My two dads taught me everything I know about love and family. And now we're ready to show the rest of America what it means, because many people don't realize that marriage bans affect kids and families, not just same-sex couples.
Next week my family will drive from Kentucky to Washington, D.C., to go before the Supreme Court. Together we're fighting to get them to recognize my parents as a married couple. This monumental trip is not just for our family but for the right of couples in all 50 states to get married or have their existing marriages acknowledged and respected.
I've teamed up with the ACLU to document my family's journey from the Supreme Court toward marriage equality across America. Follow my Tumblr for updates.
For over 20 years my parents have built their lives together and raised me, my two brothers, and my sister. Back in 2008 they got married in Palm Springs. Although their marriage is recognized in California, it is not recognized in Kentucky, where we live.
The first time I realized we were being treated differently was when I was 6 years old. We tried to sign up for a family membership at the YMCA and were turned away. So we took action. I remember handing out flyers about getting turned away at the YMCA and getting rude comments. As a child, I found that really confusing. I had never seen that kind of intolerance.
But the discrimination hurts us in far more important ways too.
The fact that my parents are forced to pay for different health insurance, dental insurance, car insurance, and other things costs us thousands more than other families. But it's not just about the money. Whenever I got sick as a kid, only one of my dads could come with me to the doctor, because they can't both be my legal guardians. Things got really stressful whenever he couldn't take off work to take care of me.
When I was 9 years old we went to our state capitol in Frankfort, Kentucky, to rally for marriage for all. I was shocked to see so many people rallying against me and my family.
I'm nervous about what will happen next week. For us this could be life-changing or heartbreaking. Either way, our journey to D.C. will be eye-opening -- different from anything we've done together.
I'm mostly just hoping for the best.