Marriage, an institution old and sacred, is the most recognized public declaration of love. When a couple decides to wed, assuming it's for love, friends and family generally coo over the betrothed and a general feeling of happiness abounds. Such displays occurred this past week, when congratulations were given all around to freshly hitched students who decided to tie the knot at Freedom to Marry Day on Thursday.
The festive occasion, which was held on the quad in the crossfire of intersecting cement walkways, was a huge success. Its aim was to promote equal rights and marriage equality by performing mock marriages for anybody who desired to form a bond for the day.
Any couple could receive nuptials along with rings, certificates and Lil' Debbie snack cakes. Though some planned out the procedure with proper wedding attire, most couples were spontaneous in their decisions to marry.
Holy matrimony was allowed for any two people who chose to commit to one another. Approximately 60 people were married by the day's end.
Tim Mulcahy, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, a newly married man and active member of Queers and Allies, said he was also pleased with the turnout.
"It meant the world to me," he said, reflecting upon his recent marriage to a friend. "It's cool to have an event like this. People have been very responsive. Even with the seriousness of the issue, people have realized it's OK to have fun with it".
His bride, School of Communication sophomore Jennifer Cumberworth, seemed satisfied as well.
"Our marriage was a fun, memorable reminder that there should be equality in marriage," she said. "This day will definitely stick out [for] people".
Queers and Allies, an on-campus LGBTQA club, organized the ceremonies as well as the wedding reception afterward. John Marzabadi, a freshman in the School of Public Affairs, member of Queers and Allies and a key organizer of the event, was immensely proud of the outpouring of support from the AU community.
"This is an acknowledgement of equal rights," he said. "Marriage is a basic right, and here at AU, we are showing our campus and the world that we are committed to LGBT rights."
This comes as no surprise, however, since AU was recently deemed one of the "Top 20 Best of the Best" among the 100 Best LGBT Campuses, printed in "The Advocate College Guide For LGBT Students."
"While I am always happy to see AU ranking high in any field, there is always more to accomplish, always more to do," Kevin Ballie, a freshman in the School of International Service and the treasurer of Queers and Allies, said. "That's why Queers and Allies put in so much effort to planning the day".
Freedom to Marry Day is a nationwide and recently international event that extends from college campuses to high schools to major cities. The event itself was the brainchild of Evan Wolfson, a prominent civil rights attorney and advocate who has lobbied for GLBT rights for decades.
He came up with the idea in February 1997, when he came to the distressing yet obvious conclusion that "we didn't have gay marriage anywhere on the planet." The name also lends itself to the organization he established that offers a resource guide, support and commentary for the event and other related happenings on behalf of GLBT equality.
The Web site for the organization explains that its primary objective is to "encourage dialogue with Americans thinking through the need to end discrimination in marriage [as well as] providing support to targeted state and local efforts, promoting fairness for all families."
At the wedding reception, held later on in the day on the sixth floor of Butler in the Conference room, newlyweds and friends gathered to celebrate the day's ceremonies. There were posters and banners decorating the room, as well as dazzling ornaments that embellished the tables.
Bon Appetit Dining Services served up a lovely dinner banquet, complete with an enormous rectangular masterpiece of a wedding cake with the word "Congratulations!" scrawled on the top in purple icing. Attendees appeared jovial and happy, just like any other members of a wedding party.
Sitting in a corner one could observe two female students. They cheerily force fed each other cake, just like any married couple would. And that was ultimately the point: These couples were not any different than a "regular" married couple.
