Hi, Conservative Friends!

Hey guys!  I know you're out there.  You're the ones who get annoyed when I criticize Mitt Romney or the conservatives in Congress.  You don't normally say stuff (because you fear getting eaten alive by my liberal friends?  I dunno) but I know you're out there, and I know at least some of you see what I write/post.

So I wanted to talk to you guys today.

I'd been putting off writing this until closer to the election, but I'm thinking that it's more important to start this discussion now, because this is when people are starting to make decisions with regards to who they want to be the next president.

SO let's whack this hornet's nest.

Awwww yeah,

I have a lot of problems with Mitt Romney.  He appears to show no empathy for the suffering of animals*, he's telling contradictory stories about his time as governor of Massachusetts and as CEO of Bain (raising questions about his honesty), he has no diplomacy skills, and he seems to think that a country and a business can be run exactly the same way.  Those are just a few of the issues I have with the man, but I'm not interested in going into those things today.

I want to know why you guys, if you're thinking of supporting Romney, want to elect a guy who says he wants to take my rights away.

I mean, seriously, all the noises Romney has made on this front suggest that he wants to write into the Constitution an amendment which would prevent me from legally marrying the woman I love.

My girlfriend is named Hannah.  We met the first day of college and were best friends within two weeks of hanging out.  We've been dating for 8 months and we love each other very much.  We've kept each other sane in wild times and stuck together even when things have gotten difficult.

Imagine Hannah and I, after college, decide we want to make a lifelong commitment to love and care for each other- a marriage.  If Romney had his way, we wouldn't be able to seal that commitment with a legal document.  Think it's just a piece of paper?

If Hannah got severely injured or sick, so much so that she might die, I would not be allowed to sit with her in the hospital.

If I had a child, Hannah would not be able to share custody with me, so if something happened to me she wouldn't necessarily be able to keep the child.

If Hannah got a job with good health benefits, I would not be guaranteed to be covered by those benefits, meaning any illness or injury I suffered would have to be covered out of pocket, threatening our financial security.

These are three of the over 1000 rights guaranteed couples who legally tie the knot.  Romney, at least from what he's been saying during the campaign, wants to use the United States Constitution to prevent Hannah and me from being able to access over 1000 rights which you guys have been guaranteed by virtue of how you were born.

Are you okay with that?  I want you to seriously ask yourself: are you okay with your vote taking away my right to a normal life?  My right to financial security?  My right to be with my wife if she's dying in a hospital?

Some of you may say "But Romney may just be saying that to make the ultra-conservatives happy!  I'm sure he won't do those things once he's actually in office."

So you're comfortable electing a man who may be constantly, blatantly lying to get votes?  Say what you will about Obama, but he never lied to get into office**.

This is where we are: my dear conservative friends, you seem to be thinking that you're either voting for a liar or for someone who wants to render me a second-class citizen.  I don't like the idea of taking that risk.  Do you?

So please, my friends who care about me, think very carefully before deciding your vote.  I'll be frank: a vote for Romney is a vote which hurts me personally.

How many other people in your life are hurt by Romney's plans?  Do you have a gay brother?  A gay aunt?  Is your best friend gay?  A vote for Romney hurts them, too.

We, the queer community, are not abstractions.  We're not a political issue.  Our rights aren't a "distraction" from "the real issues".  We're your friends and family.  A vote for an anti-gay politician causes direct harm to your friends and family.  As the video I posted last week said: "Anti-gay is anti-me."

Are you okay with that?

*Which, it should be noted, is considered an early warning sign of serial killerhood in children (please note, I'm aware Romney's not a serial killer, but empathy for animals is generally seen as essential to being a decent human being)
**Over-estimated what he could do, and has had to change strategies based on what Congress was doing, but he didn't lie like some of y'all are saying Romney is.