Basking in the sunshine of a late Spring day in New Hope, PA (think Key West on the Delaware River) today, I came to support Gay Pride. I have long believed that love is love is love and that relationships are about the person, not the plumbing. Although events were going on throughout the week, the culmination was a parade that meandered, marched, drummed, sang, danced, strutted, shimmied and posed its way down the main thoroughfare of this Bucks County, PA community that has long embraced Gay rights. Rainbow flag stickers are in many store windows, and this week, a huge rainbow banner was hung from the roof of the Starbucks in town. I saw friends from the overlapping soul circles of my life and we laughed and hugged in greeting. One was a college friend I hadn’t seen in a few years but whose name was hanging in the air no more than an hour before we ran into each other. She lives nearby, but amidst the thousands of people milling around, what were the chances? Only 100% apparently.
One of the things that impressed me most were that some of the folks gathered to watch and march were children. How cool is it that their parents brought them there to witness love in action? Imagine if you had grown up with acceptance for the many and varied ways family can look. How would your attitudes have been shaped? What was also fun was that as we were taking pictures of those in the parade, some of them were snapping shots of us.
Last week, a landmark statement by President Obama changed the course for acceptance of same sex marriage. I was astounded that there wasn’t more of a pushback by those for whom hate looms large. I have always known that love trumps hate, so it is delightful to see and hear the reaction of most people with whom I have discussed the issue. When anyone has a thought of opposing it, I have used the idea of heteorsexual privelege and set up a scenario…
What if everything they saw and heard from the media was all about same sex couples? How about if only same sex couples were permitted to make health care decisions for their partner or heterosexual couples were banned from being covered under their spouse’s insurance plan? Imagine if only Gay people could adopt children and straight people were banned from becoming parents? What would it be like to have to keep your lover undercover or risk being stay gbred at if you were seen holding hands on the street? How about if you were fearful of being outed as ‘one of those’ people? Think about what it would be like to be in fear for your safety if people with hate in their hearts harmed or killed you or someone close to you because they or you chose to be in relationship with someone of the opposite sex? It makes for lively discussion with alot of “Hmmm… I never thought about it that way.”
I grew up in the 1960’s and 70’s in an era when bi-racial couples were looked upon with the same venom and visciouness that same sex couples are at times these days and now, for many, it is simply a non-issue. Why should it matter anyway? The silly thing is that when people think about hetro folks doing ‘normal couple stuff’, they consider shopping, cleaning, cooking, mowing the lawn, paying the bills, raising the kids. With Gay couples…what comes to mind? Why should sex be any more sensationalized or the focus of attention?
May the day come when people can freely stand on the side of love regardless of the gender of their partner or configuration of their family.
http://youtu.be/hv1-arw9TYcLove Makes A Family by David and Jenny Heitler-Klevans
Rev. Edie Weinstein, MSW, LSW is a Renaissance Woman and Bliss Mistress who delights in inviting people to live rich, full, juicy lives. Edie is an internationally recognized, sought after, colorfully creative journalist, interviewer and author, a dynamic and inspiring speaker, licensed social worker, interfaith minister, offering uniquely designed spiritual rituals. In addition, she is a PR Goddess, promoting events and transformational teachers, healers, writers and artists. She speaks on the subjects of wellness, spirituality, sexuality, creativity, time management, recovery, body image, mindfulness, self esteem, stress management, re-creating yourself, caring for the caregiver, loss and grief. She is a frequent guest on radio and TV. Edie is currently writing her first best selling book entitled The Bliss Mistress Guide To Transforming the Ordinary Into The Extraordinary and is offering a workshop for women who want to re-create their lives, based on those concepts. A 20 year old journalistic vision came to pass in July of 2008 when she interviewed His Holiness The Dalai Lama. It was a potent reminder to never, ever, ever give up on our dreams. Over the years, Edie has written for mainstream and transformational publications. She has interviewed hundred of notables in the transformational fields, including Wayne Dyer, Marianne Williamson, Debbie Ford, Leonard Peltier, Shirley MacLaine, Michael Beckwith, Jonathan Goldman, Gregg Braden, Neale Donald Walsch, Mary Manin Morrissey, Dan Millman, Alan Cohen, Ram Dass, Jack Canfield, Jean Shinoda Bolen, Patch Adams, Ben and Jerry, Donna DeLory, James Twyman, Elizabeth Lesser, Michael Franti and Jean Houston. Her website is http://www.liveinjoy.org
Read more by Edie Weinstein:
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Written by Edie Weinstein
Edie Weinstein, MSW, LSW (Bliss Mistress) is a colorfully creative journalist and interviewer, internationally known transformational speaker, licensed social worker, interfaith minister, Bliss coach and the author of The Bliss Mistress Guide To Transforming The Ordinary Into The Extraordinary. Over the past 25 years, she has interviewed such notables as Jack Canfield, Marianne Williamson,Dan Millman, Shirley MacLaine, Ram Dass, Ben & Jerry and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. She is a regular contributor to Beliefnet, Elephant Journal, Wisdom Magazine, The Whirling Blog, Identity Magazine and Bellesprit.
