There has been a special wedding boom this past week, as New York became the sixth state to allow gay marriage in the United States last Sunday.

For TV icon and activist Marlo Thomas, this political and generational milestone was made especially sweet recently as she witnessed a personal family wedding with two brides. Thomas' niece, Tracy married her long-time partner, also named Tracey (but with an 'e'). "At that moment, as I looked at their radiant faces, I remembered seeing Tracy, age 8, singing along to the record of Free to Be...You and Me. And I couldn't help but think, at last, Tracy is truly free," Thomas explained in her latest Huffington Post article.

The award-winning actress has been a steadfast advocate of gay marriage and self-acceptance. In the 70s, she was inspired by her other niece, Dionne Thomas to write and edit the children's classic, Free to Be...You and Me–a collection of short stories, poems and recordings by different artists that challenged a myriad of racial, socio-economic and gender-related stereotypes for children.

With hundreds of gay couples now proudly walking down the aisle, and wedding planners bracing themselves for a steeper increase in same-sex nuptials in the near future, it seems that the gay community is one step closer to Thomas' wondrous vision of justice and freedom.

Photo Courtesy of Huffington Post/Marlo Thomas
Published: August 2, 2011