Last night, I found myself standing alone in a dark parking lot for two hours.
I was holding a sign in my hand. And a hope and a prayer in my heart that some day this country would treat me as an equal citizen.
I volunteered with Marriage Equality Rhode Island, as last night was the primary for November’s elections. I offered to do whatever was needed most – and that meant holding a sign for a pro-equality candidate in a rural town not far from my home.
In the two hours that I stood in the parking lot, alone under a street light, 20 or 30 cars parked at the nearby voting center. The reality of the situation started to sink in: Of those 20 or 30 people, how many minds could I hope to change with a candidate’s campaign sign? One – maybe? Two hours for one vote. One vote out of thousands. One candidate in a crowded race in a crowded political theater with so many important issues. I found it a little heart-wrenching.
I even let myself get angry. I was angry that it’s come down to this – that I need to stand alone in a cold, dark parking lot so that I can maybe get what so many others already have. I just want a seat a the table. I just want to be able to marry the person that I love.
I’m no stranger to the equality movement; I spent 30 months of my life working for Family Equality Council doing online marketing and communications. But I’ve never really been on the ground or involved with the the grassroots, hands-on community organizing until last night. It was a very different experience – one that I’m finding very difficult to describe emotionally.
Unnerving, to say the least.
September 16, 2010 at 4:43 pm
How do you know those Bishops are homosexuals are you sleeping with them..or just taking their money?
September 16, 2010 at 5:44 pm
You need to find a busier parking lot next time. If you’re gonna do something, go all out.
September 16, 2010 at 6:13 pm
Davey,
I applaud you. Granted, I’ve been applauding your for a long time … although his recent post about taking a stand (literally) for marriage equality and getting “unnerved” has me thinking: I’d love for you to join my team, if even for a day or two, on our HIKE FOR EQUALITY in April-September of 2011.
Or if any of you reading this feels inspired by our mission, please contact us. Obviously, friends of Davey’s are friends of mine!
Check it out, friends!
http://www.hikeforequality.com
(We’re on Facebook, too!)
Davey and all of you … we’re in this together! Let’s tell inequality to TAKE A HIKE!
Love,
Marc
September 16, 2010 at 11:29 pm
Belgium’s immigration standards are strict. My grandfather had Belgian citizenship and they won’t even let me move there.
September 16, 2010 at 11:50 pm
Your analogy has a flaw. The church doesn’t prohibit marriages to same-sex couples because they are “sinners”. Adulterers can marry and so can murderers, rapists. If a gay man wanted to marry a lesbian woman the church would marry them.
The church prohibits marriages to same sex couples because they define marriage as ‘the union of one man and one woman’. In their view, based upon scripture, the union of two men or two women doesn’t constitute a marriage.
They don’t prohibit gays from marrying because they hate us. Certainly some of them hate us or revile us but, at least from the Catholic and Anglican churches, they prohibit it because it doesn’t jive with their values. The church will likely never condone things like theft or premarital sex either but it doesn’t mean they hate thieves or sluts. They just don’t approve.
September 18, 2010 at 9:22 pm
No. It’s called constructive criticism.
September 19, 2010 at 12:38 pm
keep pressing on-seems things change slowly and they can be dissapointing-but they will get better.few yrs ago was at Henry Ford Museum in Michigan-toured Rosa Parks bus-the tour operator made an important statement about civil rights-yes there still is a need to carry on-stressing the need for l/g/b/t rights.some people get it.lets be the change we want to see-thanks-DW.
September 27, 2010 at 9:09 pm
Hi Dave, i truly respect the things you do and hopefully change the view of the society. For that i say ‘You’re a Star’.
As for “I just want to be able to marry the person that I love.” I question that statement maybe cos you are still young. Why do you need a piece of paper to prove your love. That paper doesn’t mean anything. The writing of the paper will fade… and so can love. So love like you will never see tomorrow. Live and love for now.
September 28, 2010 at 7:36 am
Mike O,
Thank you for your posting which attempts to give some reality to this blog. It must be difficult for Davey W to be so movie star-ish so often.
Why is his experience do unique than everyone elses?
I live in Massachusetts and we fought hard for marriage equality (more than 2 hours in a parking lot).
I appreciate your perspective on this subject and wish this blog represented a more authentic experience of being gay in the trenches and not necessarily on one’s knees humming show tunes.