I spent New Year's Eve with a few dozen San Francisco politicos in New Orleans, celebrating a marriage proposal at the stroke of midnight. It was a joyful occasion, at an auspicious moment, the first moment of not just a new year but a new decade.

I've been thinking about the words of my celebratory friend ever since. It was a perfect example of how something personal can inspire political action. 

“I grew up gay and Mormon. I would sit in church and be told that being gay was wrong. I had to develop the skill of being OK knowing I was right while every single other person in the room was wrong. Since then and since moving to San Francisco, I’ve been finding people I can build my own room with. People with the same moral compass as me and who want bold, radical change.”