Well, I'm back, sort of,

and I'm here to tell you that I've been in the belly of the

beast, my friends. I've been front and center in a place that apparently

is the most terrifying, doom-bringing, hell-hole on the planet these days.

And I'm not talking about Buckhead, either. That's right. I'm

talking about a gay wedding.

GASP!

My wife, Sabine and I, were

invited to attend a wedding on Valentine's Day weekend. Two of her

friends from school were getting married on Valentine's Day at a

Universalist Unitarian Church in Lexington, Mass.

They had been together for

years, longer than my wife and I, and after a having a sad year and losing

some loved ones, they wanted to be happy and, in turn, share their happiness

with their family and friends. They set the date, sent out the invitations

and waited for the big day to arrive.

Before it arrived, they shopped

for dresses and rings, selected the music to be played at the reception

and cooked all of the food to be served at the wedding to keep costs down.

So, what was this wedding like?

It was like every other wedding that has ever taken place.

It started late, children at

the wedding were amusingly disruptive, the food was OK and the people

getting married were the happiest people in the room.

It was a time for old friends

to catch up with each other and for people to shower their friends with

gifts and good wishes. The guests took candid pictures of the people at

their table and played with babies. They sang along to the music that

was playing and ate wedding cake.

Obviously, it was horrible

and a danger to every other marriage in the world.

When Sabine's friends

made their vows and promises before their family and friends, it was no

different than when I made my vows to my wife.

They were just as nervous and

they smiled and sweated just as much as I did. They were no less sincere

in the profession of their love and commitment than either Sabine or I

were, and just because I am straight doesn't mean that my marriage

should carry more weight than theirs.

Nor does a gay marriage -

and even if the word isn't given to them that's still what it

is (a rose by any other name would smell as sweet) - take away from

my marriage or yours in any way. You will still wake up beside your husband

or wife every day and live your life.

Whether Bob and Ted or Kelly

and Jill down the street are married makes no difference on whether or

not you stay married. Marriage is work, no matter what your sexual preference

may be, and if one person doesn't do the work, chances are your marriage

will fail.

The hatred of homosexuals and

gay marriage is wrong and it has to stop. All of these invented reasons

on how it affects society are asinine and those who espouse them, especially

in the name of religion, should be ashamed of themselves.

I may not be the most well-read

biblical scholar but I'm pretty sure there isn't a section of

the Bible where Jesus lists the times it's OK to hate and discriminate

against people.

If homosexuals are allowed

to marry, it doesn't mean that someone is going to marry a dog, nor

does it mean that someone is going to marry a 10-year-old boy or girl.

It means that your neighbor,

coworker, friend, acquaintance, or relative is going to be afforded the

same rights as you.

Gay people aren't coming

for your children and they don't want to eat your brains. They want

all of the things that you or I have, things that we take for granted

a lot more often than we should.

I attended my first gay wedding

on Valentine's Day and I'm sure it's not going to be my

last. I'm sure my marriage and the world will survive. Despite what

other people would like you to believe.

[Michael Boylan, recently of

The Citizen, now is in charge of public relations for a Peachtree City

publisher.]