BenL
11-04-2008, 03:44 PM
Charley and I did something wonderful today. We shook the hand of our state representative, Geraldo Alicea, on the way to our car after voting today.
It sure felt good.
We didn't vote for Alicea the first time he ran for the Legislature because he said he was against gay marriage and felt that the people have a right to vote on something so big. We supported one of his opponents, who was more aligned with our thinking on the question.
But then something amazing happened. When a constitutional convention was called to put marriage on the ballot here in Massachusetts, the gay community galvanized. Enough of us, people in his district, came out and talked to him one-on-one. We told him about our families and why marriage was so important to us. He met lesbian moms of kids and gay dads of kids, and he met some of the children, too. When it came time to vote, he voted not to subject the rights of gay people to a plebiscite.
Today was the first time Charley and I had seen him in person since that brave vote. We shook his hand and thanked him for supporting our marriage.
It sure felt good. I hope people in other states have a chance to "come out" to their pollitical representatives and convince them not to subject their lives to a public referendum.
It sure felt good.
We didn't vote for Alicea the first time he ran for the Legislature because he said he was against gay marriage and felt that the people have a right to vote on something so big. We supported one of his opponents, who was more aligned with our thinking on the question.
But then something amazing happened. When a constitutional convention was called to put marriage on the ballot here in Massachusetts, the gay community galvanized. Enough of us, people in his district, came out and talked to him one-on-one. We told him about our families and why marriage was so important to us. He met lesbian moms of kids and gay dads of kids, and he met some of the children, too. When it came time to vote, he voted not to subject the rights of gay people to a plebiscite.
Today was the first time Charley and I had seen him in person since that brave vote. We shook his hand and thanked him for supporting our marriage.
It sure felt good. I hope people in other states have a chance to "come out" to their pollitical representatives and convince them not to subject their lives to a public referendum.