For the past five years, my former partner, who's on SSI for mental illness, has lived with a conservative "Christian" family in Arizona. They've tampered with his mail, gotten him to sign falsified documents, and generally use his disbabilities as a control device--all to keep him isolated from me & the gay community.
DS board member Joe Integlia knows the story--he knew Beecher & I as a couple. Nancy Kersey has also familiarized herself with the story and given me some much needed advice.
Thanks to online postings about this, my story reached the ears of Marriage Equality USA, a California based advocacy group working towards gaining LGBT marriage equality world wide--they've had sucess in Europe.
Because of their efforts, current polls indicate that Prop 8, California's gay marriage ban, would now be overturned in a general election.
Marrriage Equality USA is documenting the histories of gay relationships. They asked me to participate in their Story Project,
a series of 40 minute audio interviews that will be archived online, at the San Francisco Public Library and at the Library of Congress in Washington DC.
I did my interview today--I cannot even begin to describe how empowering this was--it took my breath away!
I was hugged by several people after it's conclusion--my story is not your typical happy ending love story, but it does illustrate why gay couples need the legal protections of marriage.
It went so well, they asked me to share the story again as part of their Loving Quilt Project.
Details of the Quilt Project here:
www.marriageequality.org/quiltI'm also talking to them about doing public speaking at their events.
Well, maybe my story, with it's sad ending, can do some good for others.
Today, I feel like Jack screaming "I'm King of the World" in Titanic!!