Marlo Thomas shares her experience at a same-sex wedding

If you were a child of the ’70s, it’s likely you’d remember the groundbreaking record, turned book, turned TV show that broke down the gender and racial stereotyes of the time. Well, it seems fitting that Marlo Thomas, the creator of Free to Be…You and Me, would share here recent experience at her niece Tracy’s wedding with the Huffington Post, again breaking down barriers, this time for same-sex couples.

She wrote that ‘everything was the same: the little kids giggling and running underfoot; the proud moms and dads wiping away a tear; the distant uncle sitting by himself, happily having one drink too many; and, as always, someone sneaking an early piece of the cake.
Now in New York, this historic ritual is being celebrated with a new and liberating joy. And while the ceremony at the heart of these weddings is no different from any other we’ve ever witnessed, many people have asked if there’s any special etiquette that guests attending a gay wedding need to know such as “Will I insult the couple if I ask what they’re going to call
themselves — like husband and husband or wife and wife?”
According to Steven Petrow of GayManners.com and author of Steven Petrow’s Complete Gay and Lesbian Manners “Not at all! Intention is a big part of manners, so you don’t have to worry so much about making a faux pas. If you don’t know how to refer to a couple, just ask.
“But there are some differences you may notice as a guest at a gay wedding,” Steven told me. “For example, the seating may not be divided into the traditional bride and groom side, but instead will be mixed, to reflect one community supporting the couple. And you may find that members of the wedding party are different from what you usually see — the best man may be a woman, and the matron of honor may be a man. Also, you’ll likely find that the couple is paying for the wedding themselves.
For the complete article visit Huffinton Post.