My goal with my blog is to share and promote my art, but at such a critical time in our country I feel I need to share something important. Part of me says, Colleen don’t involve yourself in all the political mumbo jumbo, the other part of me says ‘COLLEEN, this is your life, your way of living, your partner, your love life, your choices, your human rights!!’ I’ve never been so struck in my heart by what’s going on in my country as I am right now.
My partner and I, we frequent a certain grocery store (OFTEN) even if we’re just on our way to work and want to stop for a snack, were there ALOT. Anyway, last night we made a stop as usual, the u-scan girl came up to us and asked ‘how long have you two been together? I see you in here all the time, you’re so cute, I love it, I’m straight but I love it.’ She then proceeded to tell us that the last time we were in, when we left one of us put an arm around the other- like we almost are, always touching- and a man, a bystander just shopping like us went up to this young woman and said ‘doesn’t that bother you?’ Now before I tell you what she said, can I just say I cannot believe that we are living in a world where someone, a customer just passing through like we are feels THIS comfortable to go up to a worker at a grocery store, to someone he absolutely doesn’t know- and try to persuade her to be upset about a same sex relationship, shopping just like him, happy not bothering anyone. This is where we are in this country. It hurts. It’s SCARY. This country, this president makes people comfortable enough to act, to try and shame something they don’t agree with. She told us, quite proudly I would say, that she responded with ‘no, it doesn’t I love it.’ My heart melted, I could cry, good for you!!!! We told her how much that meant to us, really, and truly. Thank you, thank you to every.single. One of you that sticks up for mine and so many others daily, NORMAL TO US life, our happiness. You don’t know how much you mean to me, and to so many others. I believe that we are hitting rock bottom before it all gets better, I believe trump is our president for a reason, all of this is going to eventually BE FOR THE BETTER. It will, we just have to continue to protect one another. Don’t be silent, stand for what you believe, let your voice be heard, be who you are.
Go forward in peace, respect one another. United we stand.
colleenmpeterson 