In the end, love wins...

Thirty-two times. Marriage equality had been put to a vote 32 times before last night, and every time it was defeated. And while legislatures in seven states and the District of Columbia had legalized marriage equality, never before had voters signaled their approval.

But last night was different.

Last night history was made.

Last night voters in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington (it appears) took a stance for equality, approving bills that legalized marriage equality or defeating bills that sought to amend the state constitution to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman.

Last night, love won. Equality won.

While nothing can take away the bravery of the legislators and judges in Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont, it is amazing to feel that for the first time, voters believed strongly enough that my rights mattered enough to take a stance. For the first time, voters in four states have said that every citizen deserves the same rights.

Obviously, this year's election was about so much more than equality, and I'm excited about the outcomes we saw last night. I was moved to tears several times last night, but none more so than when the announcement that the question of marriage equality had been approved in Maryland.

I sit at my desk this morning bleary-eyed and hopeful. There is still so much further to go, and the journey will still be a long and hard one. But this is the inroads we were hoping for.

Hopefully people all over our country, and all over the world, will eventually see that when love wins, we all win.

My gratitude to all those who have worked tirelessly, given time, effort, money, passion, blood, sweat, and tears to this cause. And my gratitude also goes to all who will give these things, because it's still needed.

To quote one of my favorite heroes, Fred Rogers, "It's such a good feeling to know you're alive. It's such a happy feeling, you're growing inside."

Indeed. It's a good feeling.