Inside the Intoxicated Mind; or A Straight Guy on Gay Marriage

[After my previous open letter about gay marriage, Aaron (my Pulitzer Prize-nominated New York photographer friend!) started e-mailing me, first from his iPhone and then from his computer, while slightly drunk. Here are our e-mail exchanges from late last night and this morning, with Aaron's permission of course. (His rant in the second e-mail is fascinating—read it to yourself in a drunken voice.) (The accompanying photo is from a gay wedding he shot in 2004.)]

AARON: Prince, very passionate letter. I reply to u slightly intoxicated while on the subway. First, let me say that you should point out how interracial marriage was illegal not that long ago. Second, I should say how I think marriage should not be regulated by the government.... That is not what governments are for. In my opinion, marriage should be licensed by religious figures, not gov't officials. Or not licensed at all. Well, my stop on the train is here. That is my tirade for now.

PRINCE: Aaron, I like it when you are slightly drunk. I don't think I've ever seen you when you are slightly drunk. Perhaps at a future wedding I will see you slightly drunk or maybe even hammered!

AARON: Fucking crazy that it was 1967 when interracial marriage was legalized. And 1964 when segregation was struck down. Not sure when you were born, but I was born in 1975 and my pop was born in 1948, so that means that in his lifetime my marriage was illegal and that frightens me. [Note: Aaron is married to a lovely black woman.] Perhaps I will get to be completely shit-faced drunk at a wedding near you one day. However, there is nothing like the drunkenness of free wine at a photo opening. Hell, I think I am still drunk. Good thing I did not drive tonight--only rode a bike. BTW, how are you and Loren doing? How is life in L.A.? I really hope you guys get the right to do whatever the hell you want to do soon. This whole thing seems insane. How can the Republicans be the party that wants to take the government out of everything, apart from wars in other countries, women's bodies, and gay marriage? It makes no sense. They are supposed to be the party of less government, not more. Oh, well, what can we do but vote and pray to...that all said, see if you can follow this one. [Note: The names have been changed to initials for reason's of privacy.] My brother is getting married soon (November 2nd). OK, now it gets weird. Our uncle D.'s wife is P., P.'s sister is J., J.'s husband is S., S.'s grandmother is my fiance's grandmother's sister. OK, so there is no blood relation, but still creepy, right? Hell, his fiance (A.) met her cousin at my cousin's Bat Mitzvah last weekend. That should be good fodder for a play for you, right? Oh, and did I mention that the wedding is in Georgia and the related family is from Memphis, Tenn.? So, that's legal, but...well, hell, it makes no damn sense to me anymore. I say make marriage illegal! No, wait, I make too much money shooting weddings, so legalize all marriages--I will shoot anything ;-) But Republicans should not be allowed to reproduce. Did I mention that A.'s parents are Republicans? My whole family is Democrats, and we are not allowed to talk politics at the wedding 2 days before the election. Shit, that is strong wine. My last drink was at 9PM, it's 3 hours later, and I am still buzzed. All right, I think I have vomited enough into the keyboard with my fingers for one night. Sorry to take you on this roller coaster ride of oddities. We should Photoshop a photo of your Arnie kissing our Mike Bloomberg. It would be funny.

PRINCE: Aaron, this e-mail was funny, informative, political, crazy, harrowing, epic, and you probably couldn't have written it sober. God bless alcohol. Damn, this was a good read.

AARON: Ahh, sober now, geez, bad wine is a killer.

[Final Note: Honestly, that whole section about his family? I've read it five times, and I still don't know what the hell he's talking about.]