Sunday, October 11, is National Coming Out Day for 2009. Originally conceived as a way to encourage gays and lesbians to be more open and supported in who they are, the concept of "coming out" can apply to other areas of our lives as well, whatever our sexual orientation.
Although it disproportionately affects many same-sex couples, Referendum 71 is not really a gay issue. It is an issue for anyone who is opposed to traditional marriage, for seniors who wish to care for each other apart from sexual arrangements, and for fair-minded folks of all stripes who realize that families come in many shapes and sizes, only some of which are made entirely of blood relations.
Earlier this year the American Civil Liberties Union launched a web campaign called "Tell Three," which encouraged not only lesbians and gays to speak out about civil liberties and why they matter, but to tell the stories of others who may not be present to speak. Many of us know a same-sex couple who has run a business for years, but whom could lose everything if one of the partners dies unexpectedly. Perhaps it is an older couple who shared a house, and one of whom was evicted when anxious heirs kicked out their "roommate" immediately after probate. What of the widow who could not marry lest she lose the retirement income due her from a lifetime as a loyal spouse? Almost everyone in southwest Washington knows a similar story, and this month would be a good time to begin telling them.
If you support Referendum 71, please take the time to tell at least three people why, every day between now and even after the ballots are in. Not all of this stand to lose rights if Referendum 71 fails, but all of us can come out to protect those who may.
Young or old, gay or straight, traditional or alternative: come out, come out, whoever you are.
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