Publisher's Letter: Fighting For Our Families and Engaging Our Kids

by Laura Matanah

I wish that Minnesota, my state, wasn’t going to vote on a constitutional amendment to ban same sex marriage in the next major election, in 2012. I wish that my kids weren’t going to have to hear hate spewed across the airwaves for the next year and a half. But, sadly, they are and we must respond.

We tried to stop it from coming to this. We called our legislators and wrote letters to the editor. We talked to the kids about what was happening, and Da’Jon made the excellent point that the constitution should protect people’s rights, not take them away. Tajah incorporated this into a beautiful letter, which I’ll reprint here.

“I don’t understand why people think [LGBT] couples not getting married is something we can vote on. What if the whole state of Minnesota said only half of us were allowed to eat chocolate? Is that fair? No. So open your eyes and hearts. There are lots of people affected by this, and I am one of them. I have two moms and they are the coolest people you will ever meet. They are just like any straight couple: they have jobs, and friends, and family. This is total discrimination against us.

“If you don’t want [LGBT] marriage, then marry the opposite sex. Who other people marry is not your choice at all. The constitution is to protect people not take people’s rights away. Before you do something, think, because it is not all about you.”

To some degree, when people decide to vote on our families’ rights, we’re all involved whether we like it or not. It’s important that our kids hear from us about it. If they don’t, they’ll hear about it from others, and end up confused or scared.

I also went to the Capitol to demonstrate with two friends and their 12-year-old daughter. As we were leaving, the daughter said, “I’m never doing that again.” It got me thinking about the process of involving our kids and teens. I think it’s helpful to give kids a range of ways that they could choose to be involved, from simply talking about the issues at home to writing letters or visiting legislators. I also think it’s good for kids (and grown-ups too) to pay attention to the small steps, and small victories. Helping to change the mind of one legislator is powerful. Hearing our allies defend our families is too.

We’d love to hear from you and your kids about the kinds of ways you’ve chosen to get involved in politics where you live. To share your story, visit the Rainbow Rumpus Facebook page.