Wednesday, October 12, 2011

let it begin

So I attended a rally recently at the legislative building in Raleigh NC.  You may have heard about this rally or maybe seen my pictures on FB.  I have never been to any rallies before, no public forum to express an opinion or show my support for a cause.  I guess I never truly paid attention how I should have. When I heard about what was going on in my state's government a few weeks back I think I finally woke up, and I realized that I needed to pay more attention.  I was appalled to think about the prospect that was being explored and voted on in our general assembly and state senate. In case you didn’t hear about it… the NC Senate and General Assembly approved an amendment that will be on the ballot in the May election, an amendment that would not only ban any legal relationship recognition for same-sex couple but would also penalize anyone in a domestic partnership currently; this amendment, if passed, would basically ensure that I will never be able to marry my partner in the state of NC.

I couldn’t really understand how it was possible that they were actually contemplating creating an amendment to further make me and so many “like me", second class citizens in my own state.  A state I have lived in for 17 years now.  A state that I love, a place where I grew, I learned, I found my passion in life and where I found myself too.  And also where I happened to fall in love.  I have paid my taxes here since 1995, I have been an active member of my community and a citizen that contributes to the betterment of those around me.  NC is my home.  I am not naïve and I know my understanding and involvement in paying attention to these issues is late in coming (although I have felt put down previously as well) but I felt so saddened that there were people in my home that wanted to bring me down, that wanted to treat me as if I were less important, and less deserving.  It really hit me in the stomach, hard.  And now I can no longer not pay attention and I can no longer not be active in taking a role in my future and what others say that will look like. 

At the rally back in September, all of the speakers encouraged those in attendance to get out and tell their stories, so that we might urge those around us to support our effort.  Just talk to the people you know who might not really know you.  Let them see that being gay isn’t so scary, homosexuals are not sexual deviants, (not any more than heterosexuals are).  Let them see that we are just like them, that all we want is to have a “normal” life, in which we are afforded the same opportunities as the rest of our neighbors.  We are just like you, we are not scary. So this in part is my attempt to do just that, to tell my story and hope that you will understand it to the best of your ability and that you will support my effort to secure a future for me and my family in the state I live in and love.

I had a blog on myspace at one point (chuckle chuckle I know) and it was usually a place I would vent some frustration or share some excitement.  I guess that is what a blog could be intended for, amongst other things.  I think that this blog will be just that and probably a lot of random in between.  When I first decided a blog would be a part of my effort I envisioned it being my white lesbian version of the diary of a mad black women……so we will see how it goes.

thanks for reading!

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