M.D. Anderson came out publicly back in 1996, and has been
OUTSpoken on human rights issues ever since. We came across this
guest post that Anderson wrote regarding LGBTQ families on the
Visible Vote ’08 blog (on the logo website) and
wanted to share it with you.
I first voted in a Presidential election in 1980, the year that
Ronald Reagan dragged the Moral Majority into Washington on his
long coattails.
Since then, anyone who does not belong to a two-parent, non-gay,
child-bearing family has been vilified by The Right.
They have co-opted the family as their issue. They call their
crusade a fight for Family Values and yet they represent only a
fraction of the real families in America.
In this election cycle, I would like to see Barack, Hillary, John
and the rest of the Democratic field get back into the fight for
all American families. I want them to acknowledge that in 2007 we
are not all in two-parent, non-gay, child-bearing families.
They need to speak for the single parents who are trying to earn a
living; secure health insurance for their children; buy into the
American dream by owning a home; and get a decent public education
that relies on academic thought and not fanaticism.
They need to speak for the families of immigrants, with and without
papers, who came to this country in search of a better life, many
of whom do the work that other Americans won’t. These are
families that need a voice as much as anyone else.
And yes, they need to speak for and fight for the millions of
families like mine – two guys and a cat.
We are the forgotten families. We are getting up each day, going to
work, creating jobs, giving back to the community and living kind
and gentle lives – yet our government, whom we pay to work for us,
barely acknowledges our existence and our unequal rights, let alone
our worth.
I happen to live on a very blue island in a very red sea. My
day-to-day existence is one of acceptance, honor and love. My
partner and I, and our cat Elmo, are lucky that our lives are
supported by our family, friends and community.
And yet, we are not protected by law. The list of “what straight
people can do that we can’t” is too long. The inequities of
GLBTQ families must be addressed on a national level by the
President of the United States. He or she cannot hide behind the
argument that the states should decide these issues. After all,
this is not the lottery or the sales tax. This is about people’s
lives.
GLBTQ families are denied access to the full benefits of American
life that we pay for just like anyone else. The next President
needs to bring all families into the American dream – because we
all really do matter.