Vote {NO}

Here in Minnesota, we will be voting on an amendment to define marriage between one man and one woman come November. I am a huge opponent to this amendment, and I'd like to ask all my readers to Vote No (laws regarding gay marriage are also on ballots in Maine, Maryland, and Washington this year).

I leave in a teeny tiny little Hamlet of a town, very conservative, and very religious. Well, they think they are religious anyway. I say that because I have a hard time believing their "God" would condone such hateful and judgmental behavior. I consider myself a recovering Catholic for many reasons. The largest one being that I always felt scared, judged, or that I wasn't good enough for the fellow church-goers. We were taught not to do things out of love or kindness, but out of fear. They do not commit sins because if they do we will go to hell, not because it's simply the "right thing to do". Now that I am older, I am able to recognize that just because someone goes to Church every Sunday, that does not mean they are a good person. In fact, I've found the opposite to be true. I don't think that people can be mean, horrible, malicious people six days a week only to confess their sins come Sunday and all is well again. That's not how it works for me. I am a good person, and I found myself being judged frequently simply because I am not a member of a Church. Or because we choose not to baptize our daughter. Really, if I could, I would go back and un-baptize, un-confirm myself, and I certainly would not have gotten married in a Catholic church.

How does this all relate to gay marriage?

Well, I've found that local churches have been handing out "Vote Yes" yard signs. Which in a way makes me happy to know that people are probably only putting them in their yards simply because they are readily available (the closest place to get a "Vote No" sign is an hours' drive). But still. And a much bigger point: Why are these organizations granted non-profit status?? That should certainly be revoked. I read in the St. Cloud Times a few months ago that the St. Cloud Diocese donated $50,000 to support this amendment. Now, I'm no expert, but I'm guessing $50,000 could have gone a loooooong way in fighting homelessness, starvation, lack of clean water, etc. But instead they chose to spend it on spreading hate. The exact opposite of what a Church should stand for.  This is a political issue, not a religious one. Nobody is forcing the Church to perform gay marriages. Rule #1: Separation of Church and State. Who's ignoring the constitution now?

Every time I see one of these "Vote Yes" signs it makes my blood boil. Who are these people? What makes them better than anyone else? Why are they so quick to judge, when I'm sure they have their own issues to deal with? Being gay is a birth trait; it can't be controlled any more than your eye color. It cannot be changed. Nor should it! We are a diverse nation and each person brings something to the table of value. I honestly believe that.

I still can't believe we are fighting this fight. I almost want to go around and take pictures of everyone next to their "Vote Yes" signs. I think they would be comparable to all the protestors of the 1950s fighting civil rights. They will look just as nutso as these people do now. But, then I think I would be one of them. I don't need to sink to their level, no matter how difficult that is for me!

All in all, it only makes me what to do the whole surrogacy thing more and more. I've always said that if my pregnancy & delivery went smoothly, I would like to be a surrogate. I'm only one vote when it comes to this amendment, but if I could give a couple (or 2, or 3 or....) a child, I could fill their lives with so much love and joy that maybe it would outweigh all the hurt and pain they've had to go through in their lives. It's the only way I see myself making a significant difference. I WILL be doing it, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Here's a link from a Letter to the Editor of the Newspaper in New Ulm which makes some good points:

Marriage Amendment - NUJournal.com | News, Sports, Jobs - The Journal, New Ulm, MN


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