Shame on you Rep Matheson...
I loved my Congressional Representative. I thought he was a fair, upstanding guy, a Democrat, who did most things I agreed with. Until I wrote him about the Constitutional Amendment outlawing same-sex unions.

I received a personally signed letter, but I was surprised at the contents. "If an Amendment to the Constitution were to be proposed that defined marriage as a union between and man and a woman, I would support it."

First of all, kudos to him for speaking straight english to me, and standing on his moral beliefs and making it very clear of his standpoint (unlike Orrin Hatch, whose letter of response was carbon-copy legislative crap).

Secondly, SHAME ON YOU JIM MATHESON! You, the one who fights for the underpriveledged, the differing peoples of color and ethnicity, the children, shame on you for taking such a narrow viewpoint!

Yes, I wrote him back. My letter is below. I urge you to write to your Congressperson as well. These actions against the GLBT community cannot be tolerated. Jim Matheson's website is http://matheson.house.gov/ and you can also find your representative on this webpage. You can find your Congresspeople at http://www.senate.gov.

Our time for equality is NOW.

Dear Representative Matheson,

I wanted to thank you for your letter of late indicating your stance on the Defense of Marriage Act and the proposed Constitutional Amendment defining marriage as a union of a man and a woman. I am not sure if you will recall my letter, indicating that not only am I a gay partner, but also a parent of my partner's daughter, now age 14.

While I respect your stance as one taken from your personal belief system, I urge to you consider a few things before making your stand so clear.

I come from a family, a Union family, raised on the income of a Kennecott copper miner and his homemaker wife. We have always been staunch Democrats, but I have personally been known to waiver between the parties depending on issue and the person running for office, and my gut has yet to defy me.

My case is simple. I don't wish to redefine marriage. I am simply looking for a legal way to protect my family. As a family man yourself, you wouldn't dare have anyone question the legitimacy of your right as a parent. Why should I have that burden when I am, literally, my daughter's other parent? I am responsible for her in every aspect except one - legally. What would you have me do, change my gender so I can legally marry my partner and adopt my own daughter? I think that's a little extreme, and I believe you think the same.

I am not looking to be "married" to my partner by definition. But I am looking to be legally recognized for the years of committment I have made to her and our daughter. I want to be able to claim my wife's body as next of kin and bury her in the way she would want. I want to be able to give medical directives for my daughter if she needs them. I want her to be taken care of if I should die, and to be paid my Social Security benefits as my child - which should be MY RIGHT.

I don't care if you call my relationship a marriage, a union or a joke. Whatever you describe it as, it's not going away.

To alter our Consitution for the "fear" that the courts may actually justify our committed relationships from a legal standpoint is cowardly. It's taking a proactive stance against my civil liberties. You would never take that stance to single out blacks, hispanics, immigrants or the disabled, but you will against my family. You, Representative, have taken a cowardly stance, and not something I would have ever expected from such a fine Congressman - one that I voted for.

The Constitution was not designed to take away the rights of Americans. It is designed to grant them and protect them. If same-sex marriage were recognized in one state and then another, an amazing thing would happen. No one's rights would be violated. It doesn't lessen the stanctity of heterosexual unions in the least. They retain their rights. And we are granted the same protection and rights under the law that we should be entitled to.

It is not a losing siutation to support your gay and lesbian constituants. By supporting us, you support all of us who wish to create a loving, nurturing home, one of safety and constistancy. You will enable me to provide for my child. I want to be the parent you wish for me to be, responsible and accountable, but you're actually preventing it without realizing it.

You are MY representative, too. Stick to your belief system and teach your child that all Americans are equal under the eyes of the law of this great nation. Teach your child that not all families are the same, that diversity and tolerance are God given values.

Be the Representative I believe you to be.

Thank you, and I look forward to your response.

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