Wrong Governor, Right Time

by Sue Gillis, Publisher

Dear Governor Douglas,

Your declaration to veto the marriage equality bill instilled in me profound sadness.

And your stated reasons for doing so are, quite frankly, pitiful.

Those excuses appear on the surface to be politically-calculated or personally-motivated, and certainly not based on the merits of the legislation itself.

Your personal beliefs regarding gay marriage are not my concern. However, you happen to be governor at a time when this issue has an historic groundswell of support from Vermonters. You are only one individual – yet you have the power to impede efforts to rectify one of the last remaining civil rights injustices.

Governor, the Constitution is not on your side; the Legislature is not on your side. And at least 60 percent of Vermonters are not on your side.

The movement toward equal civil marriage will, ultimately, prevail.

This is the time for you to lead, with courage.

And yes… it takes courage to stand up, particularly at a time even when it’s not your own personal belief you are defending.

This is your opportunity to stand up for the human rights of thousands of your Vermont constituents, your neighbors, peers, employees… and for all those who will come after you.

Rarely have you had the opportunity to make such a far-reaching difference – rarely does anyone get such a chance.

It is unlikely you will have such a monumental decision come your way again.

This is your moment to do what is right.

At the very least, let the measure pass without your signature.

Sometimes, it’s a good thing when the personal becomes political. Great changes have been made in society stemming from the passion and actions of those who advocate for just such cultural transformation.

But this time you’ve got it dead wrong.

You, personally, may never have been touched by the daily acts of discrimination supported by the existing laws, which have caused so much suffering by so many Americans.

Unfortunately, systemic discrimination is deeply rooted in our history and culture.

Is this a legacy you want to endorse, and perpetuate?

The journey for equal rights for women, African-Americans, indigenous Americans, Jews, gays and lesbians – and many others – has been long, frustrating, and exhausting.

Although progress has been made, evidence is plentiful that the struggles continue.

When we as individuals are given the opportunity to make a difference… to ease the burden of our fellow sisters and brothers, it seems to me unforgiveable not to do whatever we can.

Governor Douglas, you have no idea if someday you will have a gay grandchild or niece or nephew, or a great grandchild, whom you may never live long enough to know.

It’s more likely to happen than you may imagine.

And that is as personal as it gets. Will your “belief” endure that?

When that day comes… and that’s when, not if…that will be the day your decision on H.178 will really count.

One way or the other.

“I think that it is a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage [referring to California’s Proposition Eight] to sit and reflect and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren’s eyes if they continue that way of support. We’ve got to have equal rights for everyone.”

– Actor Sean Penn in his Oscar acceptance speech for “Milk.”

“When it comes to matters of social justice, I did the worst thing possible: I compromised.”

- Steve Kiernan, March 24, 2009 “My Turn” in the Burlington Free Press. Kiernan is a former Free Press editorial page writer, who wrote the 1999 editorial opposing same-sex marriage: a position he now calls “my enduring shame.”

"Stand up for doing the right thing; for being a human being… Put human rights above politics -- because if you don't, you'll regret it for the rest of your political career…
Conservatives should note that the first American soldier to ‘take a bullet’ at the onset of the current war in Iraq was a gay man…”

- Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, accepting the 2009 David Curtis Award, March 28.