In Tucson, a jubilant rally over ruling

The drivers of cars — and of at least one semi-truck — traveling down East Congress honked their horns, showing support to partygoers on North Scott Avenue.

The ruling “puts everybody as equal and it allows all Americans to marry who they love,” said P.J. Rambo, 52, a personal assistant, who became teary-eyed.

“I didn’t know if this day would come in my lifetime. I hoped. Now, I feel normal. I can be me,” said Rambo, as Donna Summer’s “Bad Girls” blared from speakers, bringing smiles and some dance moves.

About 150 attendees were there by early evening; the downtown celebration was expected to last until 11 p.m.

Some 600 people confirmed on Facebook they would attend the Tucson festivities put together by various organizations to “mark this watershed moment for LGBT civil rights in this country,” according to a news release by organizers.

A stage with American flags and a rainbow flag displayed nearby were set up on North Scott Avenue, between East Pennington Street and East Broadway. The celebration was produced by Arizona For All in partnership with groups including the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation, the Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network and the Tucson GLBT Chamber of Commerce.

For Teresa Dodson, 48, an information security engineer, the ruling “means we are actually real people in the United States.”

“For so long, if you had a partner and you had to go to the hospital because he or she was sick and the hospital was not understanding, they could kick you out. The parents could kick you out.

“If we get married, we don’t have to worry about that now,” said Dodson. “We now are going to be on equal footing.”

While Dodson spoke, more tunes filled the air. They included “Night Fever” by the Bee Gees, “Brick House” by Lionel Richie & The Commodores and “Y.M.C.A.” by the Village People.

As heat and humidity lingered in the early evening air, the crowd continued singing and moving to the beat of the music.

Omar Rodriguez, 33, who moved from Puerto Rico to Tucson two months ago, was among those taking part in the festivities. He said he was celebrating equality and now feels more at home in the United States because of the court ruling making same-sex marriage a universal right throughout the country.

“We are going to be equal,” he said.