It’s been a couple of very busy months. I’ve been working overtime on final preparations for our upcoming annual awards Gala banquet that honors exceptional individuals, mostly from the law enforcement community. And earlier last month, the U.S. Supreme Court passed a surprising, if not controversial ruling: they legalized gay marriage in all 50 states.
I know this is a tough issue for a lot of people. I respect that. I think it’s a tough issue for the Church and the Pope. I get that. It was also a tough issue for me.
Coming from a small town in Illinois, there was a lot of prejudice. Then I moved to CA back in ’94, and made many dear friends, several of whom are gay. I was able to work through the biases. When gay marriage became an issue, the obstacle was my Christian faith; Christianity does not recognize gay marriage, it only recognizes the union of a man and a woman. I’ve been able to again work through it because I don’t agree with everything the church says or does. Scriptures and the bible are open to interpretation. This is one of those issues I believe the church is off base.
Eighteen months ago, I was invited to a gay wedding – the first time ever. It was the wedding of someone that I have come to respect and admire over the past 10 years. Simone is hilariously funny, she’s witty and bright and very passionate about her volunteer work. Her brother was murdered back in 1996.
The attendee mix was roughly 75% ‘straight’ and the balance were gay. Many men and women were in uniform, mainly from the U.S. Coast Guard. The wedding itself was the first of its type that took place on Coast Guard Island in Alameda, CA. Simone served in the USCG for 5 ½ years. Add another 10 years as a volunteer in the Auxiliary USCG.
After they were married, I was struck by the honesty, simplicity and the elegance of the ceremony. I enjoyed talking to the other guests. It turned out they were the type of people you would find at . . . well . . . any other wedding. They were young and old, male and female different ethnicities and races, military, academics, all walks of life, gathered there to celebrate the union of two people in love.
I welcome your comments and feedback. After all, this is a blog, and whether we agree or disagree, I believe that through open and honest dialog that we all come away richer for the experience.
Thanks for sharing. With Faith there is hope.
P.W.
Patricia Wenskunas