With Georgia’s GOP gubernatorial primary debate sinking to all-time lows in a race to the bottom to see who hates gay people the most, a bright spot appeared in the New York Times today about gay marriage and the Peach State.

No, marriage equality won’t be legalized anytime soon, but one local couple, Kirsten and Maria Palladino, were featured in the newspaper for starting Equally Wed, an online magazine that caters to same-sex couples seeking advice on everything from what to wear to places to honeymoon to whether or not to invite anti-gay relatives to the ceremony.

From the article:

It is not lost on the Palladinos that despite the assertion in their publication’s name, they were wed and continue to live in one of the 41 states that prohibit same-sex marriage.

But it is the very absence of state approval, they said, that made their own vows so meaningful and inspired the spirit of their magazine.

“We’ve done everything we can to be equally wed,” Maria Palladino said.

The couple recently held a launch party for the magazine, attracting some 250 people — gay and straight — who believe and support marriage equality.

The article also takes a detailed look at marriage equality across the nation.

“In the six years since Massachusetts broke the barrier, there have been an estimated 40,000 legal same-sex marriages in the United States, according to the Williams Institute for Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy at the University of California, Los Angeles,” the article states. “A comparable number of gay Americans have married in other countries, and an additional 84,000 couples may be in civil unions or domestic partnerships, according to the institute.

“Connecticut, Iowa, New Hampshire, Vermont and the District of Columbia have now joined Massachusetts in recognizing same-sex marriage, and court cases in California and Massachusetts are challenging the constitutionality of state and federal laws against it.”

A magazine about and for gay and lesbian couples founded in Georgia may not change the hearts and minds of the state’s political candidates, but perhaps it could enlighten and embolden some voters. One happy gay marriage at a time.

Top photo: Kirsten and Maria Palladino (courtesy Entwined Studio)