The Joy in Civil Liberty (Some Photos)

The State of Washington, as well, as Maine and Maryland, recently approved same sex marriages. That brings to nine the number of States where same sex marriages can be performed (they are also legal in D.C. and in two Indian territories); there are another nine states that recognize same sex civil unions, and California and Rhode Island recognize some sex marriages although they cannot be performed in the State. (There are thirty states whose constitutions ban same sex marriages, and of those twenty ban both same sex marriage and civil unions; seven states attempt to ban same sex marriage only by statute [one of those, Minnesota, recently rejected a constitutional ban on same sex marriage]. The total is well over 50 because of the mix of approaches.) Here's a good map that straightens it all out at Wikipedia.

Over a Buzzfeed thatere's a great and uplifting set of photos of people celebrating marriage in Washington, and I thought I'd share a few of those (slightly cropped in some cases).