Stef and Lena are getting married tonight, and I’m excited. The lesbian moms of ABC Family’s The Fosters are ending their summer with a big shindig that promises to bring together all of the season’s relationship angst, teen drama, and emotional reflections on what makes a family. But will the California wedding, on a show that premiered three weeks before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on the Defense of Marriage Act and California’s Prop 8, manage to be up to date with legal reality?
Yes—just one more example of how the show’s creators are aware of the community they are representing — and their responsibility to reflect our lives as honestly as possible. Peter Paige, one of the show’s executive producers, told E Online, “What was just amazing serendipity is the Supreme Court ruled the same month we went on the air and the day we were shooting the wedding was the same day that the Prop 8 planners were getting married.” E Online reports, “Due to the exciting new Supreme Court ruling, the creators quickly made some day-of changes to the nuptials to keep the show as current and moving as possible.”
The show has, however, smartly avoided making marriage equality — or even LGBT equality broadly speaking — the focus of the show. While it’s tackled issues from teen sex to bullying to immigration rights, its strongest other theme has been the experience of children in the foster care system. Somehow, it’s managed to address all of these issues while treading the fine line between informative and preachy. I was thrilled to hear it’s been picked up for another season, even though new episodes won’t air until January.
I’ve already written about what The Fosters means to me. I hope you’ll join me, the Family Equality Council, and GLAAD in tweeting about what the show means to you, and using the #TheFosters hashtag. You can also join in today’s celebration by visiting thefosterswedding.com to RSVP for the nuptials. Whether you throw rice around your living room tonight is up to you.