I spent Valentine's Day at the Marriage Equality Rally at the Capitol. It seemed fitting to spend a day dedicated to couples rallying for the rights of ALL couples, including those of the same sex. I was encouraged to see the large contingent of religious leaders supporting marriage equality, (pictured above) and the many members of faith communities with their respective banners.
It was really empowering to be with what was estimated to be two thousand other people, all standing up and making their voices heard about this issue. It's a very personal issue to me, because I have many GLBT family members, coworkers, friends, and relatives. I don't consider their need to be loved, to be part of family, any different than mine. The stigma that has long been attached to being gay, and the discrimination I have seen them face over the years saddens me. These are people I love, very creative, dynamic, unique individuals who just happened to be born with a sexual preference that was a little different from mine. The people I have known over the years who happened to be GLBT have enriched my life with their friendship, their guidance, their creativity, and their love. The fact that they can't legally marry their long term partners has always seemed completely wrong to me. Society has often labeled them- people I love dearly -as somehow wrong, defective, abnormal. Nothing could be further from the truth in my world. My GLBT friends have the same needs, hopes, and dreams that I do. They want to be acknowledged as people and as couples; to love and be loved, to contribute to society. They want to have families, and be an accepted part of a larger society. They want to develop their talents, and live their lives in freedom and safety. I hope that this legislative session brings my dear friends one step closer to living that reality, and I want to be a part of fighting for it every step of the way.
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