I was driving around thinking about how many straight people, who are not homophobic, know that gay people still do not have the same rights as themselves. It was popping around in my head as I was remembering a conversation with some colleagues at work when one of them said, "I thought you could get married, gay people can't get married?" To her surprise she learned that, yes, still in the day-and-age that gay people can not get married!
So yesterday I was in at Moylan's signing up for government life insurance. I needed to ask the lady a question about why they needed to know marital status and how was I to answer that. I then proceeded to tell her, and all the other people in the room (about 7) that I was in a same-sex relationship and although we have had a ceremony to signify our union, that we are not legally married because we can not get married. Ears popped open and people waited curiously to see what the lady would say.....some even gave glances of hey that's not right. We then moved onto the option to buy extra insurance to which she is explaining that if my spouse dies then I get $10,000. I questioned her as she had just told me I do not have a spouse as I can not legally marry her. Everyone nodded in agreement and some piped in saying, "yes miss you just said that"...and "that's not fair". I could however, add my children if I wanted, to which I replied that 10 grand wouldn't even begin to make up for their loss. Again a unanimous nodding of heads in agreement! God, I love this island! Even though gay marriage is not legal at this point and time, people here seem to think it is not right! I then apologized if I made anyone uncomfortable by talking so open to which, again, I got "no, it was OK miss", followed by "thanks for coming in today, and have a good day".
Thank you Saipan for the memories.
Island Dyke
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1 comment:
nice one laurie! and welcome back (though i know it's kinda late for that)! :)
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