When Tragedy Strikes, and You Have No Rights

May 14, 2012 in Current Affairs, Human Rights, News, Politics, Sexuality

What if tragedy struck the one you loved? And what if, when it did, you had no legal rights? No right to know what happened, no right to attend the funeral, to take the body, to bury it where you saw fit. No rights to make decisions, no rights to their belongings. No rights at all.

This happens, you know, it happens to same sex couples because they are not legally recognised to have the same rights as opposite sex couples.

This is why marriage equality is a must. This is why we have to step up to the plate. I’m sick of the excuses and I’m sick of continuing to fight for this. If you’re not in favour of same sex marriage, just don’t marry someone of the same sex! It’s not that complicated.

As Obama said “For something to be against the law it must violate some principle accessible to those of all faiths, including those with no faith at all”. Well, you know what? This doesn’t violate some principle accessible to all faiths. It doesn’t even violate a principle accessible to my faith – I believe in God, I was raised one of the most conservative Christian denominations out there, and I am standing before you right now telling you that God does not make mistakes. God did not make some people inequal to others, not by the colour of their skin, their gender or their sexuality.

In the words of Cynthia Nixon “Gay people who want to marry have no desire to redefine marriage in any way. When women got the vote, they did not redefine voting. When African Americans got the right to sit at a lunch counter beside white people, they did not redefine eating out. They were simply invited to the table.”

Shane posted this video with this message:

“It has been said that sharing personal stories is one of the most effective ways to change people’s hearts and minds. This is my story and I hope you are inspired to share it with others.”

This video has gone viral in the past week, and at the time of writing this has been viewed over 2 million times. Even though you might have already seen it, you might not and it is for that reason I have decided to share it. For those of you who haven’t yet heard this message, who haven’t been touched by it. Please watch, share, and let’s continue to spread this message.

Author Info

Tamsin Howse has written 179 posts.
Tamsin is a wife, stepmother and blogger with a passion for people and relationships, fashion and beauty, and an inability to successfully complete household tasks. Co-founder and Editor-in-chief of KiKi & Tea.
Follow on twitter: @TamsinHowse
Website: http://kikiandtea.com

4 Comments »

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Rose Russo

T, you know how close this issue is to my heart.

And I was so proud to stand beside you at the Marriage equality rally.

x
Michelle

That is such a moving video! I’m glad he’s shared his story.

You know I’m 100% behind this cause already
Rose Russo

I thought I’d added my reply on MM here as it’s relevant x

I’m a bisexual woman. A year ago I ended my relationship with my partner for many reasons, some were my fault and some were hers – like any relationship.

One of the things that broke my heart after the six years that we spent together was that she could not tell her family. I blamed her for this. After some time I have a bit more perspective and I’m mostly just saddened that we live in a world where people can’t be honest about who they love.

We travelled together, bought a puppy together, spent nearly every waking hour with each other yet the shame she felt was like nothing I could understand. She was just too frightened that her family would cut off all communication with her.

My family and friends welcomed her with open arms and that was their luck as she is a beautiful woman. I was merely known as the “friend” and I always had to be on my best behaviour at their house (she lived at home) so I couldn’t be affectionate with her or just tell her I loved her, all things that come naturally to me, because she couldn’t handle her family finding out the truth.

I’m sure they knew the truth to some extent, or perhaps they didn’t.

It’s been nearly a year since I’ve seen her face. I think about her constantly but it’s just too painful to be in her life. I don’t even know if she’d want to see me but it’s stories like this that make me stop and think – enough is enough it’s time for change.

While I’m sure I would never be banned from her funeral or chased down the road with a gun, I have felt those eyes on me from parents who have blamed me for their daughters homosexuality.

Love is love. People need to open up their hearts a little more and be more understanding. Life is tough for gay, lesbian, bisexual people. It’s even tougher when you feel ashamed to come out. Marriage equality is an issue very close to my heart. I just hope that it happens in my lifetime. I will cry tears of joy when it does.
Claire Wallace

Thanks for continuing to draw attention to this. I wholeheartedly agree. And I absolutely love Cynthis Nixon’s quote!

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