We will not be watching the Red Wings this afternoon. Actually, we have to get ready to leave soon. We were going to skip the New York City Rally for Marriage Equality today--the speakers sound incredibly boring to us, she doesn't care for crowds, we wanted to watch the game, we didn't want to go to Manhattan on a Sunday. (It's enough that we work in Manhattan.) But given the events involving other Russian LGBTs in Moscow yesterday, L'Ailee feels that she would be remiss if she didn't attend this rally. "Do you want to go?" she pleaded.
"Babydoll, I'll go wherever you want."
"I have to do this," she almost whispered. "I *can*, so I have to. I can do nothing for Russia, but I can do this for us." Of course.
It almost seems trivial. We probably won't get arrested or beaten up tonight. Our concerns are getting there and back, not falling asleep at the "entertainment," and getting hockey scores on our cell phones. Our response to homophobia lately has been to roll our eyes and say "Oh, iiiicccckkkk" to the likes of Miss California, not to pack up the bare necessities and go into hiding. We are supporting a politician, Governor David Paterson, who is supporting us. But I am convinced that any attempt to bring more happiness and/or freedom to one's part of the world leads to a slightly happier and freer world in general.
We got ours--we're legal. But it would have been so much better to get married in a place that we know instead of a state we'd only ever visited for the purpose of getting married. Besides, it's not just about getting ours. We'd like others to be able to have theirs, too. We're so grateful we can try.
6 comments:
It *is* easy to forget that the rest of the world isn't NYC, Atlanta or LA. Hell, the rest of the world isn't even the US ~ and I know people here who aren't out because they have legitimate fears for their safety should they come out. This was a good wake up for all of us, I think. It's more than marriage for so many. I'm just sorry about the cost of the wake up.
IMO, the only thing that takes my top list is chocolate.
;)
I used to get an e-mail when you updated...today I get a shock and find pages of them!
I was cheering with tears in my eyes the other night when Tony pulled out in front for the final time...yesterday I was sitting with them streaming down both cheeks with my fingers crossed as a Petty blue #43 bumped into the field at Indy. Quite a weekend!
I thought of the two of you when I heard what happened the other day, never thinking there would be a rally here! I'm glad you can go; shake a fist for me, please?
alan
I hear you! (concerning marriage) We're hoping for a big celebration rally on thursday. The buzz is the Cal.Sup.Court will be making their ruling that day on Prop 8. Crossing my fingers.
thanks for working for all us gals -- to have ours someday!
This protest was perfectly timed before the Eurovision Song Contest to be held in Moscow. For those folks who are not familiar, it is one gay, rollicking, campy song after another and has a world wide viewership which easily rivals the Super Bowl. Here in Germany the gay clubs all have it showing and everybody joins in on the fun.
At the start of the broadcast the German announcers talked about the protest from earlier in the day. The general feel was that the Russian police over-reacted and got violent with non-violent protesters for no reason.
The announcers even went on to point out that being gay hasn't been a crime in Russia since 1993, and was removed from a list of psychological diseases in 1999.
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