Marriage Equality Hearing Testimony
By Ed and Ann Bonetti
From the moment they were born, we have treated our daughter, Lauren, and our son, Greg, equally and fairly. The number of cookies at snack time and the mounds of ice cream in their bowls were always equal. As they grew, Christmas presents were counted to be sure that they were the same not only in number, but in dollar value. Coaching was double duty, shuffling from his soccer field to her softball diamond. When adolescence arrived, curfews were equally set to their respective ages. As college searches began, we gave our son and our daughter the same opportunities to explore as many schools as they wished.
Our children have always been treated equally in every way. We have the same love for them and we provide equally for them. We share fully in their joys and their sorrows. We have the same dreams for each of them. Quite simply, we want them to be able to have what we have: a committed marriage, a loving family, and a secure future.
While we have spent our lives helping our children to understand that they are equal, we are now faced with the biggest inequality that any parent could imagine. You see, our son is gay and our daughter is straight. And this means that only our daughter can legally enter into a marriage in the State of Rhode Island.
We love and cherish both of our children and believe that they, and all people, deserve equal treatment under the law. We joined Marriage Equality RI (MERI) to secure marriage rights for same sex couples. As parents we can’t understand why our son is being told that he is not equal and that he does not deserve the right to have a committed, loving relationship recognized in a way that society understands – through marriage.
Denied the freedom to marry, our son is deprived of access to literally thousands of legal and economic protections and responsibilities, as well as the emotional and cultural meaning that marriage has for many. The range of marriage laws provides a structure for how two people who pledge to support and care for each other should be treated when facing the extremes of illness, divorce, and even death. We believe that both our children deserve these same protections.
We are so proud to be a part of MERI, a group of committed Rhode Islanders who share in our belief that all loving, committed couples who wish to marry should be granted the same rights, responsibilities, and protections, regardless of their gender. We – and many fair-minded Rhode Islanders like you – are working every day to change the hearts and minds of our neighbors, to ensure that same-sex couples have equal access to the recognition, validation, and protection that comes with marriage.
On behalf of both our son, Greg, and our daughter, Lauren, we are proud to stand with you to create a world that treats all people with respect, dignity and fairness.
Thank you again for helping us do what is right.
