Today marks the one year anniversary of the California Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the ban on same-sex marriage that had been in place since 2000.

My partner and I were in Sydney on vacation at the time and didn’t realize it had happened until after we got home. And thanks to bad case of vacation hangover, and that we were already domestic partners, we didn’t feel particularly invested in the decision, I’m embarrassed to say.  Sure we were glad the ban had been overturned but we had already decided to wait until 2009 to possibly tie the knot, provided same-sex marriage was legal at the time and that any initiative against it was defeated in the fall.

Over the next month we didn’t discuss or think about the ruling much despite the media frenzy that was  building all around the state in the lead up to 5:oo p.m. on June 16, when the first same-sex weddings were to be performed.

I decided the day before that I wanted to go down to San Francisco City Hall and cover what would most certainly be a circus, as the first gay marriages were sure to bring out the most hateful and bigoted elements of our society, decrying that these marriages were an abomination and would bring about the end days.

After I covered the story, I promptly went home and asked my partner of 8 year to marry me. The weight of the day’s events, both historical and emotional, did not leave me any choice. Fortunately his answer was yes. We exchanged vows 3 months later.

So while not particularly important to us at the time,  May 15, 2008 is now an incredibly important day, as it set in motion the events that allowed me to marry the love of my life. And June 16, thirty days from now, will also be an extraordinarily significant day, not only because it was the day I proposed, but it is the first anniversary of those couples who chose to be  married in that “circus” the very first night.

So it is my sincere hope that the California Supreme Court will soon overturn Prop 8 and grant marriage equality to all Californians, and allow those brave couples to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. And allow us and the thousands that followed that day, to celebrate ours.

Not everyone is happy in Iowa today. Iowa Rep. Steve King issued the following press release after the ruling:

“This is an unconstitutional ruling and another example of activist judges molding the Constitution to achieve their personal political ends. Iowa law says that marriage is between one man and one woman. If judges believe the Iowa legislature should grant same sex marriage, they should resign from their positions and run for office, not legislate from the bench.

“Now it is the Iowa legislature’s responsibility to pass the Marriage Amendment to the Iowa Constitution, clarifying that marriage is between one man and one woman, to give the power that the Supreme Court has arrogated to itself back to the people of Iowa. Along with a constitutional amendment, the legislature must also enact marriage license residency requirements so that Iowa does not become the gay marriage Mecca due to the Supreme Court’s latest experiment in social engineering.”

Rep. King is no friend to the gay community…

– King compared gay people to unicorns and leprechauns. “Unicorns, leprechauns, gay marriages in Iowa — these are all things you will never find because they just don’t exist.”

– King sought to uphold anti-gay employment discrimination. “The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) would force employers to hire homosexual employees.”

– King insisted homosexuality was just a “behavior.” Declaring that “homosexual marriage is not a civil right,” King said sexual orientation “is a self-identified behavior, not an immutable characteristic.”

Hat tip to Think Progress.

First openly gay Iowa state senator Matt McCoy remarks on today’s landmark decision, describing it as a “Red letter day for the state of Iowa.” McCoy goes on to say that he views the issue as settled, noting Iowa’s long history of civil rights firsts and that it cannot be easily be undone (unlike California) thanks to Iowa’s rigorous legislative and judicial processes.

Will today’s events impact the pending decision of the California Supreme Court on Proposition 8?

Rachel Maddow interviews Dennis Herrera after today’s hearing to determine the fate of Proposition 8.