Pass The Donation Plate

Hello friends ...

I’ve got some good news and some bad news … let’s go good, first.

On October 17, 2014, after fourteen years together, Carlos and I will be getting married in Washington State. It’s a big deal, and a long time coming, but there is bad news …

When we return to South Carolina our marriage will not be recognized in our home state, or in thirty-one other states around the nation, but our fight, right now, is in South Carolina.

Carlos and I recently helped form The Will of the People Fund, a grass roots group with a singular focus on South Carolina’s marriage equality fight. The catalyst for our organization is the pending lawsuit by Katie Bradacs and Tracie Goodwin-Bradacs against the State of South Carolina in Federal District Court. Their suit seeks an order requiring the state to recognize their legal marriage in Washington, DC in 2012.

Our mission is both pure and simple: To raise funds for non-attorney costs, such as filing fees, legal brief writings, clerical work, photocopying and binding, etc, in support of that suit and future marriage equality litigation in our state. No attorney fees will be paid from this fund as the attorneys in the current suit, Carrie Warner and John Nichols, are donating their time.

So, while we are happy to finally get married, and have our marriage recognized by the federal government, we still wish to be seen as a married couple here at home, which is why I am writing to you now.

For money. Yikes! 

I was thinking that, since Carlos and I have been together for these many years, we really don’t need any wedding gifts; we have the blenders and the sheets and the carving sets. What we don’t have, and could really use, is recognition that we are a married couple in South Carolina.

And to that end, we’re asking our friends, family and blog followers to consider being a part of history by supporting The Will of the People Fund with a generous, tax deductible, contribution. The Will of the People Fund has little to no overhead since all of our work is being done by volunteers; nearly 100% of the money raised will be used for filing fees, legal brief writings, and clerical work in the ongoing fight for marriage equality in SC.

If you’d like to donate, please mail a check, made payable to The Will of the People Fund to:

The Will of the People Fund

P.O. Box 5006

Columbia, SC, 29250

Carlos and I would consider that the greatest wedding present ever! And please let us know, on the check, that the donation is given in our names because we'd like to acknowledge you, and thankyouthankyouthankyou!