On Tuesday, a federal appeals court ruled that California's same-sex marriage ban – the much-disputed Proposition 8 – was unconstitutional. And in celebration, Modern Family’s resident gay couple took to the Internet to show their support.
On their WhoSay accounts, Jesse Tyler Ferguson (who plays Mitchell) and Eric Stonestreet (who plays Cameron) posted a picture of themselves in character holding a sign that reads, “How could you not want to see us tie the knot?”
In their ruling, the appellate court judges invoked pop culture touchstones such as Marilyn Monroe, Jumbotrons and Frank Sinatra, but unfortunately for fans of the ABC comedy, they stayed mum about the Modern Family men.
“Had Marilyn Monroe’s film been called How to Register a Domestic Partnership With a Millionaire, it would not have conveyed the same meaning as did her famous movie, even though the underlying drama for same-sex couples is no different,” read the decision.
“We emphasize the extraordinary significance of the official designation of ‘marriage.’ That designation is important because ‘marriage' is the name that society gives to the relationship that matters most between two adults.
A rose by any other name may smell as sweet, but to the couple desiring to enter into a committed lifelong relationship, a marriage by the name of ‘registered domestic partnership’ does not.”
Cam and Mitchell have been in a committed relationship for Modern Family’s entire three-season run, and began their saga by adopting a Vietnamese daughter. They are currently looking to expand their family and they interviewed a possible surrogate in a recent episode, though she backed out at the last minute.
After criticism that despite being in a loving relationship Cam and Mitchell had never locked lips, the two men kissed for the first time in the September 2010 episode titled “The Kiss.”
“We're very happy with the episode. We're very proud of it,” Ferguson told E! Online at the time. “It was told in the way Modern Family should tell it. It was very integral to the story. We're really pleased with it.”
In January, Modern Family was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award, in the outstanding comedy category. It is the show’s third time in the running, having taken home the trophy last year. The series has also won 11 Primetime Emmy Awards, three Peabody Awards and a Golden Globe.
GLAAD (The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) will dole out its 23rd annual awards in three separate ceremonies – New York City on March 24, Los Angeles on April 21, and San Francisco on June 2.
Modern Family airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on Citytv and ABC.
Thoughts? melissa@tvguide.ca or comment below
Catch up on the latest fashion and beauty on TV with Melissa’s Style Watch every Wednesday
Follow Melissa on Twitter
Follow TV Guide Canada on Facebook