Playing Fair

Can I rant for a few moments? It's that kind of day.

After standing in the rain, coaching my son's soccer team with a single parent- you know, the straight white guy who has not volunteered to coach but feels absolutely comfortable telling the coach (me) exactly what to do when- constantly in my ear while my group of 9 and 10 year old boys ran around in delight on the muddy field, I was frustrated.

Not because we lost- the other team was bigger, pushed a lot and my kids kept checking the sidelines to see if the donuts had arrived- but because there wasn't really anything I could do.

Sure, I could have yelled at the parent to get to the other sideline, where he was suppose to be, but what really is the point? This is not the World Cup, they are just kids and an hour after the game, none of them care what the score was.

It's one of those situations there really isn't anything to be done in. I'm starting to feel the same way about Maine. The other campaign is lying, sending around obscene images and tying them to "the homosexual agenda," in a way that is very reminiscent of what happened in Massachusetts. Meanwhile, the entire porn industry goes merrily on it's way shelling disgusting images to appeal to heterosexual men.

You can't respond because it won't matter. People who believe that, will believe that. There are people who believe "God Hates Fags," as if God would hate, and use such foul language. And yet those folks feel nothing is wrong with having their young children hold those signs up. Because God would want them to hate and be angry, too.

I'm not sure where that is in the Bible but... I've only read it once and it was a long time ago. Maybe they've changed it.

I want to shout "Cheater!" to the Yes on One people, who have used total and complete lies- gay sex will be taught to kindergartners- to scare people into believing a vote will save doe-eyed, blond girls from evil.

So... they teach straight sex in kindergarten?

I asked my middle son, after watching the last batch of outrageous lies, were you taught about sex in kindergarten?

He looked at me like I was nuts. No.

First? Second? Third grade?

No, Mom. That's stupid.

Well, they say we teach gay sex in schools here in Massachusetts because we have marriage equality.

Mom...no.

Did teachers ever talk about marriage at all? Same sex, opposite sex, any kind of marriage?

No, Mom.

Surprise, surprise.

But like standing on the soccer field today with my most annoying parent at my side, there is nothing to be done. No more ads will change any minds. The last, and only, thing to do is to knock on doors and get people to vote. To listen to their neighbors, one last time. Because it is about Maine, the people of Maine, and no one else. Not NOM or the Pope or a kinky street fair that happens in San Francisco that is only for consenting adults.

We can only hope people can see through the lies. Understand that if there is a God? Nothing ever said about God has anything to do with hate.

As those folks knock on doors one last time, it is with cheer, good feelings, and hope. Because we will not stoop that low.

One of my kids at halftime said, let's push 'em back! I said, no. That's not soccer. You play with your head and your feet.

The tide has changed. Marriage equality, for this nation, is only a few years away. When it happens, I want to look my kids in the eye and know that I played fair. That our movement played fair.

Even if I really want to photoshop Peter LaBarbara's head onto a leather daddy body and send that in an email. (Or find a very real photo of him "researching" the decadent gay lifestyle he is so obsessed with.)