Nature’s Pride Rainbow

— Just barely over a year ago, we were spending some time in Summit County, Colorado. We were staying in Silverthorne, more precisely. What a beautiful area that is! We are headed back there again in a couple of weeks. We want to explore more of the trails around the area.

This photo was captured in a late afternoon after some showers. I was trying to get some photos of the Dillon Reservoir at sunset and ended up with a double rainbow photo. The second rainbow is very faint on the right side of the photo You can also see a faint reflection of the rainbow on the lake waters. Storm clouds were beginning to dissipate leaving behind a dark blue sky. The light on the mountain was magical.

This photo came to my mind this morning for one very special reason. Yesterday, there were several Pride Month celebrations all around the country. More importantly, June 26 marks the eighth anniversary of the landmark case at the U.S. Supreme Court when it struck down the ban on same-sex marriage. The decision was in the case of Obergefell v. Hodges, and it ruled that the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees the right to marry to same-sex couples. The decision was a 5-4 ruling, with Justice Anthony Kennedy writing the majority opinion. The decision was a landmark victory for the LGBTQ+ rights movement, and it made same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states. That brought us closer to the true meaning of freedom and liberty for all. At the time the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, my husband and I were traveling through Peru. Interestingly enough, on that very day, several LGBTQ+ demonstrators had taken to the streets in Cusco in support of equal rights and more protection for women against violence and abuse.

I really did not have to make a lot of edits to this photo. The vibrancy in the colors in the dark skies was there. It was a magical afternoon two days in a row. Rainbows were present the day before, too.