Florida (X) Congressman Alan Grayson

Today I continue with Congressman Alan Grayson, Democrat, representative of Florida's 8th Congressional District:

Dear Congressman Grayson,

I write seeking your support for a Marriage Equality Amendment that would recognize the right of same-sex couples to marry throughout the United States. Such an amendment would read: "The right to marry shall not be abridged or denied by the United States or any state on account of sex or sexual orientation." It is the surest and most durable means to secure and protect the civil rights of all Americans, millions of whom are excluded from the marital bond on arbitrary and discriminatory pretexts.

Like you I am a married man and am blessed to be a proud father. It never occurred to my wife and I that entering into an institution from which millions of our compatriots were excluded bore a moral burden. As we watch the struggle for marriage equality unfold across the nation now, however, we feel the imperative to stand and be counted. It is fundamentally unfair that we should enjoy 1,138 benefits and protections under federal law that our fellow citizens are denied for no crime other than loving someone of the same gender.

As someone who has studied the special problems of aging and the ramifications it will have for our nation, you know that family is the most powerful institution that can mitigate the burden an aging population will increasingly place on the state in years to come. We know that joining a healthy marriage is among the most significant steps an individual can take in fostering his or her long-term prosperity and security. What wisdom is there in maintaining discriminatory laws that limit and circumscribe people's power to create and maintain families?

As a lifelong Democrat I am gladdened by your election to Congress and the increase it entails for our party's legislative majority. Will you take the opportunity your new office affords to champion the rights of fellow Americans? Support of a Marriage Equality Amendment would obviously cause a stir and entail some political risk, especially for a new Congressman. Events in Iowa, Vermont, and Maine show that marriage equality is the downhill slope of history, however. Fundamental change is in the air, it only awaits courageous and integral leadership to be its catalyst. I have set out to write every member of Congress pleading support for this change to our basic law, and I ask you to lend this campaign your voice. In any case I thank you for your attention on this matter and extend my congratulations on your election and best wishes for success in your new office.

Sincerely,

Andrew Meyer