Steppin’ out from the Castro, it was 6:15am; not the first time that as a Sister of Perpetual Indulgence i had ever been walking down market street headed towards San Francisco City Hall.  Today however, my march would not end there, nor at the Embarcadero: today’s march would continue beyond the Bay Bridge, and even beyond the campagnile of the UC Berkeley campus.  Today’s march ended at 7:30pm with an incredible dinner & welcoming reception with the First Universalist Unitarian church of Walnut.  For anyone not familiar with the area, about 17.5 miles from my starting point in SF much earlier in the day.

Already, in short time, I realize the value and the importance of having made the commitment to join and support OneStruggle, OneFight in November of last year.  During tonight’s dinner (delicious UCWC- kudo’s again!!) I shared the fact that i felt that there were already too many things to need to process through a bit, or even try to remember long enough to record in my written notebook.  So, shortly, and to leave interested readers with opportunity of learning from others that are marching, i would like to summarize two simple themes (or, as my fellow sisters would tell you, two maeJoy strong opinions) about love & marriage.

First, if i have learned anything from being my work as a sexual health educator the last 13 years, it is that fruitful, long term, evolving relationships are not solely based upon sex alone. in fact, they are not only based upon sharing checkbooks, or picking up toothpaste on the way home from work.  They are based upon a commitment to practice a love that is patient, and a love that is kind.  In face, it is the practice of this type of love that enables these relationships to endure all things. Marriage is not just about an individual’s sexuality.  Our nation’s “just say NO” philosophy has created a society that “just doesn’t KNOW” how to dialogue about sexuality. As a nation just barely 225 years old, let’s get beyond sex and evolve into a more mature wisdom that is more “young adult” than teenager.

As human beings we must all work together to realize that we all are born with the gift of being able TO LOVE, and that is is the action verb of LOVING that as babies we tap into and practice almost immediately. It is only later on that individuals are introduced to a concept of difference, which tags onto fear and gets misinterpreted by false judgment that they begin learning how to hate. Globally, there is no love that is different, and there is no love that is any less significant that those that I march with, those that honk in show of support, or those that drive by, flip me off and then choose to return back to drive by us two more times in order to flip me off some more and add on a few more verbal bashing centered from their fear and hate. We are all pink on the inside.

I can’t speak for the group, however i strongly believe without doubt that we will endure our marching onward towards the open doors of the United Church of Christ in Antioch, CA, tomorrow night, and even further to the steps of the capitol building for the great state of California. I end with just the one strong opinion and will hopefully be able to share the second one that I mentioned prior at another blog time in the future.  It is late, and maeJoy’s dogs are tired (she was in heels for this first stint folks) and they are turning the lights out on her.

I gotta conclude though by expressing gratitude of tremendously HUGE proportions to each and every supporter that smiles and extends a thumbs up, that honks in solidarity with what we are doing, that sends an email from hundreds of miles away (as already many of you are doing), that stops and pulls out a case of water they have just purchased for us in learning we are walking through their city, or even comes up, introduces themselves and join us in our march until they must separate form us to pickup children, prepare dinner, or we reach their city limits,

THANK YOU!!  THANK YOU!!  this movement will change the world and the world will change because of the movement.  And special thanks to the motorocycle cop escort we had through the UC Berkeley campus and up the incline of Tilden Park): it was JOYous to have your assistance as I counted our steps the first hour of marching, and we all sang a long extended version of 10,000 pictures of LOVE on the wall, 10,000 pictures of LOVE.  Take another photo, hang it up on the wall, 10,001 pictures of LOVE on the wall.

always,

maeJoy B. withU
sister of perpetual indulgence

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