Cold in New Hampshire, but warm stories

January 24, 2011

This weekend, Arisha, Anthony and Jackki trekked to New Hampshire to help run the first two Camp Courage trainings in the state. Below is a brief report from Arisha. More to come.

Remember to register and tell your family, friends and colleagues to do so. Registration and more details can be found at GraniteStateCampCourage.org. -Adam

By Arisha Michelle Hatch
After a “scenic detour” through rural New Hampshire, Jackki, Anthony and I finally made it to Concord and walked into a room full of eager organizers. Although we had never met, I was immediately greeted by a familiar face – my co-worker Caitlin’s mom Linda – who passed down her eyes and petite frame to her daughter.

The stories and people were so warm today in Concord that I almost forgot for a moment how cold it is outside.

Cait and I have worked “together” in Courage’s virtual office for close to two years now.  I know her well – know her story – know the love that she feels for her fiancé, Jen, and how excited they are to be planning their wedding; but until today, I never knew how her parents felt about it all.

Linda told Cait and Jen’s story through the eyes of a mother – a mother who worries about her daughter living so far away in California; who would jump on a plane at a moments notice if Cait needed her to. She talked about the fact that now that Cait and Jen are together she loses less sleep; about how she calls Jen now when she’s worried about her daughter; and about how, regardless of gender, Jen will always take care of Cait.

“As a mother, that’s what you hope for,” she said.

The temperature in New Hampshire continues to dip, and everyone we meet insists that tomorrow will be colder; but not this stop in Concord – today, this stop, was warm.

Filed under: Marriage equality

25 Comments Leave a Comment

  • 1. Peterplumber  |  January 24, 2011 at 1:21 am

    I used to spend lot of time in New Hampshire. I was there for an entire winter one year. The thing I remember most about that winter, aside form seeing the Aurora for the first time, was that for a two week period, the temperature never above -10°.

  • 2. Ķĭŗîļĺę&  |  January 24, 2011 at 1:46 am

    I really hope nothing wrong will happen in New Hampshire like it happened in California two years ago when a simple majority of voters enshrined discrimination against the state Supreme Court-recognized rights of same-sex couples to marry one another.

    It seems almost impossible to imagine something will happen with marriage equality in NH, but California experience makes us all wonder and feel unsure, just like all Russian citizens today once again felt unsure about their own security after a bomb went off in Moscow airport killing dozens of people and injuring over a hundred.

    This world is full of hatred and violence: sometimes it's an open violence expressed with bullets fired towards random people who didn't do anything at all to their adversaries; and sometimes it's a hidden violence expressed with votes cast at the ballot box and false statements that some “behavior” is wrong and ungodly and is threatening to our society — towards people who, once again, didn't do anything to their adversaries, just happened to be able to make their own, personal choices to live their own, personal lives with someone of the same gender.

    How, I ask you, is it not the same kind of terrorism, though not from some crazy trigger-happy wackos, but from their own people — neighbors, relatives, friends, co-workers? On both sides I see religious fanatics blindly following their zealotry to no end and against any reason or human compassion! Wake up, anti-gays — don't be terrorists anymore! Please!

    – ♂K♥F♂

  • 3. Sagesse  |  January 24, 2011 at 1:55 am

    Win or lose, what you're doing will improve the climate for marriage equality in NH. And you could win (if the current delays take the steam out of the repeal effort) :) .

  • 4. Ronnie  |  January 24, 2011 at 2:14 am

    =

    <3…Ronnie

  • 5. Ann S.  |  January 24, 2011 at 2:16 am

    §

  • 6. fiona64  |  January 24, 2011 at 2:34 am

    Kirille, I am so glad to see your note this morning. One of the vendors with whom I work mentioned the bomb and I immediately became concerned about you and Felyx.

    Love and hugs,
    Fiona (who now returns you to your regularly scheduled programming)

  • 7. Phillip R  |  January 24, 2011 at 3:06 am

    What a nice story. :)

  • 8. Eddie  |  January 24, 2011 at 3:12 am

    I recently hijacked a NOM email to legislators in Maryland RE: HB55 and changed the wording to the following:

    BTW this email was SENT!

    "I urge you to support wholeheartedly the same-sex marriage legislation (HB55) currently pending in the House Judiciary Committee.

    For millennia, equality for all has been the ongoing struggle for humanity, regardless of sex, race, creed, religion, and sexual preference. "The right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," wrote Thomas Jefferson beautifully and perfectly. It's all there in the Declaration of Independence. Opposing same-sex marriage legislatively, morally, and publicly is to oppose equality, as well as the great principles upon which this nation was founded.

    The proposed legislation does NOT redefine marriage nor will it hurt or destroy any existing heterosexual marriages. The arguments by the opposition to this legislation are ridiculous, without merit, and laughably lacking in truth. The bill does nothing to harm the institution of marriage. But it also does nothing to address the day-to-day conflicts which arise when religious individuals and organizations interrupt, distract from, and twist the facts in the public sphere.

    The American people have consistently and repeatedly been used as pawns in this enduring struggle against bigotry and ignorance. The argument of voters' rights will be marched out by the opposition groups. "If marriage is to be redefined in Maryland, it should be the voters who make that decision" is what they will say. I urge you not to listen to the lies and propaganda and to fight for truth and equality for all. Withholding a right from one group while giving it to all other groups is not constitutional, nor is it Patriotic in the least.

    I urge you to respect the voice of your heart of hearts. I urge you to protect equality and vote yes on the same-sex marriage bill."

  • 9. Peterplumber  |  January 24, 2011 at 3:29 am

    Errmm, good job??

    How did you manage to hijack an email?

  • 10. Straight For Equalit  |  January 24, 2011 at 3:56 am

    Great letter, Eddie!

  • 11. BK  |  January 24, 2011 at 4:04 am

    Good to see Arisha back. :)

  • 12. anonygrl  |  January 24, 2011 at 4:09 am

    Yes indeed it is! Hi Arisha!!! Stay warm up there in the frozen north!

  • 13. Maggie4NoH8  |  January 24, 2011 at 4:44 am

    Who was it sent to?

  • 14. Rhie  |  January 24, 2011 at 4:48 am

    Watching

  • 15. Ronnie  |  January 24, 2011 at 4:58 am

    Awesome that you guys are getting to meet some cool people in NH….

    & now for a musical interlude…don't forget that tonight is the season 3 premier of "RuPaul's Drag Race on Logo….Here is RuPaul's "Jealous of My Boogie" (featuring season 2 winner Tyra Sanchez & runner's up Raven and Jujubee)….<3…Ronnie:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TJV8K8G55s

  • 16. Ronnie  |  January 24, 2011 at 5:16 am

    Another example of the amazing youth of our country demanding that their voices be heard…..meet Kayla K., High school senior who publicly came out to her entire high school while speaking at an assembly honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr….thank you….thank you…thank you, Kayla, for sharing with the world you courageous voice…….<3….Ronnie:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InN6bt0B8x0&fe…

  • 17. Straight For Equalit  |  January 24, 2011 at 5:34 am

    Wow! What a brave, mature young woman! I hope she inspires many others to follow her path of honesty, acceptance, and pride in who she is.

  • 18. Maggie4NoH8  |  January 24, 2011 at 5:45 am

    Actually, I found the letter on the NOM Blog… I did what Eddie did – rewrote the letter, and submitted via NOM's tools to send to MULTIPLE Maryland legislators, etc…

    The text of my rewrite is as follows:

    I urge you to support the same-sex marriage legislation (HB55) currently pending in the House Judiciary Committee.

    I am not your constituent. Indeed, I am thousands of miles away, living in California. I am an American citizen, not a "state" citizen, and what happens in any state affects all of us.

    I am writing to you because I have seen first hand the subtle, and not-so-subtle, nuances of the National Organization for Marriage's (NOM) campaign to deny equality in California, and now, in other states.

    I intensely followed the federal trial (commonly referred to as Perry v Schwarzenegger) that examined the constitutionality of the referendum (Proposition 8) placed on the ballot in California by NOM in November 2008. Although the ultimate outcome is still pending in federal courts, the personal outcome for me happened when the arguments, by both sides, were presented.

    Through the trial, I learned:

    * Opposite-sex couples are not harmed by marriage equality
    * Children are NOT harmed by marriage equality (indeed, marriage equality strengthens all families and children benefit from this)
    * The proponents of Proposition 8 are not able to show rational reason(s) to oppose marriage equality, only irrational, religious fears
    * The opponents of Proposition 8 were very clearly able to show harm as a result of Proposition 8
    * I no longer *think* marriage equality is morally right, I KNOW it is right.

    While the above is a very, very short list of what the trial "meant" for me, the conclusion was clear: opposition to marriage equality is rooted in religious beliefs and the rallying cry preys upon stereotypes, fears and falsehoods.

    America holds itself to the world as an example – a beacon of freedom and equality. We value diversity, and divergent beliefs, and strive to create a just society for everyone. To that end, we've fought wars simply because the will of a tyrant, a religion, or a government was imposed upon others – this is no different.

    Most of us believe and support the right of a citizen to own a firearm – that doesn't mean we all are forced to own a gun, just that we have the right to do so if we choose! Marriage equality should be the same. The right to own arms isn't a slippery slope to our demise, nor is marriage equality.

    No matter which side of the debate you fall upon, the only American, patriotic thing to do is to support marriage equality.

    Please, I urge you to respect our Constitution. I urge you to protect freedom and vote in favor of marriage equality.

    I actually think this is a good idea… The folks in Maryland need to hear from marriage equality supporters as well.

    And it doesn't hurt NOM to know there are folks on their website watching them (Hi Maggie G!)

  • 19. RebeccaRGB  |  January 24, 2011 at 6:46 am

    ⌘

  • 20. Straight For Equalit  |  January 24, 2011 at 7:20 am

    Excellent!

  • 21. JonT  |  January 24, 2011 at 7:38 am

    ☮

  • 22. Richard A. Jernigan  |  January 24, 2011 at 8:12 am

    So glad to see this report. Keep up the good work!

  • 23. Richard A. Jernigan  |  January 24, 2011 at 8:13 am

    Might want to click the box!

  • 24. 5 degrees and still hot &&hellip  |  January 28, 2011 at 11:23 am

    [...] Arisha noted in her post last weekend, “Cold in New Hampshire, but warm stories“, she, along with Anthony and Jackki are currently in New Hampshire running our Camp Courage [...]

  • 25. Prop 8 Trial Tracker &raq&hellip  |  March 21, 2012 at 2:57 pm

    [...] helped do this by funding Camp Courage; we worked with several hundred volunteers all across New Hampshire in partnership with Granite State Progress to fight this early [...]

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