Gay marriage is about freedom

Our son Charlie and his partner, David, recently purchased their first home. On a recent weekend we helped them plant a garden in the front yard, talked and laughed about the events of the week and then had a delicious meal together.

I guess you could describe it as a pretty traditional family weekend — parents and kids enjoying the company of one another. What was different about it, however, was that we all were aware that Charlie and David are still denied the right to marry as well as the protection that comes with legal marriage. A very vocal minority with a narrow set of values has declared that their marriage would dismantle the traditional family. So, they continue to promote exclusion and discrimination, while ignoring the changes in family already in place.

Their arguments are relics of a bygone era that do not reflect the way we live today as a society. It is an annoyance to see the attention they draw, but comforting to know that they are becoming more and more of a minority. The issue of gay marriage is not a religious issue. It is simply about obtaining the same freedoms for gay folks that the rest of society enjoys.

I feel assured, knowing it will happen here in Illinois eventually. Meanwhile, we wait patiently. We wait to dance at the wedding of our youngest son. We wait to someday officially call David our son-in-law. We wait to tell our six grandkids, who love David already, that they can finally call him “Uncle David.”

There are so many issues we need to deal with now; war, violence, poverty, terrorism and a troubled economy, just to name a few. The issue of approving gay marriage in Illinois is clear cut. It’s the American thing to do.

Joanne and Henry Gurion

Rolling Meadows