#tacreps

This post was written by Ally Coalition representative Taylor, from Boston. 

This upcoming Sunday, May 11th, is Mother’s Day: a day where we honor and appreciate the women who bring us into this world, and basically run the world as well.  As evident by Strong Families’ Mamas Day campaign, the traditional picture of motherhood is nothing more than a myth and an unrealistic, unattainable concept for most families.  We do not live in world where the majority of parents are married, middle-class, live behind a white picket fence, where the father is the bread-winner while the mother stays at home raising the kids.  However, because this is still considered an ideal that families should aspire to, many families who do not fall into this fantasy category are suffering.  Strong Families declares: “From a lack of affordable childcare and after-school programs, to immigration policy and marriage equality, the way we make policy and allocate resources needs to catch up to the way we live.

Their Mamas Day campaign challenges people to realize that a woman’s marital status, economic status, sexual orientation, age, etc. does not warrant judgment on whether she is a suitable mother or not.  It doesn’t matter that moms aren’t perfect or the “Hallmark stereotype” of motherhood, what matters is that they are doing their best. Motherhood isn’t a singular effort, it is a community effort.  Thus, the goal of the campaign is to: “shift the frame from a singular and possessive celebration of a mother’s day to a collective celebration of a day about Mamas.” The use of the word “mama” rather than the traditional “mother” is crucial: it allows for acknowledgement of nontraditional caregivers that have been neglected by our culture and consciousness. 

                What does this have to do with being an ally?  The term, intersectionality, coined by American professor Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989, explains this.  Intersectionality is the idea that “…cultural patterns of oppression are not only interrelated, but are bound together and influenced by the intersectional systems of society.” In laymen’s terms, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and classism are not independent from one another: they are all bound and interact to create systematic injustice and social inequality.  Thus, as long as one of these groups is oppressed, we are all oppressed.  This is crucial to those of us who identify as allies.  Intersectionality means we are not allies to just one of these specific oppressed groups; we are allies to all of them. 

Thanks,

Taylor 

The Fight for Marriage Equality in Michigan

Jayne Rowse and April Deboer have been together for over ten years. Both licensed as foster parents, they have been caring for three children since birth. Because, in Michigan, Jayne and April cannot get married, they cannot assume joint custody of all three children. As a result, they realized that should something happen to one of them, the family could be split up.

Jayne and April filed their case two years ago in January 2012. Their case challenged Michigan’s ban on second parent adoption as well as the ban on same sex marriage. The trial involved statements made for both sides. Most notable, was the statement made by psychologist David Brodzinsky: “It’s not the gender of the parent. It’s the quality of parenting.”

On Friday, March 21st, just after 5pm, Judge Friedman issued a verdict calling the ban on same sex marriage unconstitutional. 323 couples were married on Saturday before the 6th Circuit Court granted a temporary (through at least Wednesday, March 26) stay to the state. On Tuesday, March 25th, the 6th Circuit Court granted the state’s request for a permanent stay throughout the appeals process. This means that until the appeal is either dropped or overturned, same sex couples will not be eligible to marry and the 323 couples who married Saturday will not have their marriages recognized by the state.

On Friday, March 28th, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder declared that couples married on Saturday the 22nd will be given federal recognition. Despite this, those couples are still not seen as equal in the eyes of the law in Michigan.

What are the next steps?

Everyone can start by signing the petition asking Attorney General Bill Schuette and Governor Rick Snyder to drop the appeal. The petition, started by Equality Michigan, has over 15,000 signatures and counting.

In addition to signing the petition, contacting Governor Snyder and AG Bill Schuette directly is a great way to show your support. Gov. Snyder’s contact info can be found here, and AG Bill Schuette’s contact info can be found here. You can also tweet your support of marriage equality to Snyder and Schuette!

Finally, share the story with friends and family! Link them to Equality Michigan or other local organizations that are getting involved.

The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network’s (GLSEN) is holding its 18th annual Day of Silence on April 11th, 2014, in which people can take a stand against bullying and harassment of LGBTQ+ ...