Gay Family Confronts Troy Michigan Mayor about Anti-Gay Comments

A lesbian married couple and their two daughters powerfully address Troy,MI Mayor, Janice Daniels, at a city council meeting about her derogatory Facebook posting about “queers” marrying in NY.

Marriage Equality - Jesse Ventura in 2008

Love is bigger than government.  Who the hell are we as a government to tell people who you can fall in love with?  I think its absurd that its even being debated.  

How on earth can we can even entertain the fact that government has the ability to tell you as an individual who you can fall in love with?

You can’t take a civil rights issue and put it up to a vote.  If we did that, we might still have slavery.  

Marriage Equality - Ken Mehlman, Republican

Former Republican National Committee chairman Ken Mehlman recently announced he’s gay.  He also doesn’t understand why the Republican party is unable to be on the right side of history and support human rights for all citizens.  

I do hope the Republican Party in the future will look in the mirror and leaders in the party will think about where we stand and say, “You know what?  The part of Lincoln aught to be letting adults who love each other to be married.”

Marriage Equality - Keith Olbermann

One of my favorite pieces on marriage equality.  And what’s most important is that it comes from an LGBTQ ally.  This kind of support for human rights is moving and critically important.    

[Gay marriage] won’t destroy the democracy; it doesn’t destroy the family; it strengthens the institution of marriage and its principal premise of fidelity; and it increases the number of people living in stable and loving homes

In a time of impermanence and fly-by-night relationships these people over here want the same chance at permanence and happiness that is already yours. They don’t want to deny you yours. They don’t want to take anything away from you. They want what you want: a chance to be a little less alone in the world. And your acceptance of their love turns out to be your own expression of love to your fellow human beings.

In watching marriage equality debates on TV, reading about them in the news, or experience with personal conversations, the most common push back against equality seems to be about the effect on children.  Those who resist seem to echo a few common themes.  (1) Children shouldn’t be taught that same-sex relationships are “normal” as that’s against common teachings in many religions, and (2) that children should be brought up in families with a mother and father, as somehow kids aren’t able to develop properly otherwise.  

I completely agree that the debate on marriage equality should center on children.  We often talk about the rights of adults in same-sex relationships as the basis for equality.  Adults should have the ability to marry the one they love, regardless of gender, and should be afforded all the legal protections heterosexual couples have. But as we mature in our conversations on basic human rights, I believe those of us pushing for LGBT rights should jump on the “all about the children bandwagon”. This is for two reasons.

First, in most cases, LGBT adults were once kids.  And they were likely children of heterosexual parents.  These kids should understand that as they get older, they may be attracted to someone of the same gender.  They should know this is OK, as if they taught otherwise, the pain is too great and can have devastating consequences.  As all parents want their kids to feel accepted, be safe, and find true happiness, a community that supports LGBT people is essential.  You can’t be anti-gay and assume you won’t have gay kids.  And the LGBT equality movement is about creating an environment that LGBT kids can have the same shot as anyone else at being the best person they can be.  And parents should want this for their children.

Second, its a slippery slope when marriage is defended as being a traditional organization for the rearing of children.  What does that say about adults who choose not to have kids?  Or adults who are divorced?  Or raise kids as a single parent?  What about those who get married when their older and no longer can have kids?  There are wonderful same-sex parents and there is no research that suggests that children, gay or straight, of same-sex parents grow up any differently than their peers. 

For this next stage of LGBT equality, we need to remind everyone that this isn’t about LGBT rights, its about human rights.  We’re all affected by the discrimination of others, and, rightly so, its the kids who lose out the most when we institutionalize discrimination and demonize same-sex attraction.

It’s time.

I love this video.  Its one of the most powerful messages I’ve seen in support of marriage equality.  I’ve always believed that creating an emotional connection is the most powerful way to encourage positive change for the LGBT community. Love is love, regardless of sexual orientation and I hope that this message resonates with viewers.  It certainly does with me.