Oh Em Gee

and donate to my lovely friend from SCAD! 

I had the distinct pleasure last weekend of attending a beautiful memorial service for a close family members life partner, a woman by the name of Bettie Naylor. Bettie was not only the love of Libby’s life, but she was a woman of substance that I admire more than many I have encountered. As it was outlined during her memorial, Bettie fought tirelessly for the LGBT rights as a lobbyist in Texas and nationally as well. I admit I initially had no idea the scope of her influence, except to read and hear and bear witness to the genuine and overflowing praise for the difference she made in the lives of individuals, as well as her community. As a founding member of the Human Rights Campaign (which many of you may know as the yellow equal sign in a blue square sticker), Bettie’s influence reached far outside of Texas, and her love extended outside of the partnership with my dear cousin Libby. It’s a huge honor to have come anywhere close to her personally (though we never had the opportunity to meet), and I can only hope that when my time comes there will be a fraction of the praise allotted for my life as was given to hers.

Which brings me to my next point: 2 days later I was witness to my homestate committing the embarrassing human rights crime of passing Amendment One. I could go on for days about this. How I am embarrassed at the bigotry and the homophobia and the ignorance that is apparently so pervasive in the dated culture of North Carolina voters. I am pleased to say many of the conservative, Republican friends I grew up with are open-minded enough to have understood the great consequence of voting FOR an amendment so littered with civil rights issues that should be so far in our past. I am proud of my friends, who though conservative in political leaning, are progressive enough to recognize the basic need for equality. Thank you!

And yet I continued to read about the religious, bigoted, hateful reasons that homosexuals shouldn’t be allowed to marry. And I spent a good day/2 days marinating and becoming more and more enraged at society. But ya know what? I have realized something…

And the end of their days loved ones will mourn and friends will offer condolences and blah blah blah… but will people praise the work they’ve done to change lives? Will these people who use their God and manipulate his words to justify hate and injustice and inequality be celebrated for those things? I doubt it. And in that I know that I am pleased, HONORED, to say that I live a life where I am surrounded by people who rise above such things. People who will make a difference in lives moving FORWARD, rather than looking back to dated ideals and fears.

This video is beautiful. I cant think of a time when Ive seen people so in love, so happy. As we mourn the loss of Bettie’s beautiful life we must also celebrate the love she spread through her dedication to civil rights for all citizens. I am so happy she made someone I love happy, and happy to know that she changed the lives of people she’ll never have the chance to meet. It makes me have faith in the good of people when things like the Amendment One vote in NC make me feel at a loss for society.

I have to tell you that over the course of several years as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together, when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage, at a certain point I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married.

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President Obama Embraces Marriage Equality (via enteekaygee)

North Carolina took a big step back yesterday but thankfully Obama has taken a step forward. Last night I was very upset and for the first time wondered if we would ever have equal rights for everyone in this country. But this gives me hope again.

(via georgiegirlnyc)

(via georgiegirlnyc)

dionthesocialist:

After all the campaigning, all the analysis, all the Facebook groups, and tweets, and tumbles, Amendment One passed. This isn’t about banning gay marriage in North Carolina, because gay marriage, as it has been said many times before, is already banned here. To be honest,…