In the wake of the Supreme Court’s June 26 ruling in Lawrence vs. Texas that same-sex relationships are worthy of the same respect and dignity as heterosexual relationships, the two of us felt not only joy and relief, but also a daunting sense that we’re not out of the woods just yet.
As a gay couple, we face the relentless reality that we still can’t get married (we can’t even register as domestic partners), we can’t make important monetary and life decisions for each other without expensive legal documentation, and only one of us qualifies for health insurance provided through the University of Pittsburgh.
Short of moving to Canada, the next closest way to obtain many of the legal protections and benefits enjoyed by married couples would be to move to Vermont. In April 2000, Vermont Gov. Howard Dean signed the nation’s first and only civil unions law, granting same-sex couples in Vermont all of the benefits and obligations that Vermont bestows on married couples.
Gov. Dean is now running for president, and we’re writing because we strongly believe every member of the LGBT community should consider supporting Dean as we collectively continue the effort to take back our country from right-wing extremists. We can’t rely on the Supreme Court to continue the fight for equality on our behalf. We need an ally in the While House for a change.
If, like us, you’re disgusted with the direction our country is headed, we think you’ll be inspired by Gov. Dean and impressed by his platform. We are not political organizers, but we know a good thing when we see it. That’s why we encourage you to come out and join the grassroots effort being coordinated through meetup.com.
Richard Moore
Richard Parent
