Update: My brother, Iowa, Vermont and marriage equality

I won't write much about the tremendous marriage equality victory today in Iowa or yesterday's vote by the Vermont House of Representatives to pass a marriage equality bill. Other sites have better analysis and information than I would be able to offer. But I will share a personal anecdote and also tell you how you can make the Vermont vote stick in light of the state governor's threat to veto marriage equality this Monday.

Iowa: My brother Gabriel (right), who lives in Iowa City, called me this evening to give me an up to the minute report on a celebratory rally taking place downtown Iowa City this evening. He was at a restaurant sitting near a wide window and was watching dozens of gay and lesbian Iowans walk by holding hands and carrying signs on the way to the rally. He even spotted some co-workers and said he was glad for them.

No biggie, just a brother speaking to a brother. But that's why I love my family. They are always there with me - and celebrate these LGBT rights victories with me - in a way that makes me so grateful for having the parents and the brothers that I have.

BTW, blogger Andrew Sullivan predicted that Iowa might go this way at last Sunday's "The Chris Matthews Show" on NBC. His exact words?

Vermont's legislature has just overwhelmingly voted to have marriage rights for gay couples, but the big future shock will be Iowa, where we will have marriage rights.

Vermont: Which brings us to VT. Andrew's 'overwhelmingly' comment means that the Vermont House of Representatives voted in favor of marriage equality by a margin of 95-52. A HUGE margin except that it falls five votes short of the 2/3rds majority needed to avoid a governor's veto that could come as soon as Monday!

But WAIT!! There is something you can do tonight and over the weekend! You can e-mail VT legislature to ask them to override the veto. Please do because marriage equality in VT may be only still in play if you take action between now and Monday.

Again, if you would like to see Vermont join Iowa, Massachusetts, and Connecticut in granting equal rights to same sex couples, please click on the previous link.

And, if you have some time on your hands, please head over to this video which has some incredibly moving testimony from last night's VT House debate on the marriage bill.