Some in Maryland, such as the Maryland Catholic Conference, have stated that civil marriage equality is not needed because same-sex couples enjoy "many" of the legal protections that hetero-couples enjoy.
That would be like saying - as was said a half-century ago - that water fountains need not be de-segregated because there are plenty of water fountains that Black folks could use.
The argument was silly and hurtful then. It is silly and hurtful today.
Case in point:
Charlene Strong (pictured above) lives in Washington State. In 2006, she lost her spouse, Kate Fleming, to a torrential flood.
In recent years, Strong has been talking about the hurtful mistreatment she received from hospital administrators, and a funeral director who refused to acknowledge her relationship with her deceased spouse. As Strong told the Washington Post:
“They were willing to take the word of someone on the phone, 300 miles away,’
"Who knew her allergies? I did. Who knew what her wishes were? I did."
Her poor treatment at the hands of ostensible care givers and service providers has prompted Strong to campaign to legalize marriage equality.
Strong has continued her commitment to the Catholic Church - despite the campaign against marriage equality, which the hierarchy has mounted. Why? As Strong has said:
‘The church kept me from going crazy after my wife died. They were there to help bury her with tremendous compassion . . ."
“When you leave the church you can’t fix the church. You can’t be part of the discussion.”Sources:
Strong speaks to Zags about gay marriage, the Catholic Church - Spokanefavs
Lesbian answers bishop’s call for dialogue on gay marriage - Washington Post
Special thanks to Bondings 2.0, for its report and for the photo (above) : Catholic Woman’s Loss Transforms into Struggle for Equality - Bondings 2.0
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