satanis7

I just got an e-mail from my uncle.

The message is below.

Please consider helping these guys out. Nothing pisses me off more than this idiot attitude that gay marriage, and the recognition of it by the government, is something that should be avoided at all costs. Legal partnerships are the first step to us all living in a better world where families can truly exist without having to hide under the radar and be robbed of benefits that they need.

Please, please, please consider helping out...


Dear Friends,
If you can, please consider making a
contribution at the link below. My dear friend Jim, who I have known
and loved since first grade, was finally able to marry his longtime
partner Eric, and together with their lovely daughter Savannah, they
make one hell of a loving, and now legal, family. To me, there is no
finer expression of "family values" on the planet.

But bigots in California put a referendum on the ballot to
delegitimize this extraordinary union, and all others like it. Please
consider taking part in one of the great human rights struggles of our
time. Please do whatever you can:

http://eqfed.org/equalityforall/fundraising/eric.steiding-695041

Thanks,

Jerry


Eric and I got married last night!

It seems like just last week that his generous and loving smile first
caught my eye, but it's been just over 19 amazing years. Today - for
the very first time - Eric, Savannah and I are a real & recognized
family in the eyes of the state we live in.

We decided to elope because we know it's a difficult time for many
people to travel, and we needed to act prior to this fall's election.
The ceremony was simple, with only Eric, Savannah and I present at the
Hollywood Wedding Chapel. Savannah was our witness. I'll be posting
a video on You Tube & Facebook later this afternoon.

I've created a link because I know that there are some folks out there
that will want to send gifts. Please don't. There is absolutely
nothing that we need other than your support and love. However
(warning - shameless use of manipulative family guilt ahead) if we
have been generous at your wedding(s), or at your children's weddings
- or graduations & such, and you feel compelled to express your
gratitude and congratulations in a monetary way - you can go to this
link and donate so that a more fare and balanced message can be
presented to the California electorate:

http://eqfed.org/equalityforall/fundraising/eric.steiding-695041

For so many years I've said that the piece of paper doesn't matter -
that a family built on love is as valid as a family built on blood or
law. I still believe that. But I cannot begin to describe what it
feels like to have that piece of paper.

Our friends, my brother Patrick and Eric's family have never made us
feel like anything but a legitimate family of equal status.
Unfortunately, large swaths of society, most states, and the federal
government (negate our important legal and healthcare issues) still
create an uphill battle for us. But we are proud of the many people
who have gone out of their way (by seeking more knowledge, looking
into their hearts, or simply getting to know someone who is different)
to make a connection.

There is much joy in our home right now. But there is fear too.
Proposition 8 will put the question of equal rights for a minority up
for a majority vote. Out of state funds are pouring in to California
to support the proposition, more than doubling the funds for those who
support equality. When we turn the TV on in the evening, we see ads
identifying our family as the downfall of American civilization.

In the last 3 months 11 thousand same sex couples have married in
California. That's more than were married in the last four years in
Massachusetts. This is not about marriage equality in California -
it's about how the democratic process recognizes growth and change in
our society. It's a slow and sometimes painful process - but this is
one of the rare opportunities to perhaps relieve some of that pain.


Thanks for the love!

Jim, Eric & Savannah Steidinger-Ward

(wow - we all have the same last name!)