by Laurie Carlsson
You know what a voter said to me the other night during a
phone bank? “My niece is a lesbian and
she’s never once told me that marriage matters to her.” How often do we take for granted that people
know where we stand on things? We assume
that because our neighbors know that we’re a gay or lesbian couple, they must know that being able to get married
is important to us. People tell me
“everyone I know is supportive of marriage equality.” This is statistically impossible. Recent polling tells us that 30%of King County residents do not support marriage equality. How many in this 30% might be your neighbors,
your coworkers, and possibly even your friends?
Peters Consulting found an interesting statistic last year: Only 34% of voters who have never had a
conversation about marriage equality support it. In contrast, 56% of voters who have had a
discussion about marriage equality with a straight person support it. The number is increased to a whopping 69% for
voters who have had a discussion about marriage equality with an LGBT
person. The movement toward marriage
equality in Washington State is goingto be won through dialogue – conversations with the people in our lives,
whether they’re close friends, family, or strangers. We’ve heard the “journey” story over and over
in the past few years, from our Governor,
to our President,
from State Representatives,
to State Senators. People are moving toward support of marriage
equality because of conversations they’re having with the people in their
lives. You know what that means? That means that you and I and every single
proponent of equality has got to speak up and be that person who helps people
along their paths toward support of the freedom to marry for all
Washingtonians.
Whether you’re part of the LGBT community or a straight
ally, your voice is important. What
we’ve found moves people toward support is hearing the stories of others. Whether it’s the story of a lesbian coworker
and her loving partner who deserve to have their relationship recognized, or
the story of a straight Catholic ally who wasn’t always so accepting, people
need to be able to see themselves in the stories of others.
As part of the Pride Foundation “Hearts and Minds”
campaign – an effort to support those who want to reach out to the people in
their community and hold conversations around marriage equality – Legal Voice
is hosting a Familiesfor Equality workshop this Monday, August 6th from
6:00-7:30. Join us in learning how you
can be an integral part of this historic effort. It really is as easy as sharing your
story.
Laurie Carlsson is
Family Outreach Specialist at Pride Foundation.
She is currently working to support communities in their efforts to hold
open dialogue around marriage equality.
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