What About the Children?

• What About the Children?"
• "Yeah, what about 'em?"

I had a friend in high school who committed suicide when he was 15 because it was far too terrifying to grow up in a world where THERE WAS NO LOVE for him as a non-heterosexual young man. It was my freshman year of high school, we hung out at lunch in a group of 6 guys & gals, and one morning I heard he hung himself in a dress. Of course classmates freaked about the unexpected suicide, but no one touched "the dress" part; I instantly thought gender identity...maybe not that actual term in 1979 at age 14...but I knew the concept very well.

"What About the Children?

What about him?

I personally know some delightful children with 2 Moms or 2 Dads; single Moms and Dads have also raised these kiddies JUST FINE. As a professional I work with all kinds of young children ages 3-12 every single day. In a time when ALL families are dealing with economic challenges [ this post was originally written in July 2008], why do LGBT families have the extra burden of legal and financial oppression?

• Is that fair to the children?
• To ANY human being?

It is immoral and unjust for the U.S. government to require the LGBT Community to pay taxes when our FAMILIES and CHILDREN are denied the legal rights and protections of Civil Marriage.

America, our LGBT families do not exist in a vacuum; we are integrated into elementary schools, neighborhoods, churches, local & national politics, universities, hospitals, corporations, etc., etc. When our families suffer due to Marriage Inequality, society is also affected.

Please, please, please rent or buy the DVDs FREEHELD and TYING THE KNOT. If you still want to deny our families civil marriage...go ahead, but do NOT expect us to pay taxes to a country that officially treats our beloved family as "less than human". SUB-American. The LGBT community is more than shirtless-20-something-athletic-vain-horned-up men; we are elderly couples, war veterans, little brothers, parents of children, aunts, children of parents, you know -

families, FAMILIES, FAMILIES

already woven into the fabric of SOCIETY.

Some things are worth fighting for; this is one of them.

=================================================================

01.06.09 UPDATE

At this point it just seems surreal that I was INTENSELY focused on Early-Childhood Music & Movement and Piano Pedagogy for over 15 years of my life; MY LIFE's WORK. PERIOD. And it seems surreal that I was ACTIVELY working as an Early Childhood Specialist and Music Educator (piano instructor) at our local Arts Academy until November 6th, 2008. What chilled me before I started this UPDATE was my reply to a comment below this post. I was excited, working, doing what I absolutely loved doing.....so much that I could barely take a moment to type more than I did. Anyhoo -

Boys and Girls - It's STORY TIME!

• There is a Magical, Marvelous Marriage Ship, and EVERYONE gets to sail on The Marriage Ship
• Sometimes sailing on the Marriage Ship is a wonderful journey!
• Sometimes the Marriage Ship is NOT a good place to be.
• When The Marriage Ship turns into The Divorce Ship (and starts to sink), life-preservers are tossed wildly and freely to ALL of the passengers; some get 2 or even 5 of them!
• EXCEPTION: ALL of the passengers are tossed a life-preserver EXCEPT FOR THE QUEERS
• Despite how EVERY PERSON wants, needs, and expects her or his own life-preserver [THE FLOATERS] , EVERY PERSON is hell-bent on making sure QUEERS [THE SINKERS] do not have their life-preservers; some even SMACK them out of Queer Hands! The noiv-vah!
• Clarification - Some "floaters" do object to this treatment of the "sinkers", but they are terrified of engaging the "floater-activists" into any conversation or debate. Floater-Activists can be scary.
• Problem is, some Queers choose to never sail on the ship in the first place. They don't care about The Sinkers.
• Problem is, some Queers have learned how to swim, and some are expert swimmers. They don't care about The Sinkers either; every man for herself.
• Problem is, some Queers can AFFORD to purchase plenty of life-preservers; these are the special "Gold Card Floaters".
• Problem is, some Queers DO sink.
• Problem is, those whom have already sunk or are near drowning are never heard from again. Ever.
• Problem is, the HET' FLOATERS and the 'MO SINKERS [and Gold Card 'MO FLOATERS] whom have survived The Divorce Ship are the ONLY VOICES we hear in this debate about LIFE-PRESERVER EQUALITY. And they are willing to wait 20-30 years for the federal government to concede that "We Are Equal"

WE COULD ELIMINATE ALL SINKING WITH

LIFE-PRESERVER EQUALITY

• Everyone Floats!
• No One Sinks!
• Society is Stronger!

See, a 5-year-old would "get it".

Simple.

Why can't the FEDS, kiddies?