March on Washington for Marriage Equality 2009
By David Mixner on 05/21/2009 @ 01:26 PM
Administration sits in offices plotting timeline charts on what rights they feel comfortable granting us this year, clearly it is time for us to gin up our efforts and stop waiting for them to hand us our God given entitlements. Enough. I really can’t stomach any more being told ‘not now’. As nice as it would be, no one is going to give us our freedom; we are going to have to continue to fight like hell for it. It is demeaning to us to be moved around on a political chess board like freedom is a move in some game.
We have to stop it.
Let’s never forget that we are not talking about just another piece of legislation nor just an executive order. What is at stake is over 1,000 rights, benefits, privileges and protections granted to all other Americans and denied to the LGBT community. It is about the ability of those who choose to serve their country can do so in total honesty and freedom. That the vision of America is for our young as well as other young Americans. Finally as we work toward full equality we must halt in its tracks the efforts of a number of our fellow citizens to put in place a system of Apartheid for LGBT citizens. The stakes are way too high for them to tell us to wait until next year, or even until the next term.
Our freedom can’t be negotiated in the political offices of the White House and in the halls of Congress. Our goal is not to make their path easier but to ensure that young LGBT citizens will not be beaten, denied the right to serve, have their love demeaned in some sort of separate but equal system or excluded from giving their gifts and talents freely to this nation. At this moment, there is very little movement on any of these issues in the White House and it appears that some even believe we should be happy with just hate crimes legislation being passed this year.
I adore President Obama but not enough to allow his team to delay my freedom for political convenience or comfort. It is unacceptable.
My plea is for our LGBT leaders to call a March on Washington for Marriage Equality this November and if they won’t do it, I appeal to our young to come together and provide the leadership.
We need to come together in a display of powerful community unity to empower our young and to show the nation that anything less than full freedom is unacceptable. Clearly there are other issues that should be on the agenda for the march but marriage equality is the lynchpin that deals with so many of those issues. The most striking outside that institution would be the freedom to serve in our nation’s military - and that weekend I think we could have a separate powerful event to highlight that.
Having organized a number of major marches in my near 50 years of activism, I don’t take this call lightly. Trust me, I know that there are times when such marches are ineffective and poorly timed. Yet, I have also seen them be extremely effective both in message and building momentum within the movement. For the first time, we have the opportunity to have tens of thousands of our straight allies and straight students join us and we should organize the march to make it easy for them to be by our sides.
My experience has taught me the secret to any march is to keep the message simple and to make it easy for others to join. Of course, our best organizers must be enlisted in order to ensure that hundreds of thousands attend in an orderly and safe fashion.
Tapping into my previous work, I would suggest the following for consideration: On the Friday before the march 12,000 (approximately the number of our service people that have been dismissed under DADT) led by our veterans walk single file from the Pentagon to the White House until all 12,000 are across from the White House. Let the nation see visibly how many of our citizens have had their careers destroyed while the military allows convicted felons to serve. I would love to see 12,000 across from the White House chanting “Let US Serve.”
One of the lessons from previous marches is that everyone should be on the Mall by no later than 3PM. We should not let logistics prevent people from getting to the Mall or otherwise they won’t be counted. Everyone must be present before the evening news has to develop their stories. Each marcher and organizer should be told that every single person has to be on the Mall from 2PM to 3PM in order for us to have a success. How they choose to do that I will leave to the organizers.
Watching press secretary Robert Gibbs dodge and duck answers on LGBT issues while it seems almost every other group and issue is being discussed is so depressing to me. The promise of the Democrats being in control was great. They still can rise to greatness. It is not too late but they need our help in lifting them out of their own fears and into the light.
President Kennedy had to deal with a recession, the Berlin Wall, the Cuban Missile Crisis and so much more. However, when Dr. King and others filled the streets of cities around America and yes, Washington, DC, the president found the resources and time to stay by their sides. The time has come for us to remove the current administration’s option of shrinking from leadership on this issue and to insist they rise to a new level of greatness along side us as we all fight together for freedom. It is the only way.
Reproduced with permission from DavidMixner.com.
Brothers and Sisters in Arms...
By Dan Kirk on 05/21/2009 @ 01:26 PM
On behalf of everyone at Yes on Gay Marriage, I would like to extend our appreciation and gratitude to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces. This Memorial Day is yet another poignant reminder that every day millions of our fellow citizens put their lives on the line in the defense of our nation. It doesn’t matter if they are straight or gay, we honor everyone who serves, or has served in uniform.
Many members of Yes on Gay Marriage are veterans, including myself. We were all honored to serve in our nation’s military forces, and remember those we lost along the way. Also, we remember the thousands of gay and lesbian soldiers, sailors, and air forces that are discharged every year simply because of their sexual orientation.
Let us all remember that as we fight for marriage freedom, we should not forget there are many other issues out there that deserve our attention, like the status of our brothers and sisters serving in today’s Armed Forces. The continuation of the outdated Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) policy is as great a travesty as the continuation of the Defense of Marriage Act, the failure to pass the Hate Crimes Bill and Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), and the efforts to take away rights of gay and lesbian citizens in several of our states. We should not grow complacent with a more-friendly administration in place, nor should we forget that it is up to us to continue the struggle for freedom and equality.
Last week our National Director, Kelley Moran, was in Washington D.C. talking about gay marriage, and Yes on Gay Marriage with several Senators, congressional staff, and White House staff. The bottom line of those meetings is that while Washington is much more supportive of repealing DOMA as well as Hate Crimes, DADT, and in getting ENDA passed, it is we, the LGBT community that is going to have to make sure our issues stay ‘on the table’. If we let our voice get distracted, if we do not keep pushing our issues, they will be pushed to the back of a very long agenda.
That is why Yes on Gay Marriage will continue to work hard on getting DOMA repealed. Now, not next year or the year after, is the time to get this vile law repealed. We can’t do it without your help, though. Help us by volunteering or donating today!
Dan Kirk has been active in the LGBT rights movement for sixteen years, starting with the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” debates in the early 90s. Helping to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act has become one of his highest priorities.
Why is Marriage such a hot-button issue?
By Dan Kirk on 05/12/2009 @ 01:26 PM
Like anyone else who has debated the merits of marriage for our community, I have heard the concept that we should push for ‘Civil Unions’ instead of marriage. The core principle of this tactic is that ‘marriage’ has religious connotations beyond the legal aspects of marriage. By using ‘Civil Union’ instead of marriage, we focus the discussion on the legal aspects only, taking it out of the realm of ‘religion’.
For a long time I held this opinion. Call them Civil Unions, don’t call it marriage. Why should we engage in a religious debate when it’s not necessary? If we could keep the discussion solely on the issues of legal rights, we make good progress.
Certainly that is the majority opinion of people in this country. Recent polls have shown a majority of Americans support Civil Unions for LGBT couples. That’s right, we stand in a place where they majority of Americans support us having legal rights in our relationships. Why then am I now working with a group calling itself “Yes on Marriage”?
The answer to that question isn’t an easy one to face as a community. You see, when we accept Civil Unions, or anything other than what everyone else is allowed, we create something separate for ourselves. We become something ‘special’, as many of our detractors claim. Further, we ignore the bull in our china shop, the simple fact that the Number #1 enemy of all gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or even questioning people comes from one sector of our society.
We ignored that in California during the fight against Proposition 8, and one of the most liberal states in the nation passed a law taking away our right to marry.
Albert Mohler, a leader of the Southern Baptist Convention wrote an essay titled “No Truth Without Love, No Love Without Truth”. If you haven’t read it, you can find it on his website ( http://www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=3661 ). It’s a long read, but it can be synopsized in just a few phrases.
#1 – It’s not okay to be gay and conservatives need to stick to this message.
#2 – Not only is it not okay to be gay, it is an abomination and must be confronted directly.
#3 – The only good homosexual is one that has turned away from any expression of their homosexuality and live within the teachings of their church.
Gay Marriage might be the latest battleground, but the people leading the charge against marriage are not going to just settle for stopping us from getting married. We are sinners in their belief pattern, and should have no recognition or rights whatsoever to live our lives openly and with freedom. Sure, they couch their language in positive terms these days, saying we should ‘join’ their way of life, and we have allowed them to mask their true agenda behind this flowery language.
What is needed is a direct confrontation, with direct questions like:
Should gay couples be allowed to have rights and responsibilities as a couple, such as the ability to make medical decisions, to file taxes jointly, to buy a home together?
We know their answer already. It’s going to be “no” or if they play with the new rulebook of ‘nice language’ it’s going to be ‘just don’t call it marriage!’. That shouldn’t be the end of the conversation though, because we know the majority of Americans support us having these rights. The next question needs to be stronger.
What is the problem with giving this recognition to gay and lesbian couples, using the same name as is given to the relationship for all other similar couple?
In the case of ‘just give it another name’, we need to throw back the ‘special rights’ argument. We don’t want ‘special rights’ or ‘special categories’. What we are arguing for is the same rights, the same responsibilities, and we don’t appreciate their trying to push us into a ‘special’ category.
For the ‘it’s an abomination’ crowd, we have to get them to say what they truly mean.
Dan Kirk has been active in the LGBT rights movement for sixteen years, starting with the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” debates in the early 90s. Helping to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act has become one of his highest priorities.
Pacifica Lesbian Mom's Deportation Blocked
By John Wildermuth on 04/24/2009 @ 01:26 PM
A lesbian mother from Pacifica will not be deported to her native Philippines next month after U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., sponsored a bill that puts the case on hold.
The emergency measure, introduced Wednesday, stops the clock on the deportation order against Shirley Tan, a housewife who lives with Jay Mercado, her registered domestic partner, and their 12-year-old twin sons.
Mercado, an American citizen, could sponsor a spouse for citizenship but the U.S. government does not recognize same-sex relationships. Gay-rights groups took up Tan’s cause, arguing she was being treated unfairly because of her sexual orientation.
Tan had been ordered to present herself for deportation on May 10 but that won’t take place until Congress acts on Feinstein’s bill, which is unlikely to happen until next year at the earliest.
Tan was taken into custody at her home in January for overstaying her 1989 visitor’s visa. She applied for political asylum in 1995 but was turned down by the Board of Immigration Appeals in 2002. Tan said she was not notified of the decision.
This article originally appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle and was reprinted with permission from John Wildermuth.
An Irish Blessing
By Jo Meleca-Voigt on 04/20/2009 @ 01:26 PM
One of my good friends just got married. She and her husband are of Irish descent and incorporated many Irish traditions and themes into the wedding. One such tradition is to have the veil placed on the bride by someone whose marriage she respects and wants to emulate. She asked me to do it.
I am flattered by the honor on so many levels. It also made me reflect on my own marriage and why she would pick me out of all of her friends and family to hold up as the kind of marriage that she wants to have. There were so many couples that she knows that have something that my marriage doesn’t have: the means by which to protect and provide for each other through the automatic rights granted by civil marriage.
But, when people think of marriage, they don’t often think about the legal protections and responsibilities that come with it. People don’t walk down the aisle thinking about health insurance or the right to make medical decisions, next of kin status or how they might be protected if the marriage ends in divorce. They are focused on the person waiting at the other end of the aisle.
So what is it that my friend wants to emulate? Our married life consists of waking up, going to work, making dinner, feeding the cats, mowing the lawn, cleaning the house, paying the bills….Nothing in our daily routines makes us particularly inspiring or different than most married couples.
What makes our marriage recognizably strong is much deeper than that. It’s the commitment that my wife and I have to each other and our future together. It’s the sparkle in our eyes when we talk to and about each other. It’s the way we love spending time together doing everything and nothing, but know how to give each other the space that each needs. It’s the way we encourage each other to be the best we can be, not just through words and actions, but by allowing each other to be ourselves and follow our hearts. It’s those deep senses of loyalty, respect, concern and love that we have for each other. I would say though, that the most important thing about my marriage is that we belong together. People who know us know that Christine and I are a perfect fit. We are whole individuals who make each other better and more complete.
My friend recognizes these things and I am forever grateful to her because this Irish tradition became an Irish blessing to me. It allowed me to reflect on how very fortunate I am to have such an incredible relationship. I just wish my government would recognize that and respect my relationship by letting me place the veil on the head of civil marriage.
Jo Meleca-Voigt is a teacher in Greece, NY. She lives with her wife Christine and their two cats, Casey and Kennedy. She enjoys traveling and is proud of her Italian heritage.
Guest Blogger: Mark Denzin
By Mark Denzin on 04/15/2009 @ 01:26 PM
Today I am very proud to say, “I AM FROM IOWA.”
Being from a Prairie state, if you migrate very far in any direction, automatically sets you up for a lot of ribbing: Isn’t that where they grow all those potatoes?….Is that where the pig is the state bird? Is it true that you didn’t get your first pair of shoes until you were 16?
Well none of those things are true, but over the years, I got asked questions like that so often, that until I truly reached adulthood, I was embarrassed to reveal my historical roots.
But as time passed, I realized that the people who were asking questions like this, truly in half-seriousness, were actually more provincial than I, in most cases, and I began to think of New Yorkers( the hippest of the hip spots of origin when I was a callow youth) as Provincial New Yorkers…and Californians, with whom I finally ended up, as Brainless Surf Bunnies…who knew little cultural history of anywhere beyond the closest big wave.
To the suprise of many, Iowa’s recent high court decision is in many ways consistant with the state’s philosophical and moral history. When I was growing up, Iowa had the highest literacy rate of any state in the Union. It had the lowest unemployment rate. And outstanding, in that area, was the fact that it had, percentage wise, the lowest unemployment rate among African Americans and Native Americans. Iowa had the first interstate highway system, linking its agricultural and industrial production centers to the outside world in a fashion designed to enhance its already flourishing economic growth.
In the area of education, Iowa had one of the earliest and most highly funded and developed statewide university and college sysems, making higher education readily available to almost everyone. As an in-state, full time student, the tuition cost of my college education was $45 a month , bringing the grand total for a bachelor’s degree to something under a whopping $3,000.
The University of Iowa, touted as one of the finest creative writing departments in the country, is still highly regarded in the world of letters, and graduated such well known writers as Tennessee Williams and Eugene O’Neill, among many others. Asprin was invented by its medical school research department, and it is still strong and well known for its physics, engineering, and law schools.
It is for some of the aforementioned reasons that I am not suprised that my beloved home state, the home of my roots, has produced a high court that is gustsy enough to break legal ground with its recent decision to allow gays to marry. And who among us, especially those of us who once upon a time asked if the pig was Iowa’s state bird, would ever have thought that this kind of history would be made there…in Iowa?
California is often touted as being on the cutting edge of legal thought and groundbreaking court decisions. Well, my dears…you black and white berobed and begowned most highly distinguished jurists of my new home state…WHERE ARE YOUR GUTS? Must you look to the hinterlands for some moral stamina to bring you round to the right decision? Are the fly-over states going to lead the way in the hue and cry for civil rights for not just gay people, but for ALL people? For that is surely what is at stake here.
I am fortunate enough to be partnered…with a loving partner of 32 years, under the domestic partnership laws of California. Unfortunately, these laws STILL keep us within the confines of second class citizens. Peter and I have grown up together, and are growing old together. Last year (2008) we planned a Christmas Eve wedding.
I never realized, until the day approached, and then got taken away in the November election by the constitutional changes that were made that fateful day…how very much it meant to me to be joined in a partnership that was truly first class…and how much different even the possibility of such a marriage made me feel.
I felt, for the first time in the history of my gay relatonship, and in the history of my life as a gay man, that marriage would include me in the human family as an equal…in a way that no other experience really quite could.
My heart was broken. I wept hot tears of anger…when the possibility of this glorious adventure was destroyed by the arguments…and the BIG MONEY…of the religious right. And what were these arguments? Mainly, that gay people were morally unfit to be parents. A false argument, to be sure, since research has shown for many years that this simply isn’t true.
I am so proud to be from Iowa. Right now, it has shown itself to be one of gutsiest states in the Union. Because its highest court broke through the argument of the religious right…essentially a religious and moral argument, enshrining religion in law…by pointing out that this whole matter of gay marriage has nothing to do with religion or morality. And to mix the two violates the very foundation of our national constitution, which clearly intended to keep religion and government very separate.
So yes, I am very proud to be from Iowa. And I await the decision of the California Supreme Court, trembling witth anticipation. Surely the courage and jurisprudence of the Iowa decision cannot help but influence future decisions by other high courts in the right direction regarding the matter of same sex unions.
I hope and pray that this will be so. And I hope and pray that the Supreme Court justices of California muster the courage and jurisprudence of a state once thought by some to have the pig as its symbolic state bird. Surely no one in the future could be ignorant enough to ask that question, ever again.
About Mark Denzin:
I am a 64 year old gay man . I have lived in San Francisco for 35 years, and consider it my home. I was born and bred in the Great Corn State: IOWA.
A Slippery Slope
By Jo Meleca-Voigt on 04/09/2009 @ 01:26 PM
Often those who oppose gay marriage use the “slippery slope” argument. If we allow people of the same gender to marry, what’s next? Might the next invitation you get be “Mr. and Mrs. Jones are proud to announce the marriage of their daughter Bethany to Fido, son of Fluffy and Spot”?
The argument continues that if the “traditional” definition of marriage is changed, there will be no way to stop the expansion of marriage to all sorts of insane couplings. How in the world does our pious society stop this insanity from spinning out of control to include the nuptials of a woman to her aloe plant?
Do these people really believe that this could happen? Do they really believe that we don’t know the difference between a human being and a plant? Did we fall asleep in science class when learning about kingdom, phylum, class, order, family and genus? It’s all a false argument meant to scare people.
There is a very simple definition of marriage that stops the ball from rolling down the so called slippery slope:
Marriage is the union between two consenting adults.
This definition not only excludes cats, chairs and ferns that can’t give consent, but it excludes the unconscionable thought of adults marrying children.
We are not people who want to throw our culture into a tailspin. We want the government to stay out of the personal choice of adults marrying each other. We want to be treated equally, not specially.
Jo Meleca-Voigt is a teacher in Greece, NY. She lives with her wife Christine and their two cats, Casey and Kennedy. She enjoys traveling and is proud of her Italian heritage.
Reflections on Iowa, Vermont and DOMA
By Dan Kirk on 04/09/2009 @ 01:26 PM
Wow, what a week this has been so far! Vermont, the state that first gave us civil unions, has gone full bore and given us gay marriage. Iowa, the state that gave us Barack Obama as a viable candidate for President, also gave us marriage rights this week. Meanwhile Californians wait for their Supreme Court to make a decision on the voter-approved Proposition 8.
My ‘partner’ (since we were foolish and didn’t get married before Prop 8 passed) and I have had an argument since the day we first met. That argument has actually been about marriage, and how we obtain it as gay & lesbian couples. He supported the court efforts as the best way, and while acknowledging the success of the court-based efforts, I’ve long supported going to elected officials or the voting public. This week we both got a victory by our preferred methods. Iowa gave us marriage rights by court decision, and Vermont’s state legislature did what California’s could not – override the veto of a governor to give us our marriage rights by legislation.
Unfortunately there’s something that both states cannot give their people: Federal recognition of their relationship.
Newly married couples in Iowa and Vermont are in for a few harsh lessons as they finish celebrating their marriages. Here in California where we have statewide domestic partnerships, and in states like Massachusetts where marriage is long-established, gay couples have found that the recognition by their state is blocked at the federal level, and it costs them money. Sometimes a lot of money.
The state will require you to file taxes as a married couple, and at the same time the federal government requires you to file as a single person. In order to do this, gay couples have to fill out four tax returns and actually file three of them. The one they don’t fill out is the federal joint return used to complete the state joint return. The real irony is that when you fill out that join federal return, you find out just how much extra money you’re paying in federal taxes thanks to DOMA.
If your new husband or wife is not an American citizen, remember that because of DOMA they are not automatically granted a green card. As far as immigration is concerned, they are still single. Also, if you travel outside the United States, don’t think about filling out the customs forms for married couples. You will be detained until you fill out the proper forms for single people. After all, you’re not really married in the eyes of the Feds.
Otherwise, congratulations on getting married in Vermont and Iowa! We only have 46 more states to go, and of course the federal government to deal with!
Dan Kirk has been active in the LGBT rights movement for sixteen years, starting with the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” debates in the early 90s. Helping to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act has become one of his highest priorities.
Guest Blogger: John Ater
By John Ater on 04/09/2009 @ 01:26 PM
I grew up on the family ranch in Texas outside a tiny town much like the fictitious Anarene in The Last Picture Show. Everyone knew everyone else’s business so I never got away with much of anything without my daddy and mama finding out.
After I came out in 1992 and settled down a bit from my initial exuberance of shedding the closet, I reflected on my journey to that point. I realized with some certainty there were several queer couples living in and around our tiny town; the “old maid” school teachers who lived in one bedroom houses and had been “roommates” for years; the “bachelor” ranchers who ran together as boys then bought land to become “ranching” partners and lived out their lives together. All of them, without exception, were well respected in the community, serving as school and bank board members, church and community leaders.
Though I cannot state with certainty their relationships were more than plutonic, my gut tells me and my heart believes they were part of our queer family. Long before I came to admission and acceptance of my own sexuality, I heard the town gossips’ whispers about them, but no one ever talked openly about their relationships and, as long as there were no outward admissions, the town and community practiced a tolerance that spilled over into acceptance.
None of the couples had children but they all had aunts and uncles and nieces and nephews and various kinfolk who played major parts in their lives. While I do not know the details, I do know that as their lives ended, the surviving partners inherited their estates through carefully drawn wills and not one family member contested any of them nor did their families or hospital and nursing home staffs refuse admittance to their “partners”.
Watching today’s hysterical gyrations from religious and political leaders and conservative talk show hosts in light of my own experience gives me pause and quiet amusement over their claims of destruction of marriage sanctity, our nation’s descent into perdition and apocalyptic warnings should gay marriage become law. Those couples I knew as a child practiced a gentleness and love that is too often missing in our daily interactions with each other.
The Vermont legislature today overturned their governor’s veto of the nation’s first legislative action allowing same-sex couples to marry. I can’t help but believe the “old maid” schoolteachers and “bachelor” ranchers of my youth would smile and nod their approval. Vermonters’ reputations for independence, intelligence, skepticism, generosity, stubbornness and honesty were affirmed by their Legislature today and, beyond that, confirmed those loving relationships in a distant state from so long ago.
John Ater, a professional photographer, lives and works in San Francisco. After more than 20 years editing small town newspapers around Austin and six years as legislative aide and chief of staff for two Texas House of Representative members, he now devotes his time entirely to photography. His fine art photography has won juried competitions and earned solo and group exhibitions.
To contact John Ater, visit his website at http://johnater.com.
All Kinds of Coming Out
By Jo Meleca-Voigt on 04/02/2009 @ 01:26 PM
I started coming out as a gay person 16 years ago. And while coming out has been a phrase adopted by the LGBT community to describe the process of self discovery and public acknowledgement of our sexual orientation, coming out is more broadly a metaphor for exiting the darkness of denial, secrecy and ignorance of any situation. And coming out in favor of gay marriage is on the political rise.
Over the past few days there has been a flurry of high ranking politicians coming out to proclaim their support for marriage equality for same sex couples. This support is coming from Democrats, Republicans and those in between. Who says we can’t unite across party lines to get things done? And how amazing is it that reach is coming in support of gay marriage?
On March 23rd, Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer of New York became the highest ranking member of the U.S. Senate to come out in support of marriage equality and the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act.
Three days later, I received an email from the office of Independent Mayor of New York City entitled “Mike Bloomberg’s Support for Marriage Equality”. It started out “Last night, at the 3rd Annual LGBT Community Center dinner, Mayor Mike Bloomberg reiterated his strong support for same sex marriage …” As they say, coming out isn’t an event, it’s a process!
The same day as Bloomberg’s reiteration, a Republican named Steve Schmidt, who was chief strategist for John McCain’s presidential campaign, came out in support of gay marriage in the Washington Blade. Furthermore, he encouraged Republicans to stop using divisive social issues such as gay marriage to incite their base.
Let’s not stop by celebrating the fact that it is no longer the political taboo and death knell that it once was to endorse LGBT rights. We need to encourage MORE politicos to come out in support of equality. I am excited for the changing tide, but I wonder where the tipping point is? When will it become a political stigma to NOT support marriage equality for same-sex adults? And, what do we have to do to get there?
The answer is our own coming out. Living our lives authentically, openly and honestly will let people make a true determination about their support. When they see that we are consenting adults in loving relationships who simply want to care for the person who makes us whole, denying marital rights is increasingly realized as unconscionable.
Jo Meleca-Voigt is a teacher in Greece, NY. She lives with her wife Christine and their two cats, Casey and Kennedy. She enjoys traveling and is proud of her Italian heritage.
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