Whose license are you calling a 'sham'? [ Letters WCT Jan. 12, 2005. ]
While basking in the glow over the recent passage of the states queer-rights bill, our glow was extinguished after reading the letter defending David Orr which tries to give excuses as to why David Orr did not follow his convictions and issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. This despite his support of the LGBT community for nearly three decades.
Just as our opponents call our relationships and our families a sham, this group of individuals, some of whom we know and care about and even consider friends, choose to toss out the term 'sham' when referring to the marriage license we obtained in San Francisco last year, and we feel compelled to respond.
Let us begin by saying that our so-called 'sham marriage license' is proudly displayed in our livingroom as is the scrapbook of our wedding in San Francisco. These serve as reminders of a joyous occasion not so long ago when one courageous leader had the nerve to ignore the status quo and act on his belief that ALL couples should be entitled to marry.
That is not the case in Cook County.
David Orr could have and still can act on his belief that same-sex couples should be entitled to marry and he can issue marriage licenses if he chooses to do so. Marriage equality activists have even offered to pay his fine if he is charged by either the Cook County State's Attorney or the Illinois Attorney General, but he won't do so on the advice of LGBT 'leaders,' some of whom signed on to a letter defending Orr that we referenced earlier, and to which we are now responding.
What the signers of the letter defending Orr failed to mention is that some of them were in on the decision on whether Orr should issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples and we all know now what that 'diverse group of gay and lesbian community activists' told him to do. They told him to ignore the thousands of couples in Chicago and Cook County, not to mention the Midwest, who yearned to be married in the city, county or region they live in without having to spend time, energy and money to travel thousands of miles to another city or county across the country to get a taste of true marriage equality.
What the letter writers failed to point out is that after San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom issued the nearly 4,000 marriage licenses, California legislators passed a same-sex marriage bill out of committee for the first time ever.
Coincidence, we think not.
With data on nearly 4,000 couples available to analyze, you can be sure that lawmakers were aware that constituents from their districts and districts throughout California made the trek to San Francisco to get married. The lawmakers also have the ability to analyze the financial impact that that had on San Francisco and the state. But here in Cook County, we don't have any of that data and probably won't anytime soon if we let a select group of 'gay and lesbian leaders' make decisions that impact the rest of us.
We do agree that legislation should be introduced here in Illinois granting full marriage rights to same-sex couples and we think that those LGBT brothers and sisters, such as us, who were not included in the initial decision-making process should consider leaving that 'diverse group of gay and lesbian community activists' out of the process just as they left the rest of us out when they helped Orr make that decision without our input.
Robert Castillo &
John Pennycuff,
Proud holders of one of the nearly 4,000 San Francisco 'sham marriage licenses'
