Yesterday I had lunch with my good friend Doreen Oakley. Doreen directed Spelling Bee, so we have become good friends over the last couple of months. Doreen is going to school at LCCC and has to give a speech for her government class, so she decided to give it on marriage equality. After watching my highs and lows over the last few months and following my facebook posts she wanted to interview me and get my thoughts on the subject, hear my personal story, and talk about WY Equality.
We had a great conversation and talked for over an hour and half. We both agreed that brighter days are ahead and new polling numbers are exciting in that they show a majority of Americans are now either in favor of marriage equality or don’t care about the issue one way or another.
I’ve always said this issue should be viewed as wrong vs. right, not Republican vs. Democrat, and Doreen agreed. She is a republican, and believes in smaller government and also believes in government staying out of the private lives of citizens. I love visiting with people, Republican or Democrat, that seem to get it! We don’t think of black civil rights as one party vs. another party, we view it as the right thing to do!
One thing I want to make clear to our more conservative friends, just because you support marriage equality doesn’t mean we expect you to be at the next gay pride festival waving a rainbow flag. Support it because it’s the right thing to do! We need to get over this fear that standing up for equal rights, for gay rights, for human rights, is somehow going to make your friends, colleagues, constituents, or family members view you as Mr. or Mrs. Gay Pride America.
WyWatch has training videos on their website on how to speak against the talking points of marriage equality. One thing they want their followers to say is, “if we allow this, my kids are going to have to learn about it someday.” Obviously if marriage equality comes about, and is mentioned in history text books all the children reading about it will automatically turn into raging homosexuals. Just like reading about the holocaust automatically turns everyone into Nazi’s. The logic they are using just doesn’t make sense!
I think we need to make training videos that go over speaking points of marriage equality, just like our opponents are doing. Friends we are on the correct side of this and we will win this battle! I hope its sooner rather than later, but in the meantime we need to continue talking about this. We need to educate our friends, colleagues, family members and legislators and we must hold those accountable that spew hateful rhetoric and stand in opposition to equality.
Gay rights are human rights!
Jeran
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