Why "Marriage" is Important

When I was a boy I grew up with the hopes and dreams that one day I would find love and be able to recognize that love like everybody else through “Marriage.” At that time, I clearly had the image that my love would be based upon what I had known, who I had seen, and what I wanted to be. My marriage, so I thought and had hoped, would be between myself and a woman. Unfortunately G-d did not create me in the image that I thought I would be. G-d created me in a different image. An image, like you, that of himself. Is that image not good enough? Is that image not equal?

Our communities, our States, and our Country are made up of a myriad of citizen images of his/her likeness. And when those images fall in love and want to honor their relationships they do that through “Marriage.” A “Marriage” where the two who are in love invite their friends and family to share in on the joy of their commitment. It is an event where the vows are made, the blessings fulfilled, and the union recognized in front of a welcoming and loving community, State, and Country. America would be a wonderful place if that were only true for all of her citizen’s images.

The image I have is of an America where equality, fairness, and shared opportunities exist for all. Unfortunately, that doesn’t exist today. Without question tremendous progress has been made on the fairness front, but can you honestly look at yourself in the mirror and believe that equality and shared opportunities do exist? Do you really believe that “Domestic Partnerships” equate to “Marriage”?

They don’t, and by the mere fact of acknowledging “Domestic Partnerships” and “Marriage” in the same sentence I may be permitting the use of such as a viable option. “Domestic Partnership” and “Marriage” are not equal. Domestic Partnerships don’t provide the same security as marriage. We all know what it means to hear two lovers say, “we’re married!” Well when gay and lesbian people are not allowed to get married, the message that our society is telling us is that our relationships aren’t as important as yours. Do you really believe that? There are family planning differences, there are health care decision making differences, and there are financial planning and distribution differences, just to name a few. Do I not have the right to have an equally loving and recognized relationship within our community as you? I believe I DO, I believe YOU BELIEVE I do, and that’s why “Marriage” is so important. And what’s important to me is that you vote NO when propositions come up in your States that would write inequality and unfair treatment into their Constitutions. For many of you, that opportunity awaits you in November.

Arizona Proposition 102, known by its supporters as the Marriage Protection Amendment, is a proposed amendment to the Arizona Constitution that defines marriage as between one man and one woman. It will appear on the November 4, 2008 ballot in Arizona.
State law already prohibits same-sex marriage, and Arizona courts have upheld that ban. However, ban supporters contend it also needs to be in the Constitution in order to prevent future court rulings in favor of same-sex marriage.

California proposition 8 will appear on the November 4, 2008 ballot in California. It is variously known as the Protect Marriage Act, the Same-Sex Marriage Ban or the Limit on Marriage Amendment. If it passes, it will add a new constitutional amendment to the California Constitution that will have exactly the following text: "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.

When I moved to California in July I knew I would get involved in something, I just didn’t no what. To be honest, I never thought it would be with an organization fighting for the right to marry. Getting married was the furthest thing from my mind. But as I’ve learned through my experience in finally being real and living my life honestly, I’ve realized something. IMAGES MAY CHANGE BUT MY BEING YOUR EQUAL SHOULDN’T. Let us all work together to ensure that the boys and girls growing up today, regardless of how G-d created them, who dream of finding love and recognizing their relationship through “Marriage” truly have that right!