Wanting full marriage

Thank you for the [Sept. 2 Maurer column]. It is so beautifully executed. Hopefully it is food for thought for those who think gay people are out to destroy the American family and control the world.

I have had the same partner for 22 years and I am also a father, and my daughter is a beautiful, well-adjusted, married woman with a good career. We pay our taxes and vote, we are Americans and we are proud of it.

I have been with my partner three times longer than most marriages last, yet we have no legal rights to handle each others’ affairs in a crisis or otherwise.

I love Indianapolis. It is our home and I would love to marry my partner, but we will never settle for a watered-down version of marriage. I hope Gov. Pence and Mayor Ballard open their eyes to the reality that younger and younger people are coming on board, Republicans and Democrats alike, and they are not buying the old school rules.
__________

Richard Shuffitt