.the Excess.

Firstly, I apologize for the length of time that it has taken me to respond to this - in the process of moving across the country and it’s been…hectic to say the least. In any case…

The saddest part about this is that it isn’t a city-by-city vote on whether or not to ban/make legal same sex marriage, no this is a vote to see if anyone who identifies as GLBT should be protected from discrimination. Let’s repeat that. There is a chance that a VOTE will have to be cast to decide if people that identify themselves a certain way should be PROTECTED FROM DISCRIMINATION. The levels on which this is wrong and sickening are indescribable. Being protected from discrimination is a basic human right (granted, having the right to marry is too) and the fact that there is even consideration to put this up to a vote make me so disappointed in Nebraska.

This is a serious issue and I’m sure if it actually moves to the level where it will become a city-by-city vote, it’ll make some big national news, but the thing is…we CANNOT let it even get that far. We - you, me, everyone - as fighters for the greater good of people, fighters for love and equality for everyone simply cannot let this idea keep moving forward. It needs to be crushed before it can ever have the chance to be put to a vote. No one, NO ONE should have to let the government, whether it’s state or federal, decide if they get to be protected from discrimination.

My gut on this tells me (and I honestly can’t tell you 100% because I haven’t studied Nebraska state laws in at least five years) that there is currently a law regarding this, but it either 1) doesn’t include sexual orientation as of now or 2) will be amended with this vote. Either way, it is wrong and it is backhanded and you SHOULD be mad.

Unfortunately, the only thing there is to understand is that this is born out of hate, fear and stupidity; Nebraska is by no means a liberal state in any sense…heck, I’d be wary to even call the state moderate. Smack dab in the middle of the country, we are impossibly Republican and impossibly conservative. I don’t think I ever realized just how Right Winged Nebraska was until I came back during this election period after living in Minneapolis (a very moderate to liberal city) for five years. My first night back, first night! I saw no less than five commercials slandering President Obama in a typical twisting-of-the-issues negative campaign, and while I don’t believe that President Obama has done everything perfectly, I know that he has done a lot and that he has to be a two-term President, no questions about it. There’s a reason nearly all of our elected officials are Republican and have been Republican..and even the Democrats that come from our state are still quite conservative. We are not a progressive state. We are not a state that opens our arms to change and diversity and says “Come! All are welcome here!” Racism and bigotry are alive and well here…especially in our smaller communities, and I say this, without hesitation, as I grew up in a rural, farming community and know 100% for a fact that it exists to. this. day. But just because we are not a state that is currently like this…it doesn’t mean we can’t become one. The reason this is happening is because people just don’t…understand. I’ve said it before - once upon a time, I was soooo homophobic. I honestly almost didn’t use that word just now because it felt like too strong of a word, but no, honestly and truly, I probably was. Yeah, I was young and sheltered and I didn’t know a lot, but that’s not an excuse, and there is a large part of me that is still ashamed that I once believed that someone was a lesser person than me simply because their sexuality didn’t align with what was considered the “social norm”. I am living proof that people can change in regards to this. So is my sister. All it takes is knowledge and breaking down those barriers of hatred and fear; and some people will never change. Some people will live their entire lives with this black tar of hate stewing on their insides, and honestly, I almost feel sorry for them because they will never, ever truly enjoy life and love with that kind of disease eating their insides. Racists still exist, but the Civil Rights Movement still won. Sexism still exists, but the Feminist Movement made huge accomplishments and is still doing so. Neither of these issues are totally resolved, but look at how far we’ve come on both of them. We can come that far in this, too. We just cannot give up. We cannot lose hope. And we cannot let the individuals in this world who would like to quiet every voice that’s different from their idea of what the choir should sound like, win.

You know what we can do? We can FIGHT. We can make people aware that this is happening. We can start petitions and arrange peaceful protests and sit-ins and we can write letters. There is always something that can be done, and even if you feel like you are just one person, sometimes all it takes is just one singular person to get things rolling. It is impossible that we are the only two people that see the wrong in this - but it isn’t impossible that people don’t realize this is happening. And I’m not just talking about people in Nebraska! This should be something that EVERYONE knows about. And if you or I or anyone else that sees this is as disgusted by it as we are? It is up to us to get the word out, to take it to the streets and well, Make. Some. Noise.

Change does not happen by sitting by and hoping it happens. It doesn’t happen by waiting for someone else to take the reins. And it certainly doesn’t happen by seeing something we dont’ agree with, saying it makes us mad, and then doing nothing else. Change will never occur without action, ever. And even if it seems like this is an uphill battle (and it is), it doesn’t mean it can’t be overcome.