LOUD AND PROUD

I've had an interesting week and it's really inspired me to get more involved in this fight for equality on a local level. The federal government, more or less, has left it up to the states to decide their own laws dealing with same sex marriage, so if anything is going to change it's got to start at a local level and grow from there.That's where YOU come in. Get involved in any way you can. It doesn't have to be grandiose, something as simple as collecting items for your local LGBT shelter can be a huge help. An even easier way to get involved is this: use your mouth. Don't be a closeted supporter. Speak up and speak out for equal rights and marriage equality. 

It's no small secret that I love tattoos. I have eight of them covering my arms, ribs, hip, and chest. I went into my tattoo shop on Labor Day to get a piece touched up. While I was in there I asked my artist to quote me a price on my next piece I wanted done: the equality symbol. 

I got it inked that day on my left arm. I wanted it someplace where it would be very visible. You see, while I am a very avid supporter of gay rights, I hadn't been very vocal about it up until that point. I've had it for about two weeks now and I love it. I was very surprised by the number of people that asked me about it. What is it? What does it stand for? It has unintentionally become a very good conversation starter for me to talk to other people about the importance of supporting equality and being on the right side of history, whether they're straight or not. I'm not saying everyone should go out and tattoo the equality symbol on their body. I realize that's not for everyone, but my point is this:  there are so many ways to get involved in this fight besides donating money or time. Not to say that those two things aren't also great ways, because they are. Most shelters are non-profit and run off of donations so every little thing you can give them, whether it be your time or money, is greatly appreciated.

I started searching this week for a shelter or organization to get involved with and was very frustrated to find out that the nearest one to me is nearly 4 hours on the opposite side of the state. I live in North Carolina, a state where same sex marriage is illegal thanks to Amendment 1 to our state constitution. I'm using this as an example of how to get involved. I'm currently looking into the process to over-turn or throw out an amendment. I want to be a part of the movement that changes things here in NC. 

There are currently 13 states, several counties in NM, and the District of Columbia that recognize same sex marriages for what they are: legitimate.

That's great progress, but I'm not satisfied with it and won't be until all 50 states and every territory of this country recognize same sex marriage. That's where you come in. Do everything you can to change things and better your community. Get involved. Speak out in defense of those whose maybe aren't strong enough to speak up for themselves. Studies suggest that 1 in 10 people in the USA identify as LGBT (NOTE: some studies suggest this number is closer to 1 in 20 people). That is approximately 31.6 million people, in this country alone (This is merely my estimate). Then when you get to digging deeper and realize that 20% of this nations homeless population is LGBT with many of these being young people, it's troubling to say the least. 


I'm sure most of you can recall reciting the Pledge of Allegiance as a kid. "Liberty and Justice for all" is a phrase that lawmakers need to keep in mind when discussing legislation limiting our rights as gay Americans. It doesn't say liberty and justice for those that live a certain way or abide by a certain creed. No, it says FOR ALL because it was meant to be inclusive of every citizen, no matter their color, religion, or sexual orientation. And that's something I think a lot of so called Christians need to keep in mind. This fight for our rights is NOT an attack on their religion or on Christianity. It's a legal battle for our rights as citizens of this country. This nation was founded on the principle of religious freedom, that the government could not and would not impose any one specific religion on it's people. Religion has no place in law making, plain and simple. The right wing conservatives and Christians who oppose same sex marriage on the basis of their religious beliefs have no foot to stand on in this argument. Yes, they are free to believe as they wish, but they do NOT have the right to take away my freedoms because they perceive them to be wrong. That's not freedom of religion, that's tyranny. 

My apologies for this long post, and thank you if you've made it this far! The best way to sum all that up is this: GET INVOLVED. If you have anything to add, leave it in the comments below. Thanks for reading and I'll see you guys next week.

~Jordan