Lovers of audio books may recognize the name Anna Fields as the narrator for books such as A Beautiful Mind or Bel Canto. That was a stage name for a Washington woman named Kate Fleming, though, who lived in Seattle with her partner Charlene Strong for many years. Both raised in Catholic families with a strong sense of commitment, they had a ceremony in Virginia over ten years ago, but no substantive legal protection. When Kate was caught in a flooded basement and evacuated to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Charlene was not allowed to be at her side, nor make arrangements around their destroyed home or her deceased partner.
Dozens of stories like this have long been familiar to friends and families of committed lesbian, gay and elderly couples who, in times of greatest need, are denied the ability to be with their loved ones.
Kate Fleming died in December 2006. During legislative debates regarding Washington's domestic partnership law this past session, the story of Kate Fleming was frequently mentioned. Kate's partner, Charlene Strong, went on from this heartbreaking tragedy to become an activist and key figure in Washington's passage of a domestic partnership law. The story of that struggle is told in her 80-minute documentary film "For My Wife."
- Newsweek story, "Altered Lives"
- Obituaries for Kate Fleming in Washington Post, Blade, on Morning Edition
- Advocate story on the making of For My Wife
- Web site for the documentary film, For My Wife
- Links to reviews of the film and theatrical trailer on YouTube
No comments:
Post a Comment