A Million Yesterdays

This is a non-writing related post. But it is something close to my heart.

Yesterday I cried for three hours.

In Minnesota we have a terrible marriage amendment on the ballot.

I’ve gotten involved with the campaign. It’s easy for me to talk about something I believe in. I’m spending time on the phones for those of my friends who are unable to do so because I want to be able to protect them from experiencing more discrimination in their lives.  Small discrimination from people on the other end of a phone and big discriminations from a state amendment that limits their freedom.

I spoke with a grandmother who had two LGBT grandchildren and who was voting Yes. I encouraged her to talk to her granddaughter and see how she feels about this amendment. The grandmother became angry and refused to talk to her grandchild. It broke my heart to think of a parent or grandparent having the power to protect the rights of their child or grandchild and not protecting those rights. The impact of how hurtful this amendment is hit me so hard that I cried at the office and I am not an overly emotional person. Not an openly crying in front of strangers type person.

Yesterday was the worst day of the campaign for me. But I would rather take a million yesterdays than to have people I care about wake up in a world of hate.

This amendment breaks my heart because if it passes it has the potential to hurt people that I care about. It’s not only my LGBT friends that this hurts. This hurts their families, parents, loved ones. It hurts every person, gay or straight, who has made a phone call, hosted a house party, donated money, or gotten involved to make sure this amendment doesn’t pass.

Calling people I’m surprised at how many people are concerned about changing the “definition” of marriage. As if each and every marriage isn’t different and unique and special. Your marriage and the challenges you face are probably different from your neighbor's marriage. Each couple I know is unique. They each face their own joys and challenges in life but they face them together and with the support of friends and family. LGBT people are no different in this respect.

Voting No doesn’t change the law. Voting No doesn’t change the definition of marriage.  Voting No doesn’t take away religious freedom.

I love Minnesota and it’s hard to think that Minnesota could do something that could make me not love it, but to be honest if this amendment passes I won’t love my state and that thought terrifies me.