Guest Author - L. Drea Strasser
It's hard to write in such a small space why Marriage is an important right to have. It's such a large topic, and so much is involved.
For starters, it's a right, not a privilege, to get married. Yet an entire section of the population is not only without this right, but, we these people, must fight daily to keep the rights we already have. In some cases, but by no stretch is it across the board, we have Domestic Partnerships, or Civil Unions depending on the locality. But it's not Marriage. It is a step below, "marriage-like" for the second-class citizens we are treated to be. The Constitution says equal. Not equal-like. Not equal for some. Equal. But yet they deny us when we try to assert our rights.
Our situation now is not dissimilar to the civil rights movement of African-Americans in the sixties. The language of our founding documents and the culture of the country were outdated, and through much fighting, freedom was eventually won. Folks were outraged, leadership came forward, and the people organized and were able to act.
We are at this place now in the queer (LGBT) community. We are outraged. We have strong organizations coming forward who are working daily on this quest for freedom. We have leaders, be they friends or coworkers who never give up the fight.
So where's the action of the rest?
I hear complaints but little action. What will it take before Joe Schmoe gets up and says "No! Enough is enough!"?
Were you aware that there are 1349 rights (federal and state) that Married couples get access to that you don't? If you're loved one falls ill, you won't be able to visit them in the hospital - only family can do that. You're technically nobody, even if you've been together for 20 years. If you and your lover separate, there's no law protecting your assets, because without Marriage, there's no Divorce.
Here in Florida, there's a legislative ban disallowing all LGBT people from adopting children. Period. If we don't do something now, do you think we'll be the only state for long? As soon as they're done amending all our state constitutions, adoption will be next. We're not merely looking for the right to Marriage because it's right and decent for us to be equal in the eyes of the law. We're also fighting for Marriage to stop a landslide.
So what can you do?
Join an LGBT equal rights group in your state. Join the Human Rights Campaign. Go to town hall meetings to educate yourself on the needs of your community. Spread the word. Volunteer. Even if you hand out flyers for two hours a month, you're contributing to the cause. Write letters to your Congress members urging them to support the LGBT community and oppose legislation against us. VOTE.
You might not be looking to get married today, or this year, or ever. But your friend might be. Do what you can. Your vote counts.
