What has started out as a homework assignment has become a personal quest. A few years ago I made the internal vow to start applying my beliefs into my life and not just think them or share them. This commitment to live my wisdom has manifested in little ways since that time. Yesterday, I took a big leap forward.

In high school the rumor started that I was gay. How this came about is still cryptic to me. All I did was dress differently and listen to different music than the norm. I was a new waver who listened to R.E.M., The Smiths, and Echo & The Bunnymen. I dyed my hair black and wore black. But how I dressed and what I listen to on my Walkman wasn't the point. My peers believed that I was gay and on a daily basis I was at the receiving end of their harassments.

In the locker room before and after P.E. a group of religiously fundamentalist girls would have to acknowledge me with negative comments. If I simply made eye contact with them while they changed I was accused of "looking at them". I was reminded at least once a week by their leader that I really just needed to read the Bible and accept Jesus into my life.

Boys were worse. On the school bus a group of boys who thought they were hot shit would sling verbal assaults and dance around crossing into physical assaults, but never did cross that line. Other boys at school couldn't resist making their comments and also toyed with using physical demonstrations toward me, but the worse that ever happended was that my locker would get broken into and trashed.

In all of this, I never went to the principle or school counselor. I didn't think anyone would be on my side because I knew these adults all went to the same holy roller type church and would defend my perpetrators. For four years I endured the harassment, shunning, and persection. All for something I was not.

The experience left me stronger, but more importantly aware of the issues concerning gay rights and equality. Thus, when I sought out a community gathering to attend that was controversial and may have conflict, selecting the Religious Coalition for Marriage Equality was obvious.

I had never attended a political rally before. The energy, the emotional charge, and the meaning I saw displayed by all in attendance was awesome! I stood by a gay couple with their baby and both fathers were attentive to her every need. I stood next to a lesbian couple, and when one of the speakers started talking about not being able to freely express affection in public for fear of losing their jobs, one of the women started crying.

It was all very real. It was all very personal.

What made this gathering even more exciting was the fact that this was a group of people of faith. Jews, Christians, and Muslims stood together, united in love, equality, and peace. It was refreshing to hear people talk of the Bible as a book of Love, that Jesus came to show us The Way to love one another.

After the speakers we were to meet with our local senators for the state and speak to them about our interest in HB1515, a piece of legislation that would insure equality based upon sexual preference. Our local politician was conveniently home ill for the day.

Lastly, at the end of the day I saw a change in Pooky. He had voted Republican in this past election—a source of contention between us that almost ended our togetherness. Without saying any words between us, I observed a change in him. How this change will manifest, only time will tell. But I do think he's a different person now that he's experienced this rally. I know I am a different person.

On March 8th the tradtional marriage proponents are gathering at the capitol and I've been putting out inquiries with local GLBT groups if we are to gather to have our presence felt. The state Supreme Court is to begin hearing arguments regarding an important case that could make our state's Constitution illegal as it discriminates against same-sex marriages.