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What I have learned in my 4 years living in Anchorage Alaska |
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So many people don't think that gay marriage is important, at least up here in Alaska I have had a lot of people ask me why I want the right to marry? "People don't care if your gay so why does it matter if you don't have legal rights?" I want the same rights as anyone else, no more and no less, I don't care what straight consenting adults do in there home and it is no one's business what I do in mine. I have been out of the closet for years in an attempt to show other people that gay people are everywhere, I have marched the streets and I vote every year trying to get the same rights for my tax money. Recently I had to call 911 and have my wife (we got legally bound in Feb of 2009) taken to the ER, while I was n the phone with the dispatcher I told her that my wife was having a dizzy spell and I needed help getting her to the hospital. "Your Wife?" "Yes my wife! I need help!" It took her a second to compose herself and get back to her job. I needed help and I didn't want to waste time justifying my relationship, the paramedic who showed up were great, they just asked what had happened, how she was doing and then they asked me to fill out the forms for her and then to met them at the ER (they thought she was having a heart attack). Once I got to the hospital I told the nurses who I was and they took me right back to sit with her. She was out of it and was now dozing on and off, when admitting came in they let me fill out her information but they had to have my wife sign since our marriage is not legal in the state of Alaska. That was when it really hit me, what if something was really wrong, what if she needed surgery and was unable to consent to it herself? We have been together for almost 18 years, her parents live in Washington, what if they couldn't get here to sign consent? What would that mean for my wife? I was so scared, not knowing was the worst part. That situation is why I want equal rights, I want to be able to take care of my family, I don't want to have to explain or justify my relationship, a straight couple isn't questioned even when it is a bad situation. While I sat there next to the little curtain the separated us from the woman next door who was getting stitches in her head because her boyfriend hit her with a pipe as she tried to leave the house. The doc kept trying to get her to go to a woman's shelter and to get hurt but she was not interested. The woman's friends showed up and the talk got lively and the woman was feeling better so her friends were gonna take her back home to the boyfriend. I find it amazing that an abusive straight couple is more acceptable in this community than a loving healthy gay one. People ask me why I want to move out of Alaska? We came to Alaska to do a favor for a family member, we agreed to a year this summer it will be four years since we left our home, Washington. Our job is now done and it is time for us to get back to the states where we will have a few more rights than up here. I will continue to fight for the rights for my family and for others, maybe someday in the future I will live to see the day when Gay marriage is federally legal and a marriage will be marriage no matter what dirt of the United States you are standing on. And by the way my wife turned out just fine. Always stand up for your self and those who can't stand up for themselves, that is the only way people will listen sometimes. |
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