Kim Kardashian and soon-to-be ex-husband Kris Humpries
My mother asked my father for a divorce in the 70s. He said no. She unhappily pushed forward for 10 more years in this marriage until she felt like it was socially acceptable to divorce him with or without his permission. I was 8 when they ended their marriage fairly amicably, and I’m happy to say that they both went on to find their great loves, but I’m grateful they stayed married long enough to create me and my brother.
All this is to say that I’m actually on Kim Kardashian’s side … sort of. I support a woman’s right to choose if she wants to remain married or not, even if it’s only been 72 days since she said “I do” in a multimillion dollar media-swamped over-the-top affair. How do we know what went on behind closed doors, what she discovered about Kris Humphries that she realized wasn’t going to make her happy for the rest of her life? We don’t. And just like we shouldn’t be making judgments on her marriage, I don’t want the general public making judgments on mine.
Do I think the entire wedding was a hoax from the proposal to the announcement of their plans to divorce, all cooked up by mother Kris Jenner and daughter Kim Kardashian? Well, I don’t know for sure, but they definitely seem to enjoy the publicity.
However, I do have some advice for Kim. Use this media attention for good. Sit down with the press and re-focus their attention on the lack of full marriage equality in 44 states.
Perhaps you’ve heard that some people believe that gay marriage will destroy the sanctity of “traditional” marriage, while others believe that a 72-day marriage kicked off by a reality-show wedding makes a joke of the seriousness commitment of marriage. If you truly believe in marriage and wanted yours to work, then you surely believe that everyone should have the right to get married.
Kim, you have a ridiculous amount of fans, and 10,982,865 followers on Twitter. Why not take a second and show them you care about true love so much that you want them to flood their congressmen and congresswomen’s inboxes asking for everyone’s freedom to marry, to be able to have the tools and the security to build a life together and to protect our families?
FreedomtoMarry.org outlines some very important points about why marriage equality matters:
Without the freedom to marry, gay and lesbian couples do not receive the same recognition or protections for their families as other couples.
Couples get married because they want to be there for each other in sickness and in health, when times are good and when things get tough. State and federal marriage laws provide a safety net of over 1,200 legal and economic protections for married couples and their children – including the ability to visit your spouse in the hospital and to transfer property, which can mean being able to remain in the family home when your spouse has passed away.
Same-sex couples are often denied:
* hospital visitation when there’s been an accident or illness
* the ability to obtain “family” health coverage
* taxation and inheritance rights
* their role as parent of their children
* even protection in case the relationship ends.
Kim, we implore you to use your fame for good. Divert the unwanted attention you’re receiving because of your own rush to divorce by helping us get legally married in any state of our choosing. Don’t you believe in true love?
Photo courtesy of Kim Kardashian and Celebuzz
