4 years ago I stopped working as an employee and decided it was time to do some volunteer work. Asking myself what I was passionate about and what I wanted to volunteer for, the answer was simple. I went to the internet and looked up the No on 8 campaign and volunteered. I started working the phone banks and quickly became a trainer for the phone bank volunteers. It was a natural for me as I come from a training background. I put my heart and soul into the campaign and was devastated when it passed.
Protesters being arrested
The past 4 years have been a series of ups and downs emotionally. There was sorrow and anger when the California Supreme Court upheld Prop 8. I was standing on the steps of the court when the decision came down. I stayed much of the day for the protests and watched as many staged a sit-in and were subsequently arrested. Then there was joy when the appellate court found that Prop 8 was indeed unconstitutional. Now we wait for the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether or not to hear the case.
A few weeks ago I went to a reading of Dustin Lance Black’s play based on the transcripts of the trial appealing Prop 8 before the 9th Circuit Court. I was amazed and appalled watching what transpired (available on YouTube). But what stays with me is the feeling I had walking into the theater. I went with my husband and he was the only person I knew there. Yet, walking into that huge auditorium, I felt a sense of home – a feeling that I was with my people, my family, my community. It reinforced for me my decision to rebrand and refocus my work. The LGBT community is where I want to work, the people I want to work with, play with, be with. That is where I feel most alive and where I feel my life has most meaning.
What about you? Where is your place? Where do you find the most meaning in your life?
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