Martinique, Prop 8, my Nephew, and an unwanted phone call.

It seems like an eternity since I've received any new photos of my nine year old nephew's mannequin Martinique.  Halloween is tomorrow, so I have high hopes I'll be graced with some over the top costumed Martinique shots shortly.  Until then, I will try and patiently wait.........

OK, I promise to not shout too much about Prop 8.  Just a bit.  Presently in California, gays and lesbians can legally marry.  So my partner and I who have been together for over thirteen years could in fact wed.  Then some  Mormons, Christian groups, and homophobes decided to fund a proposal that would strip away that right.  Their clever and deceitful campaign wants California voters to think this proposal is about teaching gay marriage in schools.  It's not true, but if it were..... so what?  Teaching tolerance and acceptance in schools is wrong? I know it's been a while since I was in school, but I don't recall marriage being a subject.  Was my marriage class before history or after science? Can't remember. 

One evening a couple of weeks ago, my honey and I received a call on our home phone from an unrecognized area code.  It went to voice mail and wouldn't you know, it was an automated call from the Yes on 8 campaign urging us to protect marriage.  Delete.  About fifteen seconds later, a call came in on my cell from a different yet still unrecognized area code.  I answered in hopes it was Bruce Weber asking me scout models for an upcoming Abercrombie and Fitch campaign.  Could happen?  Unfortunately it was some goon from the Yes on 8 campaign.  The voice on the other end possessed the smile while you're talking quality of a used car salesman and the glee of a camp counselor.  "I'm calling tonight to inform you that marriage is under attack and we have an opportunity to protect it.  I'm hoping I can count on your Yes on 8 vote."

"Are you kidding me?" I asked as I'm sure my ears began to turn bright red and the veins bulged out in my forward.  "With everything going on in the world, this is really what you want to focus on?  This is really what's important?  Gay marriage is under attack and my partner and I will be happily voting No on that despicable proposal."  Click.  Sorry, I'm shouting and I promised not to.  I'll let Martinique's dress say it all. 

The day after that terrible phone call, I rang up my sister to tell her about it and catch up on her kids, Martinique, etc.  My sister had a gem of a story which brightened my whole mood.  Follow the link to read the rest.    

My nine year old nephew asked his mom/ my sister if my partner and I were planning our wedding yet?  He had a vision.  He could be the ring barer and flower girl all in one.  He'd design a pillow that our rings would rest on which he'd place inside a large basket surrounded by flower petals.  He'd drop those petals as he walked down the aisle and hand over our rings when needed.  What do you say to that other than of course he can be our ring barer/ flower girl.  He can also be our wedding planner, flower arranger, tux designer, photographer, and anything else he wants to be.  Nephew, you're hired!

When you raise a child in an environment that's tolerant, loving, non-judging, and accepting- you get great open minded kids.  Again, well done to you sister and to your hubbie. 

Photo of Martinique helped out with a little photoshop fun.

Comments

[Missy]

In your second paragraph, "Then some mormons.." did you mean MORONS. Just kidding, sort of. I also wanted to say I absolutely LOVE you and your site, I don't go a day without looking at it.

Thanks for being here.
Missy from Chicago

[Ginger]

Love is love. Weather it be between and man and a women or weather it be from two people of the same sex. I am a married women. My thought on this is simple...love is love and why can't people understand that? I am for gay marriage and I am also for gay couples being able to adopt children. It angers me to thing our goverment will let a beautiful child sit in a foster home or in a state home instead of letting them be adopted by two people who can love them and give them a good home...I have a lot more to say on this issue but will not. If I lived in your state i would be voting NO ON PROP. I thank you for posting this blog. And I thank your sister for being such a wonderful mother.

[trinity]

those mormons are scary!

[Matt]

Martinique is looking thin in this picture. I hope she is taking care of herself.

[Borg Queen]

I want to hire your nephew when (if and when) I marry my girlfriend. lol.

[Valerie]

I love you, your sister, her husband, and most of all, your amazing nephew and his muse Martinique!!!! Ever since I found your site yesterday, I have been so happy, thinking about your nephew. I live in NY, and the news stories are so sad and bleak. It just makes me so happy to picture a little boy somewhere, happily designing outfits for his mannequin, and fabulous ones at that!

[Snarf]

Unbeliveable. Economy in the shitter, climate change in full swing, Vietnam V 2.0 continues to chug along, and the main concern of some is denying people the right to marry.

[Megan]

I freaking love you and all the other people out there that have realized discrimination is wrong and are voting NO on 8. I see those commercials all the time and want to throw my tv out the window! There's also some car that's parked outside my house sometimes with a "Yes on 8" sticker, and I've been tempted to hide in the bushes and pull some guerrilla attack move on him/her. And, really,don't these people have better things to worry about? If this is the most important thing in their lives then they seriously need to reevaluate them. You and many other have the support of myself and tons of my friends so good luck!

[wheresandrae]

I'm from Massachusetts and I was thrilled to hear that California was the next in line to allow marriage to be for everyone. The same thing happened with us here, people proposing measures to stop gay marriage from being allowed. Luckily everything was rejected and at the moment, the anti-gay marriage agenda seems to have just sort of shrugged their shoulders and moved on. I hope the same will happen with California. Don't people realize that gay marriage has been legal for a few years now in Massachusetts and we haven't imploded yet. ;)

It makes my heart happy to know that there are kids growing up out there with minds as open and vibrant as your little nephew. I know it's corny, but with all the rampant right-wing people I've been hearing throughout these last eight years, it gives me hope for the future to know that somewhere in this country there's a little boy who wants to be the flower girl/ring bearer at his uncle's wedding. :)

[SindyLew]

Hi DG, long time no post. I however am 100% with you on NO on Prop 8 (I'm in South OC where on every busy street corner there are dozens of men, women, children standing on the corners waving YES on 8 signs!!).

My comment is, if these people want to "protect" marriage, then they should criminalize infidelity. I'm sure more than half have experienced that danger to marriage over worrying about what strangers do in their lives!

Just my 2 cents. And your Vicki from RHOOC is coming back even stronger this coming season. I hear that Oprah had to give her a smackdown on Monday's show!

[Jennifer Terry]

The Yes on 8 campaign is using your wonderful website to advertize and raise money. Is there any way you can get them to stop? *(by the way, i am a friend of your sister's -- we survived Ohio together and now i live in long beach. love, love, love your blog and your art.)

[Vern]

We tried it in Vermont, but people freaked out. Instead of the prop 8 stuff it was all these horrible "take back Vermont" signs and stickers. It was so sad to see. I didn't agree with Dean on everything, but his heart is in the right place. I so wish he made it past the Republican Machine, and we were looking back on 8 years of Gore/Dean/Edwards/Kerry.
I'm so glad you told off that phone calling maroon. There is so much hate in the world, why do people want more?

[Vern]

PS-can't wait to see your update with your nephew. I imagine him on a scooter with Martini, tricking and treating!

[Ayden]

Being someone who's involved in the very middle of this (as I'm still in school), I'd like to say that, no, marriage isn't taught in schools as of today, and that I think you're absolutely right. This whole stripping rights and using education to cover it up thing is imbecilic and wrong. I go to a pretty liberal school (not the school itself exactly, but the people in it) and we're right next to a very conservative school. It makes all of us [my friends and me] so very angry when we have to drive by the ten or so 'YES ON 8' signs every day...I think some people might have gone as far as to rip them out of the ground.

Love your blog, I check it daily and have done my best to spread it around to my friends and have made it the site of the month on my DeviantArt journal a time or two. Tell your nephew and Martinique they have fans, because I'm one of them!

[Suicide Blond]

We have been recieving those phone calls at least twice a day here in Florida. Even sadder still is that the other day at my local Winn Dixie there was a guy with a van in the parking lot with bright painted words splashed across that read:

"ADAM AND EVE - VOTE YES ON PROP 8"

"NO-BAMA. VOTE FOR MORALS. VOTE FOR MCCAIN!"

Worse yet there was a large sign in the back of a truck on my way out to the parking lot that read

"F-GS CAN GET MARRIED IN HELL"

I just moved to Florida from Canada less than a week ago and Im already so disgusted with the simple close minded views of some of the trash that lives here. I can't believe how man Mccain/Palin signs I have seen on lawns and how much hate people harbor.

Thank god for people like you, your newphew and his family and for your readers. You folks all restore my faith in mankind!

[anna]

Good for you for hanging up on that idiot.

I hope, hope, hope that all of the good people in California who believe in LOVE will get out and vote NO on this ridiculously stupid proposition.

I grew up Mormon (though I don't really consider myself Mormon anymore because I love alcohol and coffee LOL), and the majority of my family is Mormon too. I just wanted to give you the good news that not all Mormons are for this stupid proposition. I got really excited when I read today that Steve Young (Mormon and foot ball player) and his wife donated money to NO on prop 8, and released a statement saying "We believe ALL families matter and we do not believe in discrimination, therefore, our family will vote against Prop. 8." I think one of the things that p*sses me off the most about this stupid proposition is that there's supposed to be some freaking separation between church and state (supporters always say "the Bible defines marriage between a man and a woman"). I think if you're in love, no one should tell you who you can and can't marry.

I'm crossing my fingers on Tuesday that America will vote for POSITIVE change in this country, instead of this continued, bullsh*t discrimination.

[nicki]

Amen, I wish so much I lived in california so I could vote against this terrible proposition. I cannot understand why these bigots feel the need to focus their energy on this, it is wrong and unfair and it just boils my blood that they want to take away rights that are already in place in california. How would they feel if we tried to change things so we could tax the churches instead of giving tax breaks.
On a better note, I was so happy to hear about your nephew and all his ideas. I would kill to have a nephew who is as cool as yours, all my nephews care about are spiderman and playing video games, ugh.
Take Care!

[jenn]

I look at your site daily and I love it. I went back and forth debating if I should say anything, but I feel brave today for some reason. I know I will probably get backlash, and I am sure I will be blackballed from this site (hopefully not!) but I have to speak my peace.
I am mormon, but I have more then a handful, possibly several handfuls of very close and dear friends of mine that are gay. I live in Arizona and we have prop 102 and I have gone back and forth on this. I'm still not sure how I am going to vote and I am heading to the polls in an hour or so.

The point of my comment is because I am a little saddened by your blatant bashing of mormons or christians or that type. Yes, I agree that A LOT have their head buried in the sand, but A LOT dont. You want us to be accepting of you and your beliefs, but you are quick to judge and not be accepting of our beliefs. It IS our religious belief that being gay is a sin. But that doesnt mean I have to hate gay people. I am very accepting of them.
Just like you dont want OUR beliefs to be forced on you, most dont want YOUR beliefs forced on them. I know of a little boy that came home and told his mom that they read a funny story in school where two princes got married. I dont think that tolerance should be forced upon the kids. I think that should be a parents decision, just like it is your decision to believe in an organized religion or not.
I am not making very much sense. I am not good at getting my point across the same way that you are. I just felt like I needed to put in my two cents

Like I said, I still dont know which way I am voting on this proposition. I have spoken with many of my friends that are gay about it and they are ACCEPTING of the fact that it is my religious beliefs, just as I am accepting of the fact that it is there choice to be gay.

I am not trying to start a war of words. I just wanted to put in my input.

I really do love your site and will continue reading it.
Thank you for all the fun entertainment.