DING DONG DOMA IS DEAD!

Dancers come in all shapes, sizes, genders, and races.  Dancers also know what it’s like to walk into a room and be told to leave because you don’t “fit” what they’re looking for.  Mostly it’s because you don’t have the right look that the choreographer is looking for.  Perhaps you’re too short.  Maybe your legs aren’t long enough.  Either way, rejection hurts.

Nothing would ever compare, though, to being told that you don’t have the same rights when you get married to the person you love because of your sexual preference. 

I am so proud to be an American today.  DOMA (the Defense Of Marriage Act) has been shut down.  It’s a step forward for our nation, and hopefully a step forward for our world.  The amount of hatred I have seen in my lifetime against gay men and woman is despicable.  One of the most vivid memories I have is watching young children hold signs outside of my college that spewed hateful messages about God hating gays and creating AIDS to eradicate the culture.  Even as I type this, I am crying thinking about how much hate and ignorance someone must have in their hearts to pass on thoughts of inequality to children. 

Some of my favorite people on earth are gay.  In the dance world, as stereotypical as this is, you DO cross paths with a lot of gay men.  Even though many of them are stereotypically “softer” in certain respects, these men are some of the strongest willed, and emotionally strong, people that I have ever met.  I have seen many of them find someone who is just PERFECT for them, and yet sadly, they don’t want to marry, or they CAN’T marry (depending on where they live). 

I have never understood why it wasn’t recognized that two people of the same sex couldn’t be together.  I grew up in the dance world, not to mention that my mother grew up in both the skating and dance world, and my grandmother was an interior designer and ice skater.  I grew up not just automatically knowing the culture, and what that entailed, but I grew up with parents that instilled within me a general kindness, acceptance, and loving nature that I wouldn’t know what to do without.  I accept all people, and I only don’t accept those that act hatefully and put out a negative energy into the world that is harmful. 

I am so glad and proud today that our nation is standing up and acting out against that hate.  Perhaps with this will come more education and understanding that people are people.  It doesn’t matter what your race is or what your sexual preference is or what your gender is.  We are all human who are trying to make sure that we keep intact our basic right to live. 

Today, celebrate who you love.  In this world, you never know when that might be taken away from you, whether it’s the cause of a government, or if it’s fate, or nature.  You never do know, so on this day of celebration, make sure everyone you love knows it.  And if there’s that special someone out there, make sure they know you love them.