By Liz Newbury, NOW Web Coordinator
It’s a little bit of a Cinderella story: at the stroke of midnight, Vermont’s law allowing same-sex couples to marry came into effect. Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Iowa are now the states leading the way in same-sex marriage, with New Hampshire joining their ranks (pending a people’s veto) on January 1, 2010.
It’s pretty exciting, and here at NOW we’ve been looking forward to this day for months. Congratulations to all the happy new couples!
To mark the auspicious occasion, Ben & Jerry’s has renamed their “Chubby Hubby” flavor ice cream to “Hubby Hubby.” It’s very clever, and I really enjoy the fact that one of the major icons of the state is embracing this progress towards equal marriage. I wish more brands were so supportive of equal marriage!
But a little bit of the stride was taken out of my celebratory walk to Ben & Jerry’s when I realized that the women weren’t anywhere near the spotlight of this victory. Namely, many of the news stories highlight the male couples tying the knot today, and even something like the renaming the ice cream to “Hubby Hubby” emphasizes male couples. Why couldn’t “Cake Batter” (another flavor of Ben & Jerry’s) be turned into something like “Wedding Cake Batter” to provide that gender neutral flair?
I’m not trying to be a stinker, but this was a victory for all genders, and I would like to celebrate it in an inclusive way. And I just wish that “progressive” brands didn’t forget the women.