I received a mindblowing email today from a friend [View All]

This is a woman who voted for Prop 8, so I assumed this person was beyond hope, but she wrote to me three weeks ago and told me about the awesome time she had had at the marriage of a gay couple. She cared about one of these people and she rejoiced in their union.

So I wrote back to her and I was, like, "That's beautiful that you could enjoy and be a part of that experience, but what is the deal with Prop 8? How could you support it and have a close friend who is gay, whose wedding you would be invited to and attend?" I wrote, "you are a tolerant person? So what is the deal?"

She said, "I am tolerant. It's just that word, 'marriage'."

I just offer that without judgment.

This community knows how much I support all of you, and how I'm very new at this struggle.

But here it is: a "spiritual" woman, middle age, in a horrible marriage where she does not even sleep with her husband, who has many GLBT friends and is even invited to the weddings, but can't bring herself to support the idea of gay marriage.

I have no clue whatsoever what to make of this.

She knows I support the GLBT community with my words, body and money. But that is her view. She just hates that word "marriage."

How do we persuade this group of people? There is hope, but I can't figure out how to help her turn the corner on the 'civil rights' aspect. She is just stubborn.

I can't believe she knows and loves GLBT people, to the point where she is invited to and attends weddings, but can't vote for marriage... It is confusing, and I'm not sure how to convince her or approach this paradox.