Gay Marriage and Father's Day - Open letter to Senators Greg Ball, Mark Grisanti and Stephen Saland.

Write to the 3 NY senators who are undecided, even if you're not in NY! We just need 1 more to join the YES to marriage equality in NY! Greg Ball (R-40) on 518 455 3111, Mark Grisanti (R-60) on 518 455 3240, Stephen Saland (R-41) on 518 455 2411. gball@nysenate.gov, saland@nysenate.gov, grisanti@nysenate.gov

For more info on the issue go to http://www.marriageequality.org. For more info on Athena Reich go to http://www.facebook.com/athenareichfans or http://www.athenareich.com

Dear Greg Ball, Mark Grisanti and Stephen Saland,

I live in Manhattan in the Upper West Side. I read online that you are undecided about how to vote on the issue of marriage equality.

It's hard for me to put into words how I feel because I know it's difficult for one person to influence another's ideology. So I will just tell you my story.

My parents divorced when I was 5. Their lives were a mess during most of my childhood and although they tried their best, I was physically and sexually abused by multiple family members and friends. This abuse was able to occur because my parents were pre-occupied with their emotional lives, and unable to properly protect and care for my brother and me.

My father remarried, but entered a tumultuous relationship which continued to have a negative impact on our family.

Lucky for me, I started therapy at the young age of 15, worked very hard to deal with the past, and am now living a wonderful, fullfilling life. I write curriculum and teach arts to teachers at District 75 (special needs) at the NYC Board of Ed, through a federal grant program called EASE. (Everyday Arts for Special Education). I am also a singer/songwriter & actress and love all the opportunities that New York City has to offer.

When I was in my 20s, my father came out of the closet (at the age of 55). During my childhood, he had not been present in our family life and, unbeknownst to me, had been having multiple affairs with men, causing great strain in his relationship with my mother and, then later, my stepmother. Growing up in Chicago during the 1950's, he never knew homosexuality was an option. So, he did the 'right' thing and married a woman. He tried for decades to make his relationships with women work. I know that my father would have been a much better human being and parent had he been able to have the kind of mature adult relationship he can only experience with men, from an earlier age. Being forced to try to live a straight life left my father emotionally immature, and, as a result, irresponsible, and therefore dangerous, as a parent.

Sending a message that being gay is not a respectable option destroys families, because people will force themselves to be straight, lead miserable lives, and cause great pain to those around them.

Now, my father lives in Canada and is married to his husband. They are happy and my father and I have rekindled our relationship. Since he is now out and proud, he is more mature and it is wonderful to finally begin to have a taste of the relationship all daughters should have a chance to experience with their fathers.

Please help homosexuality become mainstream so that people are no longer outcast, bullied, or forced to live lives on the fringe, in the dark and in secrecy. Please send a message to gay youth that being gay is a respectable option. Please go down in history as supporting this very crucial civil rights issue.

The trend for first world countries (such as Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain etc) is to legalize gay marriage. I believe that in 10-20 years, people will marvel at the idea that it was ever illegal.

In honor of Father's Day, I ask you to please consider my story.

From myself, (and from my father, Dr. Peter Reich), I thank you for your time.

Athena Reich

Category:

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[TheGiftOfLife]

SO you WISH you were never born? I know many guys that are married and have great families and kids who are attracted to other men. Just because THIS guy screwed up we dont change the definition of marriage. Some men do the same thing with Cocaine, so do we make cocain legal? You can alwasy find a sob story a bout something, LAW cannot make people perfect!!!!!! Government isnt the answer! God is !

[athenareich]

@TheGiftOfLife Wow. So you know a lot of gay men married to women? I pray for them and their families. Living a lie causes such pain to those around them. Their wives are not getting the love they deserve from a man who loves a woman and their children are not witnessing true love. Of course I'm happy I was born. But I see the larger picture.  If government isn't the answer, then government should have nothing to do with marriage, straight or gay.

[PROLIFEROCKS70X7]

~

The saddest part is that if he had been married to a gay man instead of your mother the the beautiful woman that you are now would not exist. Also there is no way of knowing whether or not the world would be a better place or if your father would be better off had gay marriage been an option.

[athenareich]

@PROLIFEROCKS70X7 Thank you for the compliment. :) However, if your parents hadn't conceived you in the exact month, at the exact time of day that they did, you wouldn't exist either... I think it's more about creating happy people.. creating happy families... creating happy children... :)

[Danielmartinbailey]

Wonderful message I need this on a Facebook group called ok2bgay in Melbourne Australia.

[athenareich]

@Danielmartinbailey cool. thank you. feel free to post & repost & share. Get the message out. I hope my story can help others and help us win Marriage Equality world wide.

[11910blackops]

There's nothing wrong with homosexuality.

People who judge based on orientation are just one trait: Ignorant.

[TheSuburbanBase]

@TheAnnoyingFour

You can also get AIDS from drug use if you share needles. You can also get AIDS from straight sex too.

[lizzabbott]

VICTORY! For a more enlightened & Just world for ALL! Marriage Equality is passed into LAW in NY! Yes! Thank you, Athena for your inspiraton and efforts that DO make a difference! And Congratulations to all!

[TheAnnoyingFour]

@thetruegladiator Being homosexual is not unnatural.I don't care if two men have sex!You can get AIDS from heterosexual contact!You're basically saying we should make all homosexuals move to another state.Homosexuals are humans, as are you!All humans deserve the same, unalienable rights.Are you saying that when two men get married, they are destined to get AIDS? That is the worst excuse from a bigot like you i've ever heard. There is no valid reason why gays shouldn't have the same rights as us.

[lizzabbott]

@thetruegladiator That's all you have to say after hearing this courageous woman share her story? Get the facts: AIDS was a manufactured disease, used as a bio weapon for deliberate genocide. It's not some product of "sick" sex as you insist. Kindly look up the film, "In Lies We Trust" by Dr Len Horowitz. Important info about the origins of AIDS. Bravo, Athena! I hope these legislators hear your story and know it's their Duty, @ this time in History, to vote for Marriage Equality.

[thetruegladiator]

@TheAnnoyingFour How about AIDS? what happens when two men have anal sex? You get a disease because it's not normal to have sick sex with the same sex. NO to gay marriage! All homos should move to the states where they actually allow this sick law.

[TheAnnoyingFour]

@thetruegladiator You should shutup and get a taste of reality right now. Gay people deserve the right to marriage just as much as you. You are so offensive. Give me a valid reason why gays houldn't be able to marry. I'm straight by the way, but you are a homophobic who would be pleased to know that Greg Ball is a homophobic too, and voting no on the bill.