biggie Smalls had died, and the night that President Barack Obama was elected president in 2008. I have always loved studying and learning about history and have very much enjoyed hearing first hand accounts from elder people in my life recalling their memories of when these such moments occurred. The falling of the Berlin Wall, when Kennedy and MLK Jr. were assassinated, or the decade long Vietnam War.

The past two days I have been glued to my computer listening to live feeds of the testimonies from the Supreme Court cases regarding Prop8 and DOMA, debating with people about the moral and consitutional framework for these issues and genrally being shocked and pleased with the amount of the support that can be seen on computers and televisions.

FaceBook has 'turned red' in support for marriage equality not only from members of the LGTBQI community but from straight allies as well. Many people argue that we in today's American society are addicted to our technology and lack human connection. Be this as it may, one benefit of this technology is the social movement. I have seen and read many different opinions about changing profile pictures but for me it is an issue of solidarity. Being a member of a minority population that does not have legal protections or rights in my state, I often feel that people do not support me and my rights. Seeing how quickly all of the profile pictures changed however, reminded me that there are so many people that do in fact support this cause that is so personal to me and thousands of others.

This morning a dear friend texted me expressing frustration over a family member that was challenging her and her sexuality and once again passing judgement upon her lifestyle. My first response was to remind her to breath and my second was to remind her to return the judgement with love, to be the change she wishes to see. I admit that I often fall victim to these heated debates as my passion usually gets the better of me, but I reminded her that we are fortunate to be gay, fighting for our rights today.

I have friends in different generations that came out decades ago in a time when there was little to no gay right's movement at all and their experiences are full of struggle and difficulty. There are so many stories where gay people got married to a member of the opposite gender because being gay and out wasn't an option back then. LGTBQI-ers were mocked and ridiculed and there were absolutely no legal protections for this group of people. Rather, there were laws in place that discriminated against and persecuted this population which created great oppression.

The Stonewall Riots were not all that long ago, especially considering that there is evidence of homosexual activity that dates back thousands of years. In the forty some odd years since Stonewall, American society has made great progress in protecting, recognizing and enfranchizing members of this community. Today there are 9 states as well as the Distric of Colombia that allow same-sex marriage. There are many public figures and celebrities that are endorsing equal rights for the LGTBQI population as well as courts that are overturning laws that promote discrimination and oppression.

As a child I became angry and upset very quickly when issues were not solved immediately, and my mother always reminded me that change and progress are slow moving processes. Sure there is still the instant gratification part of me that demands that change occur now, but I must remind myself that progress is progress and 1 small step forward is still a movement in the direction of change. As they say, Rome wasn't built in a day.

Sometimes I think it is easy to miss small changes when focused on the major change. There have been very small victories in my personal life that mean just as much as the major changes that have occurred. One of my coworkers told me awhile back that he used to use discriminatory language and didn't think twice about it. After listening to me and hearing how these words affected me, he decided to change and encouraged others to do the same. For me this was a small change that could have a bigger outcome and it meant the world.

Change is terrifying for so many different people. Change can be new and uncomfortable, that is why so many are so resistant. Forcing someone to change immediately can cause a defensive reaction and the resistance may become stronger; whereas simply suggesting change may produce a more open response that in turn could result in a potential to change. Over the past couple of years, I have heard about so many situations in which someone was completely against LGTBQI rights but after interacting with people within this community and getting to know them as individuals, these same people's views began to broaden and change.

Sick to my stomach with nerves and anxiety, I am terrified of the outcome of these two cases. The majority of this nation supports equality, but there are those, some being on the Supreme Court, that are arguing that change may be coming too quickly. Of course I hope that the Supreme Court will overturn both laws and we will be one step closer to true equality, but there is part of me that is scared to get my hopes up. At the end of the day, I know that the past couple of days will be some of those moments that will be recorded in history that I may be teaching about someday in the future.

No matter the outcome, I am proud to be alive in this moment.

Mia