Starting tomorrow I'm going to work out at least 15 minutes a day. I'm going to put together a workout playlist.

Civil unions do not grant the same rights as marriage, regardless of the spin many politicians put on them. The only acceptable path to equality is same-sex marriage. The Supreme Judicial Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts stated in regards to civil unions, "separate is rarely equal". Separate but equal isn't acceptable, but civil unions don't even come close to meeting even that standard. Anything less than same-sex marriage is discrimination. (I found the following chart in transnews, I don't know who created it)

	MARRIED COUPLES	UNMARRIED COUPLES	CIVIL UNIONS
Portability of rights	Union automatically recognized in all 50 states.	Can register as domestic partners in Massachusetts, which allows visitation rights in hospitals or jail, access to the school records of partners' children, and insurance benefits to partners in some cities.	Usually only recognized in the state that approves them. But recently in New York, a civil union from Vermont was recognized in a wrongful-death suit.
Gifts and property transfers	May make unlimited transfers and gifts to each other.	Any gift or transfer worth more than $10,000 in a year requires filing a federal gift tax return.	Same as unmarried couples, larger gifts and transfers are subject to federal tax.
Income tax status	“Married filing jointly” generally works to the advantage of couples when one earns much more than the other, but creates a penalty when their incomes are similar.	Unmarried couples cannot file jointly, although an adult with custody of a child can file as “head of household.”	A couple can file only state tax returns jointly, federal returns are filed individually.
Child or spousal support	Criminal penalties are imposed on spouses who abandon a child or a spouse.	Unmarried partners have no legal obligation to support their partner or partner’s children.	In state where the union is granted, the courts can impose penalties on a partner who abandons a child or a spouse.
Medical decisions	A spouse or family member may make decisions for an incompetent or disabled person unless contrary written instructions exist.	A health-care proxy, prepared before a problem occurs, can designate anyone, including a partner, to make decisions.	Partners in the state where the union was granted can make health decisions, but in other states that authority may not be recognized.
Immigration	US citizens and legal permanent residents can sponsor their spouses and other immediate family members for immigration purposes.	Not allowed to sponsor a partner or other immediate family members.	Not allowed to sponsor a partner or other immediate family members.

I just finished my first daily work out. It was only 15 minutes, but I'm covered in sweat. Very high energy level dance work out. I'm sure I'll get more used to them as time goes on. I'm determined to keep it up. I did learn one thing. If I keep doing this, I'm going to need to get a bra that fits.

San Francisco has done it. The first same-sex marriages in the United States have taken place today. While the marriage licenses issued by San Francisco may or may not be overturned, it is still a major historical step. And, I believe it will weigh positively on the proceedings currently going on in the state house of Massachusetts. I hope none of the proposed amendments to the Massachusetts constitution pass the legislature, a outcome that is a real possibility, although still a bit of a long-shot. Regardless, even if one of the amendments does pass the legislature, I believe the fact that there will already have been same-sex marriages in place for well over a year by the time it comes up on the ballot will weigh heavily in a minds of voters. The legal mess caused by undoing such marriages will be a very strong argument against passing the amendment, and I have faith that if it comes down to a vote at the polls, the good people of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will have enough sense to vote no. It's finally happening. Real civil rights are finally happening. The right wingers can bitch and moan all they want. They're a dieing breed. They're time is over. There's a lot of work left to be done. But, our time has come.