Where do I want to live?

Where to I want to live when I grow up? When I am of legal age to marry?……

Where do I want to live when I grow up? When I am of legal age and have found my life partner? The woman of my dreams, the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with? My wife, where should we plant our roots and start a family? As a lesbian that is a hard question.

I’d love to say sunny California. Unfortunately, marriage of same sex partners in California is still illegal. It is illegal to marry the person you love with all your heart if by chance you are of the same gender. In 49 of our 50 states same sex marriages are still illegal. Massachusetts is the only state in the United States that recognized same sex marriage. Should all the gays move to Mass. Just to get married? Being married in Mass. doesn’t give you any rights in any of the other 49 states, as soon as you cross the state line, you might as well of never taken the time or effort to get married. All your rights are stripped away. Sad as it may seem, it is the truth. 

So, I ask again, where can I live and have my same sex marriage recognized 100% equally as the traditional heterosexual marriages? Four countries: Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Spain. South Africa looks as though it’ll be the 5th country to jump on board the marriage equality for all bandwagon. Each of these countries also recognizes marriages preformed in other countries. Seems as though the road to equality is less traveled but it is getting better.

Many couples are visiting and defecting to these countries for the equality and validity of their lives and their relationships. They are taking advantage of these rights and starting their lives as real married couples in foreign countries. I mean if they can find marriage equality imagine the acceptance of the LGBT community in these countries. In Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, and Spain, it appears as though gays are the same as anyone else-basic humans who deserve basic human rights. There is no distinction between sexual orientation. Marriage is marriage regardless of genders involved. 

America needs to step up to the plate. The United States is supposed to be the land of opportunity, a place to persue happiness, liberty, equality for all. And still, still it is against the law to marry a partner of the same sex. We are falling behind in the human rights campaign. We need to take a look at the other 5 countries and take a lesson from them. Non-gender specific marriage is the only way to go.  Come on America, catch up. I don’t want to have to move to a foreign country just to have my marriage rights. To have the equality for the family I chose to build. Marriage Equality for all is the only way to go.

                                                                                    Becki Jones
                                                                        [email protected]

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