This past weekend was full of extraordinary moments! The most important one happened on Friday when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage in a 5–4 decision. All my gays can finally legally marry if they wish to do so and I’m thrilled!

To be witness to our nation finally taking one positive step towards progress is amazing and heart-warming. As I heard that afternoon at the press conference in front of the El Paso Courthouse, “This is not the bookend of gay rights.” And it really isn’t the end, but it’s a big step for our nation and that deserves all the recognition.

This historic moment is not just about love and marriage, but it’s also simply relieving to know that there are many other rights that same-sex couples now have access to: filing joint taxes, sponsoring their spouse for immigration benefits, joint parenting rights, family visitation rights when in the hospital/prison, among many more.

This is an issue that, in one way or another, hits very close to home and my heart goes out to all of my friends who are affected positively by this decision. Despite Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.’s opinion that this court ruling had nothing to do with the constitution, Justice Kennedy’s touching closing paragraph stood out in this historic moment:

On another note, I attended KLAQ’s El Paso StreetFest on Saturday in the Downtown area thanks to my co-worker Val. The night took me back to my teenage years in high school when I promised to myself that one day I’d get to see Weezer perform live, and now I have! Yay me!

The festival featured many different stages, along with live art, food vendors and even inflatable games, including a mechanical bull that my friend Carlos rode for like 10 seconds. I’m a sucker for any pyrotechnics, despite my irrational fear of fire, and I loved the fireworks display that marked the beginning of Weezer’s performance.

I didn’t get very many good pictures or videos because we were kind of far back in the crowd and the stage placement didn’t allow for great visibility. Either way, I still sang “Beverly Hills” like I was still a 15-year-old little baby. Needless to say, it was a night well spent (and once again, I stole this last picture from my friend Yaz).

And we’re now at the two-week countdown until I’m Mexico City and I’m so freaking excited. I can’t wait! But for now, that is all.

❤
-V