Why I'm GLAD

This post is not about music. It's about life. Read it if you wish.

One of the most exciting and important things I have done with my life began in November of 2008. I was asked to become a plaintiff in the Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders' lawsuit against DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act, which was passed in Congress in 1996.

When my life partner, and legal spouse, John Ferris died in 2008, I became an activist for the first time in my life in some cause besides music. I felt it was necessary at age 78 to take a stand for future generations of gay people to state that DOMA is unfair, unequal, and, I think, unconstitutional.

Same sex married couples are denied over one thousand Federal benefits that other married couple have without thinking. The Federal government has never interfered with State laws concerning marriage until this time. Some states forbade marriage between persons of different races. The Feds did nothing. Some states had laws about the legal age for marriage that differed from state to state. The Feds did nothing. Some states had laws about consanguinity in marriage. The Feds did nothing.

But when it was thought that Hawaii was going to pass a law permitting same sex marriage, the Feds got busy and passed DOMA. 'Marriage is only defined as between a man and a woman'. Period. Gays keep out!

Well, the Hawaiians never did pass that law. It was Massachusetts, in 2004, that was the first state to pass a same sex marriage law. John and I took advantage of it after what we called 'our 55 year engagement'.

After John's death, I discovered that I was not eligible to receive his Social Security benefit, which was higher than mine, or the death benefit that any other married couple expects without question.

That is only one of the many Federal benefits that GLAD is trying to equalize. I have always thought that 'All men (and women) are created equal' included me. I found out, that as far as the Feds were concerned, I was apparently created very un-equal! At that moment I decided to do something about it.

My participation in this suit, along with my wonderful co-plaintiffs, is one of the proudest things I have done with my life. Our legal staff, led by the indomitable Mary Bonauto, has done a magnificent job of bringing our cause to Federal Court on May 6th of this year. I was proud to be in the courtroom with my friends from GLAD. I hope that it will bear fruit for the generations of young gay people who come along, long after I have gone to whatever reward there may be.