What do you see?

Photo taken by Brian Clark / Courtesy of The Virginian-Pilot

When the USS Oak Hill came back into port here in Virginia, the coveted "first-kiss" that is raffled off to sailors and families was between two female sailors. It was the first kiss of its kind since the abolition of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." As you can guess, the event is causing quite a stir.

What do you see when you look at the above picture? A lot of people see an "abomination." They see two women being sexual. They see a degradation of American values and morals. I, however, don't see any of that.

I see two people who love and care about each other the same way that I love and care about my own partner.  


I've read a lot of comments about this picture, this issue... and many of them are so hateful that it makes me ill. And it makes me feel even more determined to raise my children to value the happiness of others.

So many people get hung up on genitalia (no pun intended!). My love for my husband is built on a lot more than our ability to have sex. I love WHO HE IS. I love his soul, his character, his personality. The icing on the cake is that I find him physically attractive too. Whether or not someone is born gay is beside the point. It's where their life is at this moment and they deserve to be as happy as I am. Religious doctrine, moral opinion and personal convictions should not have any affect on your compassion, respect and goodwill towards others.

My children are growing up with parents who teach them that they can love whoever they want. Whether my girls want to marry a man, marry a woman, marry a man with more than one wife, or not marry at all, the only thing I will advocate is that they do what they feel is right for them and whatever brings them happiness. And most importantly, I am teaching them that when people make choices that are different than their own, that doesn't change one iota of their responsibility to show compassion, respect and love for others.

"Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them." - the Dalai Lama