Last weekend, 50 people were murdered at a gay club in Orlando, Florida. It was a sickening hate crime towards LGBT people – but to the LGBT community, this is just another reminder that marriage equality didn’t solve all of the problems in society.
Anyone who has spent more than ten minutes in my presence knows something about me: I am a gay woman. I’m lucky enough to be married to the love of my life, a woman who is the reason that I get up in the morning. She’s smart as a whip, kind, generous, and most importantly, she puts up with my ever-growing yarn stash.
We got married almost three years ago, at a castle in Scotland. It was beautiful, quiet, and perfect for us. No fuss, just loved ones, food, a bagpiper, and sparkly converse shoes.
When I first joined the crafting community as a creator, someone in the industry told me that I should keep my marriage quiet. “It could offend traditional crafters,” they said. Maybe that’s true.
And so, even though I’m not “in the closet” so to speak, I don’t talk about my wife in professional spheres with people I don’t know. I didn’t want to be ostracized or boycotted because of one facet of my personality, I didn’t want to be reduced to that.
But after last weekend’s tragedy, I’m saying, “No more.”
If we are still living in a world where someone hates LGBT people so much that they would gun down 50 members of the community, then I can’t afford to be silent and quiet. We’ve come so far as a society, but when this kind of hatred and violence exists, it’s clear we’re not done yet. When fundamentalist groups still preach death to LGBT people and toxic, oppressive attitudes still reign supreme in some areas, we are not done.
I’m not done.
If you want to help, you can donate money to the victims here. You can speak up when you hear hate. You can teach children not to hate.
Love, is love, is love.
Well said and you don't have to hide yourself, because someone says it's better for you. No one has the right to say to you “keep it quiet, to not offend others”….but you are offended in this way: not fair!
Xoxo Ale
Thank you Ale! <3
I'm mad at whoever told you to keep quiet about your wife, and sad that you did. We grow and change by being exposed to new things, things that make us uncomfortable. I'm glad you aren't hiding anymore, and I bet you'll find your fellow crafters are loving and accepting.
As a knitter married to a fantasy RPG author, I have experienced firsthand the most amazing thing: Gamers are some of the nicest and most accepting people on the face of this earth! From bankers and lawyers to folks working at Wal-Mart, gay, LGBT or straight, you are freely accepted for who you are in this community. Hugging friends all around. Because knitting can be a solitary hobby and I've not gotten much into the crafting social media. I hope that the crafting community is as warm and welcoming to all as is the gaming community.
ROCK ON, Girl! Be who you are. If you have found the love of your life and are a productive member of society, you are one step ahead of most!