Wednesday, June 26, 2013

The breaking news regarding DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) this morning caused me to pause from  cleaning house and think of Mom. Why? Because Mom was way ahead of her time when it came to equality for all.

First off, when I was 9 years old and living on base housing, a black family moved across the street from us and they had a daughter, Angela, who was my age. I was so excited to have a new friend! We played for hours, mostly with barbies but we also loved to help her dad clean fish and I had my first taste of turtle soup. I remember watching that man cut up that turtle and almost cried but I ate it, just like I ate those frog legs when my grandpa and dad would go out "gigging" for frogs and then tell me I was eating chicken, only later did I learn what it really was!

But anyway, I digress...after a few months of playing with Angela, I noticed a few of my other friends were not coming around so I finally asked one of them why and she told me. Their moms would not let them play with me anymore because I played with Angela. I told my mom about it and years later she told me about the phone call she made to all those other moms! I never knew my mom had such fire!

Then,  years later, the same thing happened to my mom! She became a runner and met a woman and they started running together. This woman was gay! Mom had friends drop her because she was hanging out with a lesbian and "wasn't she worried people would think she was one too"? My mother laughed and said "Don't be ridiculous, being homosexual is not a choice". I had never heard anyone else put it that way and now we all know better. Thanks again Mom...

1 comment:

  1. I enjoy this post. There is so much I could say about this, I remember a girl offered me money not to play with her because I'm black. I didn't take her money and it hurt me for a long time.
    I also appreciate what you had to say about Fathers Day, and your father. Both my parents are gone, but I am a father and even if I wasn't, I would not begrudge others. It was all I could do not to post to that person's silly rant. Thanks for posting.

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