During the month of July, LGBT couples from across five cities in Mississippi will stand up for marriage equality by applying for a marriage license as part of the WE DO Campaign. You can read the story of one the couples below as told by Kristen.
When I met Jenna at my new job three weeks before Christmas in 2009, I was not anticipating a budding romance, much less a life-long partnership. Then again, life is rarely considerate of your plans, for which I am grateful. In our almost four blissful years together, we have realized the next natural progression in our relationship is marriage; however, we live in Mississippi, a fact that in any other circumstance carries a sense of great pride. In this particular case, though, Mississippi is blatantly denying Jenna and I equal rights and equal protection under the law. Our Mississippi roots are deep and our state pride is palpable; because of these things, and many others, Jenna and I view it as our right and even our responsibility to fight for change.
In January 2013, Jenna and I participated in the WE DO campaign in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Applying for a marriage license in the city where I live and work made us both anxious, but we were not prepared for the outpouring of support and attention the action garnered. Following our application, we received hundreds of messages from friends and family and strangers expressing their love and appreciation for our action. The story ran on the local news three times, on their website, and was promoted through social media—needless to say, given the nature of the story it spread like wildfire across our small-ish town. It was one of the most humbling and inspiring experiences of my life. The people we heard from, 9 times out of 10, were people across the state saying how grateful they were that a couple stood up for them because they were not in a position to stand up for themselves. These actions are also important for young people across the state to see that they are not alone and things are going to change because there are people working.
On the heels of our experience in January came the Supreme Court arguments in March then the decisions in June. The decisions were a decisive victory for the LGBT community, one that was not altogether expected, and met with great sense of triumph. The court ruled “no standing” on the Prop 8 case, which essentially directed California to start issuing same-sex marriage licenses again; and the court demolished some of the more arcane and destructive provisions of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). As victorious and proud as we felt that day, we couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of disappointment. While we were (and remain) happy for our LGBT brothers and sisters who can and will benefit from these rulings, the fact remains that these decisions will do very little in the way of helping those of us from states that have enacted state-wide same-sex marriage bans. My greatest fear is that these rulings will make people complacent and there is still so much work to do; so many more states to be won.
Jenna and I are going to start in Mississippi.
Watch Kristen and Jenna, along with other couples who applied for a marriage license in Hattiesburg in January:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHKDZjuUjPU[/youtube]
The Campaign for Southern Equality’s Legal Team will also offer free legal clinics across Mississippi during July, focused on how LGBT people can protect their rights under current laws. Attendees will be able to complete a Mississippi Advanced Health-Care Directive on-site to help ensure that their medical choices are respected should an emergency situation arise.
Will you stand with us in Mississippi as we tell our country a new story about LGBT life in the South? Join the WE DO Campaign:
1) To keep up with WE DO updates and help us amplify this story, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
2) Join us for a WE DO Campaign action as a couple, Support Team member or Peacekeeper.
3) Send a message of support to the couples here.
4) Support the WE DO Campaign with a tax-deductible donation.
