What we fight for

It’s not rhetoric, it’s not laws and it’s not policies.

It’s people. And I think that’s one of the things that’s so easy for the haters and the bigots and the antis to forget.

They fight against our rights. They fight for politics, for prejudice, for bigotry, for hate. They fight for their “right” to oppress. They fight to feel smug and self-righteous

They don’t see the pain,. they don’t see the people – they don’t care about the damage they do. It’s a paper exercise for them, a theory, an abstract – something without cost and without effect.

In Hawaii, legislators run scared of granting equality because of election concerns. Politics are more important than people.

Prosecutors in Mexico city plan to fight against the new gay marriage law. They wish to protect the family – but care nothing about the families they will tear apart.

In New Mexico Legislators play pass the parcel with domestic partnership law, in the hope the delay will kill it

We fight for people. We fight for real people who are being hurt, who are being destroyed, who have to jump through so many more hoops, struggle over so many more hurdles to just live decent, normal lives.

Denis Englehard, a policeman, died in a tragic accident while on duty. And he is recorded as single with no children. He was gay. Kelly Gossip was his partner of 15 years. A partner the law wouldn’t acknowledge – a partner society still rejects. A boyfriend – boyfriend because “husband” is reserved for the special straight folk – that will not receive the survival benefits from Cpl Englehard’s pension, who will not receive the support from organisations that support the bereaved family members of fallen police officers. Neither Gossip nor his son, Cpl Englehard’s stepson have been recognised at Englehard’s funeral.

This was a family. They were married in all but law – and only then because of the bigotry written on the books. This is a family they have fought against, love they have dismissed and people – real people – they are hurting.

This is why we have to keep fighting. Because it can succeed, these lives can be preserved – as was seen in the case of  AT&T now granting family and medical leave to gay employees a reversal prompted by the outrage over forcing one of their gay employees to use his holiday time to visit his partner in hospital after he suffered a severe stroke.

Because our children are still being mentally destroued and driven to suicide. Because trans people are still driven out of or denied work. Our kids are still targetted and bullied and our very identity is used as an insult.
We can win these fights – and they desperately have to be fought and fought now. Because families shouldn’t have to go through this just because they are gay. No, we cannot be patient. No, we cannot shut up. These rights are being denied now, these people are suffering now. These families are being attacked and harmed, now. We can’t afford to be silent.

Pancakes!

Of course there has to be pancakes. Because pancakes rock. And they're so easy. So easy that even Beloved can make them, right? I mean he's shown himself capable of following cooking instructions.

Naturally, I checked on him. Because I like my kitchen non-burned.

Sparky: Why are you making pastry?
Beloved: *blinks at the mess he's made* ooooh, I've mixed the flour and milk proportions up. No problem, I'll make a double batch.
Sparky: *has a due sense of dread but more pancakes can only be good* ok, *loads dishwasher.*

---the loading of the dishwasher requires much swearing, hating and smashing of things as well as making the bioggest possible platters squeeze into the smallest possible space while a teaspoon gets like, half the thing to itself. It is known---

Sparky: Um... why are you putting more flour in?
Beloved: *blinks at yet another load of flour goes into the mess* I did say! I'm doubling up because I put too much flo- oh.
Sparky: *sigh*
Beloved: Um...
Sparky: Get out of the way...


(and he put another batch of PASTRY quantity flour in. *sigh*)

So we have pancake batter. A lot of pancake batter. Hmmmmm well at least it's flexible right?