Out of the Mouths of Children

In our travels across Ohio we were hosted by the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbus and the Unitarian Universalist Church of Akron. For over thirty years Unitarian Universalism has been working toward equality for gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender persons. Homophobia is against our religion and against our sense of justice.

In these churches we heard the stories by and about the children. In Akron Beverly Senkowski was welcomed by the Unitarian Universalist community where she raised four children as the non-biological mom. Life for her revolved around their needs and wants and the children grew and prospered.

Unfortunately the relationship ended for the two moms after ten years – and the children became pawns as the biological mom ended all contact for Beverly. Beverly explained, “Many anti-gay folks say that they want to deny same sex marriage to protect the children. No one in this situation suffered more than the kids. No ones lives were changed more drastically. Remember no court intervened on their behalf. No law protected them. No system helped them to be heard. No court appointed guardian determined what was in their best interest. They were abandoned on all fronts.”

Beverly is fighting for equality and civil marriage in honor of the children – the ones of her heart and the one to nine million children living in the LGBT community. Civil marriage will grant to these families guarantees like child support, visitation rights, and custody privileges, as well as, honoring their homes as worthy. It’s hard enough to create healthy supportive families in our complex society without casting aside those being nurtured by same-gender couples.

In Columbus Ann Myers, founder of Speak Out, a group of straight allies working for gay rights, shared the story of her seven year-old daughter Meaghan who often helps at rallies by carrying signs and handing out literature. Meaghan is already an activist for marriage equality. When told there were some who believed that a man and a man or a woman and a woman should not be allowed to marry, Meaghan announced, “That’s stupid.”

Sometimes the truth comes out of the mouths of children.

Comments

[Ken Hill]

Thanks for keeping the spirit of your trip coming home to us. I am encouraged to hear of the support you are receiving and interest that is coming from those you are engaging as well as the press that we are getting.

Keep up the good work. Thanks for enduring the hardships to help bring us into the light of a just and truly shared community.

Ken

[Sue Chippendale]

Helen, you make us all proud! Thanks for doing this and being out on the "front lines" in a cause that is truly just. Safe journey home...

[Alissa Maddren]

Hi Helen!

It's great to read your blog notes...I'm so glad you are doing this! You are really setting an example of "walking your talk"! It takes guts. Keep the faith!

-Alissa Maddren

[Jaume]

Just a brief note to state the solidarity and sympathy of Spanish Unitarian Universalists with this caravan, now that gay marriage is going to become legal in our country.

The Unitarian Universalist Society of Spain has released a note stating its "satisfaction and full support" to the recent decision by the Spanish government to give full legal status to homosexual marriage, including the rights of
inheritance, social benefits, and adoption.

The SUUE also expresses its intention to celebrate religious gay marriages, as an optional complement of civil marriage for those couples who wish this ritual and benediction, independently from religious
affiliation, as soon as circumstances and social demand so require.

The Spanish government, led by Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, unveiled last week a draft law giving same-sex couples the right to marry.

The move will make traditionally Catholic Spain only the third country in Europe to legalise gay marriage after the Netherlands and Belgium. Some other nations have provisions for recognising committed same-sex unions.

The new legislation, which will put Spain at the vanguard of the global gay rights movement, is part of a raft of liberal measures promised by Prime Minister
Rodríguez Zapatero, who unexpectedly
ousted a centre-right government in March after suspected Al Qaeda-linked train bombers killed 191 people in Madrid.

[Alice Reinheimer]

I just read the excellent news from Spain. See, you are having ripples in the great cosmic ocean already! You are the revolution and are living your love.

Stay safe, stay sharp and stay in love. Know that those of us back home are with you in spirit.

[Kat Manker-Seale]

Hi,
as I read your entry, I noticed that you wrote "same-gender couples" instead of same-sex couples. I just wanted to point that out, because I think that gender is much different than sex (I am currently in a same-sex relationship, but not a same-gender relationship; I identify as trans-gendered, and my girlfriend identifies with the female gender.). I think that sexual identities are very complicated, and that perhaps we should say same-sex or same-gender couples; there maybe a heterosexual couple, but that couple may not be heteronormative. Also, we aren't including polygamous relationships, and I think that that fits in with GLBT because it is not accepted by society.

~Just a thought.