Watch Nevada's Openly Gay Senator Publicly Propose to His Partner

You may remember Senator Kelvin Atkinson for the bravery that he exhibited when he came out as gay while opposing Nevada’s gay marriage ban. Now the senator is making headlines again by proposing to his partner of six-and-a-half years. But will the pair be allowed to marry?

There is nothing I like more than a good proposal video. Sure, the highly-polished and creative ones are great, but there’s also something to be said about an earnest proposal without much fanfare (just being in public doesn’t count). And there’s even more to be said about such a proposal if it’s right on the heels of an historic decision regarding gay marriage (or, as many gay people like to call it, marriage). Therefore, it’s no surprise that I got a little teary-eyed as I watched Atkinson ask his partner to marry him in the middle of a speech yesterday. And while I don’t know if it’s the way I’d like to be proposed too (not enough people dressed as Disney princesses or fireworks), there’s no denying that Atkinson and his partner’s happiness is infectious. And adorable. And all sorts of nice adjectives that mean good and sweet and cute and awesome.

The only problem is that the pair, who plan to get married as soon as possible, may have some waiting to do because Justice Anthony Kennedy just signed an order blocking gay marriage in Nevada until an appeal from opponents has been reviewed. Let’s hope the ban ends quickly and we’re one step closer to banning discrimination based on sexual orientation in the U.S.