The 1st President to support...

...same-sex marriage in American history is our current President, Obama. USA Today is calling it a "political gamble," but the White House spokesman was quick to clarify that it was President Obama's personal opinion, and that he still believes the marriage equality issue should still ultimately be up to each individual State's decision.

Bridge's readers know why I am not "for" gay marriage anymore... and that is basically because no matter what each State decides, without DOMA being repealed, in the end it nets the LGBT community very little as far as Federally recognized relationship rights and protections.

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Marriage & Relationship Recognition

 

I am not for gay marriage...

... anymore ...

But I still believe in love.
And I definitely believe in equal rights for all law-abiding Americans.
Will that ever happen?

Marriage & Relationship Recognition

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Imagine...

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11-11-11

First of all, sincere gratitude to all the men and women who have selflessly served our Country and sacrificed to protect our freedoms on this Veteran's Day.


Secondly, one can't help but think that it just may be a fitting tribute to those who fight for the "land of the free and home of the brave" for the Senate to have made the move yesterday to repeal DOMA -- which denies a significant population of America's citizens over 1100 rights and privileges. 

“Because of DOMA, thousands of American families are now being treated unfairly by the federal government,” said Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). “This unfairness must end.”

Obviously, The Respect for Marriage Act would still need to pass the Republican controlled House (which many say is doubtful), but every step is one step closer to freedom for all Americans. 

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Seventy-two

Welcome to the bridge travels today. It's time for a good old fashioned "building or burning bridges blog" equal rights rant. "I am the 99%!" But it's not what you think. It's not about the occupy movement. No, I am among the 99% who usually don't give a flip what the Kardashians are doing. 

This week one of the family members made news beyond the "E!" channel. The same channel that devoted an entire 2 episode special to cover "Kim's Fairytale Wedding." "Over the course of two days, 10.5 million people spent four hours watching Kim Kardashian and NBA player Kris Humphries tie the knot." (10.5 million people? Wow. That is a fairly large % of the 307 million people in the USA. I wonder if that number is worldwide viewers, but I digress). 

Fast forward, and already Kardashian has filed for divorce from her husband of 72 days. 72 days? Most high school freshmen date longer than that. I bet it took longer than 72 days for Kim to plan for her "Fairytale Wedding." I am simply shaking my head. 

And still we live in a country where committed same-sex couples have no federal rights or protections for their committed relationships. Although there are several states in the United States that allow same-sex unions.  

Any 2 opposite-sex individuals who are not blood related can get married (after knowing each other for mere hours) and are immediately afforded 1138 rights and protections for their pairing. Wait, before you give me the biblical mandate that marriage is for "one man & one woman," in this "One Nation Under God" it is not simply one man & one woman who are the privileged class who can be legally married in the USA. No, you can be legally married in America as long as you have surgery to reassign your gender, and then marry one who then has the opposite gender on paper. Even if you are "half male," as long as your gender has been changed on paper, you can be born a woman and eventually legally marry a woman. Or, if you were born male and have gender reassignment surgery and become a female, you can stay married to the woman you originally married. Now, I have no issue with transgender individuals! I do have an issue with the disingenuous "values" crowd who protect the "sanctity of marriage" like it is the "holy grail" -- but only protect it from certain groups of American citizens.  

72 days?? I have been in a relationship with my partner for greater than double 72 months. And yet, we now live in a State where we have zero rights. If one of us dies (or is injured), the other partner is not entitled to SSI, to make medical decisions, to survivor benefits, to the belongings of the other (if family members decide to come in and take over). 
How does any of that make sense? How are the current laws of our Country even defensible? How can politicians in our Country still win elections pretty much on the platform of "protecting traditional marriage"?

Who knows when the change will come. But for now, I have to get back to work to support the family my Country does not acknowledge or protect. Where's the "occupy" protest for that cause?


PS-- Kardashian Apologizes to queers who can't marry — Sort Of ...

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kardashian divorce   occupy movement

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

♫ "Find out what it means to me"... ♬
You know the song... 
But do you think our President knows what it means to the LGBT community that he has finally come out in support of the Respect for Marriage Act (important legislation that would finally repeal DOMA)? 

For one thing, it means that we can have the same rights, protections and privileges that opposite sex couples are afforded automatically by saying "I do." (Here's a list of some of the more than 1000 protections of "marriage").
It means that partners can be there by the side of their loved one without distant family members making the life-saving (or changing) decisions while the partner is left out in the cold. 
It means that LGBT people could actually have legal respect for the hard work they put in with their partner's children... and actually be acknowledged as a valid parent. 
It means so much more than these things. 
It means something different to each and every individual. 

What does it mean to you?


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If there was a "hell no" button

14th amendment to the constitution:

"No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." 

Minnesota is not the 1st State in the Union to attempt to write discrimination into their State Constitution. I am intrigued by this speech by the St. Rep. in the above video. But it would seem that his approach to this topic would be in the minority. (Especially since the MN. House did pass the bill). 

Voters in 28 states have approved constitutional amendments or initiatives that define marriage as "the union of a man and a woman." Has any political figure, or voter, in any of those 28 States read the quote at the beginning of this post from the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the USA?

The next clip is quite telling about what matters, in the end, when it comes to equality for all people in the USA. LGBT individuals are good enough to fight for our freedoms all over the world, but not good enough to deserve full and equal protection of the laws in America? If only there was a "hell no" button.



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Moral Math

In a Country where  
1 man + 1 woman 
= moral superiority...

is anyone else intrigued by the popularity of the TLC Show "Sister Wives"?

There is more to say on this topic as it relates to the vitriolic fight in our Country to protect the "sanctity of marriage." But for now, real life and work calls.

Marriage & Relationship Recognition