Today is Election Day in the Texas and Love is on the ballot. If you are opposed to Love, then vote yes for Amendment 2. If you are opposed to Family Values that include all Texas Families, vote yes on Amendment 2. If you believe that Bigotry and Intolerance should be written into the Texas Bill of Rights, vote yes on Amendment 2.
As a human being that believes in Equality for all People, I am asking you to VOTE NO on Amendment 2. This is Amendment is about Bigotry and Hatred and has no place in the Texas Bill of Rights. It does nothing to protect families and will only harm them. I could go into all the legal questions it brings up but you can read that on many different web sites. Instead I will tell you some personal stories to help you see why this is wrong.
When my Lover got sick, a lawyer friend helped me draw up all the paper work he thought we would need to protect ourselves, for me to be able to make medical decisions and dispose of Don’s remains when he died. He explained that if I had paid for the services the bill would have run about 5,000 dollars. This was 5 years ago. He then went on to explain that we needed to stay in a major city because most hospitals would honor the paper work. He gave me his cell phone number; office emergency line and home number just in case something happened when we were traveling. He explained that some hospitals with conservative administrations could still try and block me from the intensive care unit and might not be willing to follow my orders even though I had medical power of attorney. I was advised to have a copy of the paper work with me at all times. I had a copy in the house, my desk at work and also in the trunk of my car. There was no house or investments to protect. All of this paper work was needed so Don could die with dignity and I could be by his side.
Luckily for Don & I, his final days were in the Phoenix area. When I walked into the hospital with all the paper work the two head nurses for intensive care said they didn’t need the paper work cause they could see the love in my eyes.
Here are some of the stories that did not work out as well. I had some friend who had been together for 25 years. When Mike died, his family fought the will that left John- his lover- the house and all his investments. They won. The jury decided that Mike and John’s Love meant nothing and that family relationships had more weight. Mike’s family who had not spoken to him in 10 years got the house and everything.
Jan and Betty had been together for 12 years when Betty was killed in a car wreck. Their two adopted children were devastated, as was Jan. Two months later, Betty’s family took the children and refused to let Jan see them. This was allowed cause only Betty’s name was on the adoption papers. Once again, the court decided that blood meant more than love.
This has happened to countless couples across the nation. I could go on with story after story of the horror and heartache caused by the courts even when couples have spent thousands on legal documents to try and protect their families. If this Amendment passes, it will add more strength to courts of hate in Texas. We need to defeat this and then start working towards Equal Rights for All Texans.
If you believe in Equal Rights, Vote NO on Amendment 2. If you believe in Families, Vote NO on Amendment 2. If you believe in Love, Vote NO on Amendment 2. Then call or email everyone you know and ask them to do the same.
