[ + ] Text [ – ]

To Evan Wolfson:

March 25, 2007

It's 1:51 a.m. and I'm watching the debate on C-SPAN. In the beginning of the program I had never heard of you.(my apologies) Within a few minutes, you gained my complete and eternal respect. I found myself shaking my head at bigoted, fear fueled diatribes masquerading as "questions", and cheering at your responses. As you touched upon, this argument is nothing new.(doom and gloom scenario). Constant what ifs. What if blacks were free? What if women could vote? What if different races married? It will alway baffle me that we still argue over whether or not gays should have the same rights as straights. The statistics on straight marriages are probably the best argument against marriage of any kind. I'm a straight, white, single male. The idea of marriage scares the hell out of me. I envy anyone who can look at another person and decide to spend the rest of their lives with that person. In my humble opinion, if you are lucky enough to find love, in any of its guises, you should be supported by the world, for love is truly all you need. Well, love and equal treatment under the law.

Keep fighting. You have another person on your side.

Sincerely,

Seth A Quimby

 

---

 

March 25, 2007

I am a devout Catholic with an open mind. I saw your debate on C-Span. I am for equal rights for all. My only concern is that gay marriage not involve religious ceremonies in churches that have the opinion that a marriage is between a man and a woman. I believe that a secular acceptance is not necessarily a religious acceptance.

I thought that you comported yourself very well and came across very knowledgeable on the subject and the facts needed to sway public acceptance.

I am,

Chief Jean F. Pouliot (Ret.)
Fairfield Police Department

 

---

 

3/25/07

I just wanted to drop you a line and let you know that I enjoyed watching your debate with David Blankenhorn on television tonight. You presented your case in a very articulate, intelligent manner, unlike your opponent. I was hoping someone would bring up adoption to counter David's statement that children are better off being raised by their biological parents. I had an unplanned pregnancy when I was 23. At the time I was a devout Christian and I chose to place my newborn daughter for adoption. The parents I chose for my daughter in my fifth month of pregnancy took my daughter home from the hospital. I am no longer a Christian but I have no doubt in my mind that my daughter is where she is supposed to be. She is a happy, healthy ten year old who is being raised by loving parents that are able to provide for her. I had a very unstable employment history at the time (well, I still do, actually), I did not have a loving partner or a strong support system in place and I did not want to raise my daughter on food stamps and Medicaid.

Now at the age of 33 I am happily married to my husband of almost two years and we are expecting our first child in November. We are not financially secure. We are currently residing in a house that belongs to my husband's grandmother. We have never had credit cards. We own one car. My husband is supporting us by working full-time for T-Mobile as a customer service representative. We are currently residing in Albuquerque but my family is going to help us move to Texas, as that is where our support system is.

I am telling you all of this because it makes no sense to me whatsoever and it breaks my heart that there are gay couples who are certainly more financially secure than my husband and myself and they are not afforded the same rights that we are afforded simply because we are man and woman. I cannot believe that in 2007 America this issue is even up for debate. You made a valid point, a point David Blankenhorn didn't seem able to grasp, when you said again and again that the point of marriage is not procreation. I do not think we are in any danger of becoming an extinct species any time soon. We have more than enough people to go around. What we are lacking in this world are people who are intelligent and compassionate enough to realize that as long as one group of people in society are being discriminated against, we are failing humanity at the most basic level. The children will suffer from the discrimination. I don't need experts to tell me that. That is something I just know on a very primal, intuitive level.

Thank you for shining your light. I applaud you.

Much Respect,
Misti Rainwater-Lites