The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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October 30, 2012

Your View: Voting no to keep the conversation going

Jim and Marcia Nagel, Mankato

— We Mankatoans, now retired, met in college, fell in love and married. We work, parent, worship, and play together. We are supported by family, friends, co-workers, our worship community and the law.

Our daughter also met the person she loves while in college. They work, parent, worship, and play together. They are supported by family, friends, co-workers, and their worship community, but not the law.

When our daughter came out to me, I cried tears of fear of how others and life might treat her. My tears also were for myself over the assumed loss of my own dreams — a wedding, having grandkids, all the hopes and possibilities a mom imagines. Her dad’s sorrow revolved around his fears regarding the lack of legal protection available to her and the difficulties she might face in light of that.

When she told my parents their response was that she was “no longer their granddaughter,” that she was now “just another person.”

Daily life goes on. We are blessed with the opportunity for family involvement with our daughter and “daughter-in-law” and with pride and joy do once-a-week childcare with our preschool granddaughter.

Our love for our daughter has never diminished. Gratefully, my parents came to acceptance as they grew to know and love their granddaughter and her partner as caring people in a loving relationship rather than as “labels.”

Time and acceptance go hand in hand. We are voting “no” on the marriage amendment, because it’s important for the conversation to continue.

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