OutFront

#256 - To Learn - I knew same sex marriage was illegal in MN, but I didn't know the specifics and that same sex couples that marry elsewhere will not be recognized here.

#257 - There were a few things today that really touched me. I felt a snippet of what it must feel like to be told your whole life that your love/relationships are less then other people's, and then (in the case of being married in Canada etc.) to be acknowledged by the state and therefore Be Affirmed and Seen For Who You Are

#258 - Also something I never thought about before...my brother recently married a Japanese woman. It was a lot of paperwork, and I know it was pretty hard for them living in opposite sides of the world, but now they can live in the same country and share their lives/love. If he was gay and had fallen in love with a man from Japan. Then what?

#259 - My Best Lobby Day - I've never lobbied on this issue before. It is one of a zillion things I care about, and I happened to be at an event last week where the woman organizing it was...and I was truly curious how my rep and senator feel about the issue because I didn't know... so I signed up. I did know they were supportive of comprehensive sex ed and safe schools for all, which were two of the three things we lobbied on, but I didn't know their stance on marriage equality.

I was happily surprised to find that my Representative said it made sense to protect families... My Senator on the other hand....Ok here is the cool thing. Almost always (it seems) when you lobby you are not really influencing you are mostly supplying information (because they are expected to know everything and they obviously can't), and telling them what is important to you. But it's not that your legislators are going to change their opinion because of your conversation. However, this was not the case with my senator. She was comfortable with civil unions, but not quite at marriage yet. And so I got to simply listen to her talk through the process she is walking on this issue. And I genuinely felt that she was in a place of consideration uncertainty, and openness and that my gentle support and smile would be one of the many nudges that might put her in the equality direction!

#260 - On a lighter note... I wore shirts both yesterday and today that I thought, "I will never wear this," when I bought them. But it was the thrift store and only $2-3 and I felt drawn to them...so they did end up in my closet. Today and yesterday I wore them and it felt wonderful because they were different than who I usually am and they felt right.