26 June 2013 is a historical day

Not because it was the day thousands of Singaporeans lined up since 9pm to get their hands on a “Singing Bones Hello Kitty” launched by Mcdonalds at midnight (what the heck are they thinking?) but it was the day a U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision that will affect all married homosexual couples in the U.S.

The decision struck down a key provision in the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) which denied legally married same-sex couples the same benefits heterosexual spouses are entitled to, such as tax, health and pension benefits. In doing so, the Supreme Court ruled that DOMA violated the Constitution’s equal protection clause. It is indeed a cause for celebration! I believe that marriage should be for all, regardless of sexual orientation. As long as a couple wants to commit to each other and be bound by the laws governing their partnership, I don’t see why their gender should prevent them having the same legal protection afforded to heterosexuals. In fact, I know of many gay partnerships that lasted longer than straight couples.

My company is in celebration of this decision. In our window displays, we wrapped a rainbow flag around 2 male mannequins. I have to say, I am very proud to work for a company who has been supporting workers’ equality for over 16 decades. This is deeply rooted in our heritage. Not only do we have a foundation to advocate, support and fund campaigns relating to issues on equality in gender, race and sexual orientation, we have also been extending employee benefits to partners of our gay and lesbian employees for over 20 years now.

26 June 2013 is also a historical day in my relationship with The Man, as it is the day I agreed to watch a zombie flick with him.

You see, I am a scaredy cat who cannot watch horror films, including those featuring the living dead. I don’t know how people can be dead and alive at the same time; I don’t get the concept. The Man is a big time zombie flick fan, and the only time I watched one with him was BEFORE we dated. It was during a stage when I was trying to impress him and I was all like, “I am the coolest chick in town and you will be lucky to date me” mode. So, during a bus ride to KL, he brought up his laptop and made me watch a “surprise movie”. The movie turned out to be a B-grade zombie flick starring a lot of known actors/actresses. I reiterate I wasn’t dating him then and I was stuck in a 4 hour bus ride with him, and there was nowhere to run. So I had no choice but to keep my “coolest chick” face on and gamely watch the movie with him. Inside, I was dying from fear and chicken shit. After that KL trip, we became a couple and I dropped the fake face immediately and told him I am never ever watching another zombie movie with him.

Up until 26 June 2013, that is. He had a very bad day at work that day and I have been a bitch to him all week. After a really huge and senseless fight over nothing (I’m sure you guys had one of those before), he said the only thing that would ever make him remotely happy again is for me to watch World War Z with him at the cinema. We are talking big screen, baby. In the midst of all the shouting and emotions raging between us, he heard me say okay.

So, today we have a date to watch World War Z. He tried to make me feel better by saying Brad Pitt is in it. (Not working. I don’t care about him.) He also explained that zombies are not scary because they are merely people who have been inflicted with a disease. Do I look like I buy that? Bite me! (err… I don’t mean that literally!)