RainbowWeddingNetwork.com

The divorce rate for hetero- couples still hovers around 50%.  Do you think this will apply to LGBT couples as more states legalize marriage rights & the statistics become available?

We had a fabulous volunteer at the recent Seattle LGBT Wedding Expo, who also happens to be a marriage coach in the area - our thanks to Joanna Cummings, M. Ed.!

For those that didn't get a chance to meet her, Joanna is an enthusiastic supporter of helping couples, to ensure that their marriages last.  As a counselor, she knows too well that 50% of hetero- marriages end in divorce; she doesn't want this to happen in our community, esp since we've fought so hard for marriage equality!

I invite couples in the Seattle area, and beyond to contact Joanna to learn more about her "PreMarital Specs" packages, to help you & your partner learn effective  skills to make your commitment long-lasting.

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253-302-9880

I did not see any of the back-stories for the film, so I won't comment much...  But I do think it's a great & promising barometer with regard to LGBT Equality that a long line of highly reputed actors seemed to be eager to take roles in this recent HBO production.  Of course, there were the fabulous headliners, Michael Douglas & Matt Damon, but did you also note Dan Aykroyd, Rob Lowe, Paul Reiser, Scott Bakula??

The experience of LGBT Americans, past & present, is becoming a subject that is more openly talked about, more sincerely recognized.  One day, this will lead to greater acceptance and, as a minority that finds itself less oppressed, the 'LGBT lifestyle' will likely evolve at least a little bit.  Some may question that kind of transformation; in my opinion it is a part of the natural progression.

Three years ago, my partner & I released a book called "My Dangerous Commute: Witnessing Gay Marriage Rights Across America."  We are soon going to re-release it; I am very proud of many of the insightful tidbits throughout.  Something about this particular short chapter seems an appropriate reminder these days, so I wanted to share...

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Chapter 22: "Layers of Shame"

My favorite camera cost about $20 through mail order. It’s made entirely of plastic. It has to be taped together to keep from falling apart in my hand. But it takes fantastic photographs. As my professor used to say, ‘A camera is just a sealed box that controls the flow of light.’ Any tool, through which we view the world, is like that. Whether it is the concept of current politics or the framework of our spiritual beliefs, or societal standards… the lenses through which we consider our surroundings are just that: lenses; filters. Whether we realize it or not.

Many within the LGBT community see the world in such a way. They’ve come to believe it’s not quite okay to hold hands in public, or that deep-down we are in fact sinners, or that we ought to remain somewhat invisible to spare the mainstream. To some degree, we’ve successfully internalized the prejudice. Note to those opposed to the gay lifestyle: Mission Accomplished.

Minorities do this to themselves, as do others who have felt less-than, or victimized or disempowered. It’s natural. And it can be silently unrecognized for lifetimes, like a thin haze in front of the eyes, virtually unseen. It can skew the way we interpret our own experience; our own reality. It can be passed down, through generations. And the result can be utterly detrimental, obviously, concerning the ability to envision a clear and justifiable reason for the desire for equality, fairness and non-discrimination. It can hinder an entire group’s collective ability to believe in itself.

Legalizing same-sex marriage presents the opportunity to heal at such a remarkable level, well below the surface. Individually and culturally. There are indeed broad implications.

Oscar Winner Jeremy Irons poses the question, with regard to gay marriage, "Could not a father marry his son?"

This kind of thought process continues to be a form of criminalizing the LGBT minority.  It really will be refreshing when the issue of LGBT equality is not overshadowed by comments of incest, pedophilia & bestiality. True equality will come to pass when such connotations do not cross anyone's mind.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/03/jeremy-irons-on-gay-marri_n_3009495.html