What a week for the country. (And I realize what a terrible week it has been in many parts of the world.) So much has happened and with getting over jet lag, I kept thinking about what I wanted to write about.
I’m not a Southerner and so many other people have stated opinions on the confederate flag issue eloquently and thoughtfully.
I have health insurance through work but knowing many professional writers without workplace benefits, I was happy that Obamacare had its victory.
As a gay man, I am very happy that the Supreme Court ended gay marriage bans across the country. I don’t have a partner right now, but now I know that marriage is at least an option for me and many of my friends and students.
Now, I know some people of faith are upset about the decision. I have seen many signs of protesters that “God hates fags.” So I wanted to share two stories.
When I was going off to graduate school in Boston, I bought raffle tickets at my Catholic church festival. I was still in the closet then. I got the call late Sunday night, after I was already in bed (I worked early at a summer job then) telling me I had won the main raffle. $2500. This was 1988. That was a lot of money to take with me to Boston (even though it ran out by the end of first semester).
Last summer, I went to the same church festival. The main raffle tickets were too expensive. However, they were raffling a large flat screen tv. I bought three chances for $5. You guessed it. I got the call on Tuesday that I had won the tv. When I went to pick it up, several of the church employees told me they had taken out a lot of chances on the tv. The were envious when I said I had only bought three. And there was a little voice in my head that wanted to say “And my gay porn will look really good on this!” but I refrained. (I sometimes do that though not very often.) So, I really don’t feel like God hates me. After all, I won out over church workers and more regular volunteers.
Of course, nonbelievers will just chalk this up to random chance. That’s fine too. But whatever the cause, if I get married, I have a nice screen to watch the wedding video on.
pandrewmiller 