Happy Valentine’s Day!
Today, in honor on Valentine’s Day, I decided to open up the blog to readers’ stories. In, “Your Turn To Show Your Love, Share Your Love Story,” I wrote,
“So many of the stories here are about politics and activism, I thought we should take a few days to focus on WHY we do what we do here: Love.”
“At the end of the day, yes, we’re fighting for civil rights, equality, and freedom. But we’re fighting for all those things in large part so we can be the person who can freely love the person who loves us back. In many ways, we’re fighting for love.”
The following five posts are the best of the stories you sent me. Each is dramatically different from the other, and yet, each story is personal, poignant, moving, and honors those parts of the human condition we all hold most dear. Love, in some of its best expressions.
Of the four authors, two are “straight allies,” one is a young lesbian, and one a gay man who lives in Louisiana, is a playwright, and dear friend.
I had to think for a long while about my surprise that half the authors are straight. And then it hit me. It doesn’t matter — because that’s what we’ve been saying here on the blog for the past year. We are all the same. We don’t have to call it “gay marriage,” or “same-sex marriage,” or even, “marriage equality.” Because no matter how you slice it, it’s still marriage. No more, no less.
I’m especially grateful to all the folks who took the time to write and send me your story. Thank you! I think by reading these, you’ll get a good picture of what readers here are thinking. And you’re sure to enjoy it.
Of the five stories I chose, two are from the same author, a “straight ally,” and friend, who blogs over at JaySays.com. She is relentless in her dedication to the LGBTQ community. She gives us, “LGBT Lessons for Straight People: You Do Know Someone Who is Gay,” and “A Most Unusual Love Story – A Most Unusual Family – Just Like You and Me.” Next, titled, “I grew up knowing three things: I want children, I want to someday own a Toyota Tacoma, and I want to get married,” is from a young lesbian who is lucky to have has figured out so much of what’s important in life already.
Another, “It never hit me that it was possible for the rights of gay people to marry to take steps BACKWARDS,” is from our other straight ally, who tells his story of how he realized he wasn’t as “open minded” as he thought — and then took steps to become truly open. And the last, “I had boyfriends, but I never felt like I had a husband. And then I met Marc,” is from our playwright and my good friend. I’ve met him, and his boyfriend Marc. They are a wonderful couple, each special in his own right, and they are all the more special together.
I hope you’ll take the time to read them all, comment, and perhaps, if you’d like, share your own.
Happy Valentine’s Day, to you, dear readers, and to the most amazing man on the planet, my Valentine, Caleb.