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The red equal signs starting popping up all at once in my Facebook feed as the Supreme Court was starting to hear oral arguments on Proposition 8. It was moving and heartening to see something like that, especially as Steve and I are working out the details for the big nuptials next month. It was like a tide of support.

It’s breathtaking to see how much things have changed as far as gay marriage. When Steve and I met, I never even thought we’d have the option of marrying and now it is a real possibility as every day, some new politician or group or citizen seems to support marriage equality. It’s almost happening too fast to absorb.

So I am very lucky to know so many people whose Facebook profiles turned red all at once this week. I will be lucky next month to see so many friendly faces in the crowd as Steve and I exchange vows. I know how blessed we are.

I’m usually cynical about movements on Facebook to “repost this if you care about this issue” because people certainly can care about something without taking a screen shot of an equal symbol. But the ruddy color of my feed struck me more than I thought it would. Maybe it’s the starkness of the image or the fact that I caught it right as a ton of people changed their profile photos.

Even Budweiser had its own version of the equal sign. Budweiser. I know they’re just trying to sell beer but the fact that the gays are another group for companies to market to is a kind of progress.

I read an article that it’s useless to change your profile picture because if you want to effect a change in gay marriage, you should donate to Human Rights Campaign or march on Washington. As I said, ordinarily, I’m cynical about doing these symbolic gestures but something like this can give hope to people. If you’re struggling with a disease or a problem, it can buoy your spirit to know somebody has your back. Not everybody has money to donate or the time to march for any cause and little gestures still have value.

The equal sign was a symbol but symbols definitely have their power. Half of what will happen at our civil union will be symbolic but all of it will be freighted with meaning. The rings, the handfasting, the first dance — these are not practically necessary but they are necessary where the human heart is concerned. So I disagree that changing a profile picture is useless.

It was just nice to see those equal signs, is all.