The time has come

The time has come for Minnesota to take the step forward and join other states already on the right side of history.  Our government will soon vote on whether or not it is legal to join two people of the same sex in marriage.  As the day comes closer and closer my heart moves just a little further up in my throat.  People are saying that we are going to win this fight, but I won't believe it until I see it.  It has been a long road and it wasn't an easy one.  We all fought tooth and nail to win the "NOs" in the election.  We shared stories, we cried, we laughed, we partied, we asked for donations, we had sleepless nights, we rallied, we marched the streets, we talked to our legislators....all to get here.  This fight did not start with Minnesota and it will not be over with Minnesota.  In the big picture it is the US government that will win this war for equality.   After this vote I will be able to proudly say that I am a Minnesotan, that "Minnesota Nice" that everyone talks about DOES exist, and that I was a part of something bigger than myself...bigger than our state...bigger than each LGBT individual living in MN...but equal in importance to EVERYONE living here and to the hours and hours we all spent making it happen.

“Give to every other human being every right that you claim for yourself - that is my doctrine.” 
― Thomas Paine, The Age Of Reason

“The beauty of standing up for your rights is others will see you standing and stand up as well.” 
― Cassandra Duffy

This was the rally at the capital.  Unfortunately I couldn't make it because of the snow storm, but this shows just how dedicated and passionate everyone is about winning this vote!!!

WE DID IT!!!

Sitting here trying to figure out how to write this post.  I could bore you with the details of the all the things we did to help the cause, I could detail election day, I could write some quirky, humorous rant about equal rights....but I can't think of a way to express my pure joy except to say:

WE DID IT!!!  WE DEFEATED THAT DEGRADING, ULTERIOR MOTIVE DRIVEN, SECOND-CLASS CITIZEN MAKING, NOT NICE, PURPOSEFULLY HATEFUL, UNNECESSARY AMENDMENT!!!!

I stayed up until 2:30am the night of the election just to hear the outcome of this vote.  When I heard we won I wanted to climb to the top of my building and scream into those conservative ears...."WE DID IT, YOUR HATE DID NOT CONQUER LOVE!" and to those that helped with the events I organized and those that voted no "WE DID IT, YOUR VOTE DID COUNT, THOSE HANDFUL OF HOURS YOU HELPED MAKE PHONE CALLS DID COUNT, THE CONVERSATIONS YOU HAD WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS DID COUNT, THOSE COUPLE HOURS OUT IN THE COLD RALLYING DID COUNT! YOU DID IT, WE DID IT, MINNESOTA DID IT!!!!

There is no way for me to describe the pride I have for my state and for all those that took time to volunteer for MN United.  I still wear my Vote NO sticker on my jacket and it will be there until it wears off.  Yes, I get people that still comment negatively on it....but guess what?  They can't say much, because WE WON!!!!

There isn't much else to say except that this is a step in the right direction, we still have some big changes to make.  Same sex marriage is still not legal in Minnesota.  I will continue my fight forward to equality for all!  I can't wait for the next chapter of our nations history to start and I'm going to be right there when it does.

I leave you with photos of the efforts we made here in small-town Minnesota.

Minneapolis/St. Paul Pride 2012 - How I got involved with MN United

Fargo/Moorhead Pride 2012

Fargo/Moorhead Pride 2012

Phone bank in Garfield

Rally in Alexandria

Get Out the Vote at U of M, Morris

MN United Update

It's been a long time since I posted, but for good reason....I've been busy with Fall harvest, designing quilt patterns, and of course, volunteering for MN United.  As of today the polls are showing that we are neck and neck with the supporters of the marriage amendment.  It's nerve wrecking knowing that the vote will be SO close!  As long as we can keep the Yes's under 50% we will be the first state to defeat such an amendment!  I'm so proud to be a Minnesotan...and yes, I'm going to say that before the vote because I believe that we will defeat this amendment!

This vote (and others in other states) is just a step in the right direction...our country has a long way to go to obtain full equality for all citizens.  I will never stop fighting.  A lot of people ask why I'm SO involved as a straight person.  My answer: I do this for my friends.  I would never stand by while someone physically hurt my friend, I wouldn't keep my mouth shut if someone was verbally berating my friend, I would never expect to receive any special treatment because I'm different (some of the haters would say "better") than my friends...so why would I stand by while my friends' rights are being denied?  I want to leave behind a legacy to be proud of....I want to be part of change.

The fight against the MN marriage amendment is almost over with only 6 days till the election.  No matter what happens we still have a responsibility to our fellow humans to fight for equality.  How?  Check out the links below for ways that you can help (these are just a few of the hundreds of groups you can help):

Human Rights Campaign - http://www.hrc.org/
The Ally Coalition - http://www.theallycoalition.org/
Amnesty International - http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/issues/lgbt-rights
Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays - http://community.pflag.org/Page.aspx?pid=194&srcid=-2

P.S.  I JUST joined the Ally Coalition.  If you don't know what it is, please click the link above!