I wondered what could I possibly write about in 500 words that could be anything of interest to the readers of Epochalips. Then I thought…I am one of the readers. Why not write what is important to me in the life of the LGBT community? The first thing to come to me was the issue of gay marriage. First let me say we don’t call it heterosexual marriage, so why do we call it gay marriage? Marriage is marriage…why must everything have a label put on it?

In recent weeks I have watched as more states are allowing all marriages. What a great step for all those who have found the person they want to spend their life with and raise families. For decades I have allowed this one thing to hinder my chances at finding that someone. Why, do you ask? Because I am old-fashioned and to give the one I love everything I have to give would be to give them my hand in marriage.

I spent ten years in the military serving a country that said I was not allowed the same rights I fought for others to have. I have heard all the reasons why gay marriage will destroy the sanctity of marriage. Gay couples can’t have children the natural way God intended. Then any couple that can’t have children the natural way shouldn’t consider medical help or adoption. So I should tell my sister and her husband to stop any medical treatments they are using to try to have children because it will destroy the sanctity of their marriage. Let’s not take into consideration that they are two amazing people who have more love for ten kids then some people have for one. And don’t get me started on the percentages of heterosexual couples who have had affairs and multiple marriages. I have witnessed those percentages personally. Four sisters and six husbands later and I can’t get married because it would destroy the sanctity of marriage. Since gay couples have not been allowed to marry till recently…how are we the ones who have destroyed the sanctity of marriage? Then there is the question of the sin against God. Last I checked my God is the only one who can pass judgement on me. A sin is a sin in the eyes of the Lord.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. This declaration was made by our fore fathers in the hopes that every man, woman and child was entitled to these rights. Nowhere in this declaration did it say only if they were white, heterosexual, Christians. No, it said ALL MEN. The best thing to happen in the fight for marriage equality is when the California courts deemed it unconstitutional for anyone to be denied the right of happiness our fore fathers established. The right to marry the one you can’t live without, because without them it would not be a life.

Some say home is where the heart is…well mine has always been in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. After ten years of military service and three children later I returned home to settle and raise them. I have been to some amazing countries and seen extraordinary things, but nothing has given the memories I hold here. Every title added to my name: daughter, sister, soldier, single mom, lesbian, woman has made me the strong person I am today.