Okay, It Isn’t Marriage, But It Shows We Are Headed In The Right Direction
Like most of you, I have a daily morning routine of checking emails, glancing over the social media, etc. to see where the world is headed today and what changes I need to make in my life to adjust accordingly. That is just the world we live in now. The only constant is change. The changes are never guaranteed to be good, or fair, or just. We haven’t seen much good change in 2020. We have seen many, many bad changes. So, I was floored when I woke up this morning to my wife saying that I had to see this story.
So we all know how deathly opposed the Catholic church is to the LGBTQ+ community having marriage rights. Simply stated, they believe that marriage should be for a man and a woman, period, end of story. This is nothing new as we have been hearing this our entire lives. What is interesting, and why I am excited, is the fact that in this mornings article of LGBTQ Nation, it states that the pope says the following: Nations should recognize civil unions for same-sex couples, he said, because they “have a right to a family.”
Ok, so to many of us, this is nice to hear, but still an insult right? Yes, it is truly ridiculous that we should just have a civil union and not marriage. But what I also see in this is the fact that the Catholic church leader is starting to look at things from the perspective of all humans deserving rights to love, respect and happiness. This is leaps and bounds more progressive than we have seen the Catholic church in the past as they have typically always run on telling people what they cannot do and how to repent. I’m not trying to offend any Catholics out there. Everyone is entitled to their own views and religious beliefs. But for those who align themselves with the Catholic faith who then realize they are LGBTQ+, have a very real chance of just giving up on religion in general because of the harsh views that have been in their church until this point. It is encouraging to see the leader of one of the largest faith communities in the world, sticking up for the rights of the LGBTQ+ population.
We still have miles to go before we sleep though. Obviously, this is not equality, but it is a step in the right direction and also means that our voices are starting to really be heard. I am going to place the actual story for you down below. I know that this, like all inequality issues throughout time, is just a small step forward. But it is a step, which we will keep pushing forward until they become leaps, then bounds, then eventually a generation not too far from now will look back and see how our fighting made a difference and how we changed the world.
So, on that note, it is voting time. In our city, early voting has kicked off. It is critical that we not only get the right person into the White House this election, but also to support the lesser known candidates for all of the government positions that are vital to our country. Your voice can change things. Your vote can change things. In Nevada, I personally urge you to vote yes on 2. This is extremely important, because it will change our State Constitution verbiage to include same sex marriage instead of saying between a man and a woman. You may be asking why this is important, especially if you are already a same sex couple married in Nevada. It is important because the Supreme Court is still able to overturn marriage equality. The only way to make sure that can’t happen is to have the Constitution changed. I don’t now about you, but I would be devastated if I woke up this Friday on my 3 year wedding anniversary and we were no longer legally married. It is a piece of paper, yes, but it is one that everyone should have the right to obtain and more importantly, keep. My wife is the most important person in my life. I love being married to her. I love our 8 children and our grandchildren. We are good people, not second-rate people, just because our soulmates happen to be another woman. So, I will be voting yes on 2.
You should know that your time and talents can also change things. My wife has been out almost every day since early voting began, being a poll worker to ensure there are enough places people can come vote. She is burnt and hot because we live in Las Vegas, but she is doing everything she possibly can to make sure people have a chance to have their voices heard. It is critical that we keep our democracy intact. Without a democracy, harmful people can end up in power for a lifetime. So even though the parties in this country are deeply divided this election, we know it is important that everyone exercise their democratic right to vote. So while out at the polls, she is neutral to the party lines. We are very opinionated people, so I am very proud of the person that she is and that she is doing this for all Americans, not just the ones she agrees with.
I can’t be out with her due to my health hurdles, but the kids and I will be busy putting the snacks and waters together for Election Day, when we will be out in the Proud To Love van helping people around our town beat the heat while waiting in line to make sure their voices are heard. We will be voting prior to that time. I know that life is hard right now and that 2020 really has just been one of the worst years I have ever seen, for sure. So let’s try to focus on the future. I encourage you to write down a list of what you would like to see happen in 2021 and paste it on a mirror or somewhere else that you will see it daily. It is up to us to be the change we want to see in others. We must lead by example. We must love other human beings and try to bridge the divides that people try to deepen between the people in our country. We can all have the American dream. We just need to want everyone to have it.
So go vote. Vote for whomever aligns the best with your personal views and wishes for our Country. Just a reminder, we are stronger when we want equality for all people. If the tables were turned, wouldn’t everyone want the same treatment? I will leave you to ponder that. Go check out our facebook page. I would love to see what parts of town people in Las Vegas will be polling so we can stop by and give out snacks. You can message us if you don’t feel comfortable sharing with everyone where you will be. I totally get it, but let us know so we can come support you. We will also be giving away free stickers as a thank you for supporting your democracy by voting and will have a contest for anyone who sends in pics of them with their voting sticker. https://www.facebook.com/proudtolove1
Love always,
Kelly
