National Equality March, DC

After a few weeks of thinking about it, I decided yesterday afternoon that I will indeed attend the Equality March in Washington DC. I drove a van of fellow students from Pratt Institute in 1993 for the March on Washington, and the last display of the entire AIDS Memorial Quilt in 1996. I figure now would be a nice time to return. So, I will be Bolt bussing it up to DC on Friday at 8:30am and returning Monday afternoon. That should make for a nice weekend getaway. Pics and stories upon my return. maybe.

White Knot at Levi's

Visit White Knot, and understand why everyone should have the right to tie the knot.

Starting this week, you'll find White Knots on mannequins in the Levi's Stores in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Stop in and let Levi's know you support marriage equality. Here in New York, the Times Square, 14th street, SOHO and the Lexington Levi stores are participating. Thank You Levi's~!

Big sunDAY

The International Day Against Homophobia, held on May 17 every year, is a rallying event offering an opportunity for people to get together and reach out to one another.


Today was also our AIDS Walk benefiting GMHC.

and

Broadway Impact is sponsoring the Marriage Equality Rally "Action=Equality" at 5PM in Times Square.


UPDATE: I just returned from the rally. It was just great,, I arrived as the cast of "HAIR" took stage to sing "Aquarius, Let the Sunshine In". Others who spoke were Cynthia Nixon of "Sex in the City", Senator Tom Duane, our mayor Michael Bloomberg, other various actors and there was music, singing and a lot of pep talk about phoning and writing our Senators and letting them know how we support marriage Equality. Go to Broadway Impact and follow the three easy steps.

MARRIAGE EQUALITY RALLY THIS SUNDAY
Rally to Be Held In Midtown Manhattan
Sunday, May 17, 5-7pm
Corner of 6th Ave and 45th Street

Stars of Broadway and Television will come out to perform and rally in support of love, peace and marriage equality. Please join us from 5:00pm - 7:00pm ET on Sixth Avenue at 44th street in Manhattan as we let the sunshine in with Broadway Impact.

Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon, stars of HBO's Sex and the City, are set to appear at the rally along with Tony winner and Frasier star David Hyde Pierce. Audra McDonald, four-time Tony winner and star of ABC's Private Practice will lend her voice and presence to the cause. Cheyenne Jackson, star of Broadway hits such as All Shook Up and Xanadu, and guest star on television's Ugly Betty, will be singing and speaking out on the issue.

Broadway Impact is a grassroots organization of the Theatre community mobilizing in support of marriage equality. Action = Equality.

Patterson Proposes Marriage

New York Governor David Patterson Announces Bill To Legalize Gay Marriage
"This is a civil rights issue," Paterson said from the news conference at his office on Manhattan's East Side. "For too long, gay and lesbian New Yorkers, we have pretended that we have the same rights as their neighbors and their friends. For too long we have allowed the perception that gay and lesbian New Yorkers have the same privileges as their straight brothers and sisters or mothers and fathers. That is not the case."


New York is now officially up to bat for Marriage Equality. Marriage is a civil right and will eventually be the law across the land for everyone. So, I'm wondering if our statistics as same sex couples will be the same as our heterosexual counterparts.

Although an urban myth, I like to think that 50% of marriages end in divorce. I'm sure that means another 10% would like to to get divorced but stay together for whatever reason; the kids, family pressure, social or work stigma, age, or maybe they just put up with the marriage for some other benefit that outweighs actually getting divorced. So that leaves about 20% at the 'satisfied' level. Let's say, half of the satisfied folks would be considered "happily married".

I was made quite aware of the benefits of marriage when I first went to pay my taxes at age 14. The tax rate was lower for those filing "jointly" than those filing as "singles". In fact, there are well over 1300 benefits that being married provides. Certainly if you are going to buy a house together, start a family, raise kids through college, retire and take care of each other through sickness and health, one should reap these benefits and get under the legal, civil marriage umbrella.

So I was wondering, since marriage is a legal contract between two people, why should love play any part in the decision to get married? After all, you can just live together if you are in love. No need for all that red tape tying up all of your hard earned assets and savings. Let alone the 50% risk of losing half or more of it to your partner if things should go wrong.

As gays, we've been living without 'marriage' and doing quite well for a very long time. There is only a small percentage of us in long term relationships where our assets are intertwined such that it would warrant marriage. For those in that kind of a relationship, the option for civil marriage is our right and should be a choice we're allowed to make.

So my fellow gays, if you are in love take it as far and as long as it will go. But to get married because you are in love? Think twice. People change, life moves us in different directions. Marriage as an institution has not proved itself to be a good option just for the reason of 'love'. There needs to be more of a reason than that. Like if those 1300 benefits would secure the temporal assests of your relationship. Then by all means get married and take advantage of your new rights. ..and may you truly live happily ever after.