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Current mood:  sad
okay, so here's a new first for me. we were leaving the house this morning to take jack to the emergency room (turns out he's got chicken pox, no big deal.). as we walked down the stairs to the street, a group of sunday-dressed men walked toward us. i notice another group across the street, this one contained women and kids as well. they carried handmade "YES ON 8" signs, and chanted the slogan as they approached.
i'd reached the sidewalk by now, and for a moment considered just marching to the car in silence. instead, i found myself saying, "you know what? i'll be voting No on 8. we're married, and proposition 8 will hurt our family." the man in the lead's smile suddenly looked uncomfortable i pointed to jack, slung over my shoulder for the walk to the car. "you'll be hurting HIM with your proposition!" at this point, i'm shouting, striding toward the car, and the timing was perfect. the other group was right at my car.
"NO on 8!!" i shouted, "it's discriminatory and unfair!!" this group kept right on chanting, not one of them would look at us. "we're not voting to take away YOUR happiness!!", i screamed at their backs as i placed jack in the car.
jennifer and i got in the car and we drove toward the hospital. "stupid fucks!", i tried to growl, but the end came out all teary. "why do they want to hurt us? how dare they teach their children to discriminate?"
we moved all the way across the country so that we didn't have to deal with such meanness. we were so happy when we were finally able to make our commitment legal...to enjoy the same status as our committed heterosexual peers. when jennifer took my name--our name, it made me happier and prouder than i can even express. having our straight friends stand up with us on that day was so precious to us. they were happy and proud, too.
today, having people who don't live in our neighborhood, but just attend church here, march down our street shouting their desire to take all that happiness away from me and my family... it just hurt. it hurt so bad. i can't imagine going to someone else's neighborhood, marching past their homes, proclaiming my desire to discriminate against them.
jennifer asked, "don't they know how bad it hurts to be discriminated against?" i think they probably do, but perhaps their religion is the way they cope with that. their faith tells them they're good, that they're better than me. i just wish they'd think about that. it's been a long time since i attended church, but i can't remember any quotation by their supposed leader that says one person is entitled to more joy than another. really...i wish they'd ask themselves, what would jesus do? how would someone who is known for his love and gentleness vote? even more important, how would anyone who feels loving, and true, and whole vote on this issue?
7:28 AM
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