A Conflict of Interests

Part of my job has me working with customers who occasionally ask for tickets to shows. I work in membership development, so, obviously, keeping them as members is important. Like most non-profits in this economy, things can be rough and members who pay yearly fees are a necessity.

Here's where things start to fall apart for me. I'm helping a woman this morning who is proudly showing her lapel pin stating that marriage is only between one man and one woman. It's not unlike the one I posted below.

If you know anything about me, or have taken any reading past posts, you should know that I identify as a gay man. So, obviously, I do not agree with this lapel's statement.

I view her stance as discrimination, simply put. It was a little jarring for me to be staring directly at someone who would actively support keeping me as a citizen with less rights than she enjoys. And she seemed so normal! Her interaction with her children was similar to how I would parent. She was intelligent and inquisitive in regards to the status of her membership.

Why does she hate homosexuals? OK, so that question may be a bit assuming.

I'm so very tired of religious organizations equating their interpretations of various religious texts (notice how I'm trying to avoid pointing fingers) to how a free society should be governed. If I'm not mistaken, a lot of people came to this country for religious freedom only to have it turned around into religious dominance and tyrannical control.

I want equality. I want to be able to get married - to a man - and to not be worried about being gay bashed because of that.

For anyone who's curious, I helped her out. I justified helping her, to myself, as part of my non-profit's ideals: non-discrimination. I can't help that she's bigoted so I might as well just give her what she wants. I did wish I had a big "I'M GAY" t-shirts, though, just to make a point.

What would you have done? How do you feel about marriage, equality, and/or gay rights? I'm all ears (and eyes!).