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Fierce in Seattle: No Gays For A Day

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A Special Edition blogumn by Kelli Bielema

Living in Seattle, everyone is prone to a political discussion, oh, just about every 5 minutes.  This town loves to talk about foreign policy, local measures and state leaders. I’d rather chat about that cute J Crew outfit Michelle Obama wore on the Tonight Show.  It was just darling!

On November 5th, while the country was talking about change and a new path for our nation, the conversation in the west shifted to the Proposition 8 ban in California (as well as those passed in Arizona & Florida), which outlaws gay marriage.  Stupid, if you ask me.  Do these people who voted to approve the ban not realize that gay marriage can actually save the U.S. economy?  This may sound like hyperbole, but caterers, florists, photographers, make-up artists, musical entertainers…what percentage of those professions employ homosexuals? I’m guessing a sweet-ass chunk.

This is why I think the Los Angeles Times columnist, Joel Stein was onto something with his No Gays for a Day on December 10th. He suggested that gays across the nation stay home from work, much in the spirit of “A Day Without A Mexican.” And now the idea seems to be catching on. Go here for the Facebook Invite for “Day Without A Gay.”

Would something like this be effective? I don’t know. What I do know is that a few of my friends, gay and straight, marched in support of marriage and equality for all this past Saturday across the country.  In Seattle, we were 6,000 strong.  While this march was in response to a ban that was not even proposed in our state, it nonetheless effects our family, our friends and all people who want a basic human right.

Really. It has nothing to do with being gay or straight.  It’s hard enough to find love, but I know when I do that I can marry this man should I choose to.  A law telling me I can’t seems downright implausible.  So this is where I join the fight in solidarity so that we all can be equal.  Perhaps I will take off December 10th.  But you KNOW I will go shopping.  On second thought, who will be minding the store?