This year will mark 13 years of “marriage” for my partner and me. I put the quotes in there because, technically, in the eyes of the state of California and all the others, except for my beloved Massachusetts, we are less than married. At least in California, our commitment is recognized by the Domestic Partnership Bill. As such, my partner is recognized as the legal parent of both of our children. I am covered under her insurance policy, and we can, should we choose to, file our taxes jointly. Regardless, we still have gone through extreme measures to plan and strategize our estate planning, and health care directives because you just never know. Should we ever move out of the enlightened state of California, our choices for a new home location will be limited. Mind you, I like the choices – New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Oregon are fine states. However, the fact remains, that in the land of the free – my family is restricted as to where we can live safely and securely, with the assurance that our family unit will be recognized and respected by the social services, hospitals, and government offices. As my son’s teachers say, “Boys and girls, that’s unacceptable.”
And so, in this election year we need to make sure that whoever we bring to office locally, state, or federal office – will be someone who will support the Freedom to Marry for All people, not just some people.
