So, my appeal to you is to consider helping to upset the imbalance....level out a bit....and also make a statement about who we are in Canada.

A friend entered a competition by homemakers regarding love..  It was to write a piece regarding "I knew it was love when”

She did it & submitted it.  Her name is Kim. Her partner's name is Karen. 

Well, they made it through to the top 10....which is amazing. 

Now it is time for the formal voting.

So, if you feel like supporting them, and in the process, making a statement, go to http://lovecontest.homemakers.com/vote , register, and vote for Note to Self.

Perhaps I'm biased but .... thanks for highlighting this story Pinga and for directing me to the place where I can support and vote and nod in agreement because indeed, love is love.

thanks myst.

share with your friends, if you feel so moved.

'coz....well, sometimes, there is also a time to say, heh, you know what, after soooo long...a bit of affirmative actionis appropriate.

a shameless bump

oh, Pinga!  lol

I thought for sure that the appeal was going to be for us to refuse to get married until it was legal for everyone (a la Brangelina).

I'm happy to make a statement that proves love is love.

Glad to vote. 

Pinga I was noticing that a person could vote more than once, but only once per day until the deadline.  Is that right?

TL

yes, that is correct, you can vote once / day......so, therefore, I was thinking of bumping this thread once/ day...if people don't object.

thanks Hilary & TL.

PS...share with your friends!

I happen to know these folks, but I hope I would do the same for anyone who had the courage to put their face forward.....yes, there is a reward, but part of the reward is that many people will see how far we have come that they made it to the top 10, and, with no abusive comments.

I think a bump-a-day is a great idea.

I'm giving another today! bump!

Great story ... they've got my vote!  Today, and the next, and the next ...

Okay, let me think about it, ...no thank you.

As the Kim in Kim & Karen in the story I just wanted to say thank you to Jayne and others for supporting us.  It is so much more than a contest for a trip... (don't get me wrong, the trip looks great but....) When I look at the website and get to see my partner and my daughter smiling back at me, I see family... my family, right there with the others.  And maybe someone will see us and the door will open just that tiny bit to an understanding of love and relationship that is broad and deep and affirming and accepting and grace-filled...  love is love is love... and right now, I'm swimming in it. :)

Wow, what a post. Almost makes me want to support your story. Almost. Thing is I'd much rather support the traditional family of husband, wife, and kids. It's under attack these days and needs the help it can get.

match3, we get that you don't agree...you made your point - twice.  You want to start up another homophobic thread, feel free to do so, but, I am asking you to respect this thread, as you have made your point.

now, for all the others, thanks for your support.

Something is only under threat if you are threatened.  Stop being so easily scared.  As long as humans can reproduce, there will be "traditional" families.

As-salaamu alaikum

-Omni

[/quote]

 Wow, what a post. Almost makes me want to support your story. Almost. Thing is I'd much rather support the traditional family of husband, wife, and kids. It's under attack these days and needs the help it can get.

[/quote]

I support all the husbands and wives and kids in my life too.  They do need help (we humans  tend to need a lot) and I offer it when I can.  And while I'm at it, I tend to my partner and our beautiful child and go to church and go out into the world and live a life that respects rather than denies and offers God up to people on a platter loaded to overflowing with goodness and mercy.... but then, that's just me and mine.  Good luck with the whole "under attack" gig... it's not really what I think God calls us for, but if it's what stirs your pot, then peace be with you in your bunker.

And again, thanks for support folks... I appreciate it a lot.

Match3 -- i have created a thread for us to discuss your comment: http://www.wondercafe.ca/discussion/relationships/passive-aggressive-traditional-family-husband-wife-and-kids

A friendly bump up for love is love is love......

TL

.... is love is love is love ....

So nice to have you here at wondercafe gaia grrl .... really enjoyed your story.

gaia -- thanks for being so gracious.  and for being such  a good friend.

really??  how?? 

please go to the thread and tell me.  i want to protect my family from the barbarians at the gate!!!

bumping up as I cast my vote for the day.

nice to meet you, gaia, and thanks for stopping by on this thread to say HI!

 A wise man (R.A. Heinlein) once wrote "Love is when the well being of another is important to yours". 

Works for me.

I voted again today. Nice to "meet" you Gaia. Your story is so touching and I wish you the best of luck.

Really? How?

You'll have to excuse me if I look elsewhere than you for answers on what God's will is. I do not believe you are in much of a position to speak on the subject considering your lifestyle is in direct conflict with what God's Word teaches.

^"For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature;" - Romans 1: 26 (ESV)

match3, for the last time, stop it.

You and I share the same freedom of expression. You have as much right to try to win your friends a trip as I do to speak against homosexual behaviour. 'Nuff said.

so, are you going to explain to us how this at all impacts on those of us in heterosexual relationships, then??  cause i'm so curious to know...

i've been married for 20 years now... how on earth is my relationship or my family 'under attack' because of same sex marriage??

So by traditional, are you referringg to the Biblical version of marriage, which is one man and as many women as he could afford to purchase?

Or would that be the traditional western version, which was limited to one man the master, and one woman, owned and subservient in all things, who was purchased from her father by the husband? Would you include the husband's right to concubines at will with that? Or do you consider that a seperate issue? Of course the Wife would be killed if she had sex with anyone else, so we don't need to concern ourselves with that.

Or would that be the more modern traditional marriage of the last couple of hundred years, where the wife had at least the illusion of choice in her husband, but no rights such as voting or owning property once she was married, and the husband was still expected to "discipline" his wife, with violence if necessary?

Or are you referring to the fantasy version the religious right is trying to foist on us as traditional; the "Leave it to Beaver" version which only existed for at most a couple of decades, if it ever existed at all?

Just trying to suss out exactly what you mean by "traditional".....

Yes, unfortunately he's right Pinga. He has the right to be as bigotted , prejudiced, and ignorant as he wishes.

The Human Rights act guarantees the rights of people like him to be stupid.

Fortunately, the same act protects the peop[le he hates from most of the effects of his homophobia.

heh folks, I started a thread to have this dialoge with match3, the link is here ->  witch,  sigh, any chance you would engage him there?  http://www.wondercafe.ca/discussion/relationships/passive-aggressive-traditional-family-husband-wife-and-kids

match3 -- if you want to argue about the ability to post a thread asking someone to particpate in a vote...do it here.

otherwise, as the thread originator, i say, you are doing the same obtrusive homophobic crap spitting on any gay positive thread, and I am asking you to stop.

moving further comment to the other thread

so does that mean we're back to the love is love is love thread again? :) cause i like that one.... lovecontest.homemakers.com/entry/1926920  and it's funny you know pinga cause you posting this here is making me braver about sending out our story into the world (well, i guess i did put it on a national magazine website but other than that...) and have sent pleas out to people i never, EVER would have thought i'd have the pluck to contact.  we'll see how this goes...

i just wonder what Homemakers will do with us if we win?

I hope it means a return to the topic.  I've been going around today with the words "love is love is love" in my thoughts.  Nice.

yeah,for you, gaia

love is love is love.....

tl...i can hear your bird chirping that tune.

That's exactly it Pinga  :-)

gaiagrrl, it is so truly inspiring that your story, the story of love that just happens to be between two women (and a wonderful child) has made it to the top 10 in a contest through Homemakers. That alone offers such promise and hope. Thanks for your courage and willingness to be 'out' there! You go, grrl!!! (needed to say that after responding on the "You Go" thread earlier).

love is love is love (where are the music notes in the smiley area?) .... just thought I'd sing along with TL's bird.

We've been over this before but same sex couples are not remotely in conflict with GOD's word or GOD's will, they're only in conflict with the attempted rewrite coming from the loony right.

As the thread originator that you are you should have been more honest with people from the get-go. This isn't about giving people the chance to stand for equal rights. It's about winning a trip for your friends. There's nothing wrong with wanting your friends to have nice things, but don't try to mask it in a fight for equal rights.

As the thread originator that you are you should have been more honest with people from the get-go. This isn't about giving people the chance to stand for equal rights. It's about winning a trip for your friends. There's nothing wrong with wanting your friends to have nice things, but don't try to mask it in a fight for equal rights.

[/quote]

match3frog , with respect, i need to say that you have absolutely no idea what it is like to look out into the world in the media  and not see images of your family represented...not be able to show your daughter a book (other than those specifically designed like Heather Has Two Moms) or a tv show or a magazine that just shows her family in an ordinary way. 

you don't know what it's like to risk being beat up or verbally abused when you hold hands in public with the person that you've been with for 17 years.  you don't know what it is to say love is love and then risk living that out in the world.

and you don't know the pure moment of joy i had when i saw that we had been picked for the finals of the contest.  and yes, it is indeed a contest.  but i would have felt the same way if there was no prize becuase i don't think we'll win.. i never have.  getting into the top 10 for me is about visibllity and having people read a story of love that is different than their own and, hopefully, respect it. it was also about seeing whether a mainstream magazine with small c conservative readership would take the risk to put us into the top 10... for me, that's what this has been about.  winning would be sweet but not expected...

pinga said from the start what she was posting.  and she understands the issues.  she gets that every moment or situation where my relationship to my partner is up for grabs as "less than" or *equal to* a heterosexual union AND a time and situation when heterosexual couples and singles can make a tangible choice to (or not to) support us  *is* time and place to speak about it.... 

it is about equal rights.

now, are you EVER going to tell me how i'm being attacked?? 

You don't know that. You have no idea what my family is like. FYI, my traditional family consists of my once-divorced wife, two stepsons, and myself. My wife and stepsons are of a different race than I, from a different culture than I, from a different country than I, and speak a different first-language than I. Indeed, I have never met my eldest stepson who lives in another country halfway around the world. In case you haven't noticed, our family-type is not well represented in the media.

On the issue of physical violence, you're right. In the case of verbal abuse, you may not be. Living here in Toronto we are mostly treated as any other family (we have had a few negative reactions from people based on our racial differences). However, I'm not as sure that that would be the case in some other places of our great land. I know that my stepson had racial slurs thrown at him in school when we lived in rural Alberta.

I read it and was not moved enough to vote for it. I did like the way you lovingly spoke of your partner.

pinga briefly mentioned the prize, granted. However, imho pinga strived to make the entire issue about equality of rights. Here's the straight goods...

"The winner will be awarded a trip for two to Grand Cayman island consisting of:
• Roundtrip air fare, courtesy of Air Canada
• 7 days/6 nights stay at the Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort
• A candlelit dinner for two
• A relaxing couples massage
• A snorkelling adventure to Stingray City and more!
 The approximate value of the grand prize is $6,000 (CAD) based on Toronto departure.
Prizes must be accepted as awarded, and are not transferable or convertible to cash, except at the option of Homemakers (Transcontinental Media G.P.)  (the "Contest Sponsor").
Prizes may not be sold or traded. Should the winner refuse a prize, the Contest Sponsor and their respective advertising and promotional agencies are released from any obligation related to the prize." - source: Homemakers

Match3,  if my friend were a straight couple, I would agree with you...but that is not the situation here.

Of course, there's a prize, goof...it is a contest..lol...it is why I said I hoped people didn't mind that i posted.

My reason for posting, though is about equality...and about making a statement.

You know, had gai been married to a man, I would not have asked permission to share it on my facebook.   Because she is married to a woman, I asked her about risk, are you willing to risk this item.  I asked her about sharing with friends.

I have also told my friends, when I did share, that it is about celebrating Canada.  A place where we can do this.

so, silly, match3.....realize this item is about levelling the playing field.  

I know Gaia......and I know some of the people who commented on her thread....and I know how meaningful it is...that their family, that a family of two women...were accepted.

that is awesome.

and, you can't wreck it for us.

voted today :)

I hope people read the comments, as well, and maybe leave one.

Having read some of them, the affirming comments mean a lot to the other readers....not just gaia grrl.

Wondercafe administration has now banned me from taking part in this particular thread. I may still choose to add comment in the thread which was set up to insult and challenge me.

ROTFLMAO!!

Not allowed to reply. Banned by Wondercafe administration.

That is a reply Match3frog.  Joking or not you need to move on.  Enough.

TL

Not liberal enough to reply. Banned by Wondercafe administration.