Riley Hackford-Peer is a 12-year-old living with his two moms and his younger brother in Utah. He gave a speech at a rally in Salt Lake City Friday, telling the crowd that watching his moms marrying in Utah “felt like fireworks bursting in my heart.”
His moms’ marriage was the second happiest day of his life, he said. The first was the day his brother was born. Aww. He explained, “Some people do not believe that I’m from a loving family because my moms are gay. They are wrong. I love my moms, and my moms love me and my brother unconditionally.”
His moms married after a federal judge on December 20 said the state’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples was unconstitutional. The U.S. Supreme Court has put a hold on marriages of same-sex couples in Utah until the case can be appealed, however. It seems like this is a standard procedure for the court (see Lisa Keen’s reporting on the matter), so I wouldn’t read much into it, but it must be hugely frustrating for the families involved.
The one additional bright spark is that U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said Friday the federal government would recognize the marriages of same-sex couples enacted before the stay.
Kudos to Riley for showing us what poise and courage looks like during this time of uncertainty and hope. Watch: