From: DanielE330@aol.com
Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2000 20:01:30 EST
Subject: Open letter to Ohio Anti-Gay Marriage Bill Sponsor

You are receiving this EMail because your address was listed as a contact 
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The following is an open letter to Ohio State Rep. Jim Jordan concerning House
Bill 547, the so-called defense of marriage bill.  This bill was introduced 
into the Ohio legislature on Jan. 20, 2000.  Please distribute this letter as 
widely as possible.  Especially send to anyone who is working to defeat the 
same gender marriage ban bills introduced by Ohio Sen. Hottinger and Ohio 
Rep. Jordan. Also please send along my Email address so that others may 
contact me regarding this letter.

Please post on web sites.  I would appreciate knowing what web sites post, so 
that I can refer people to them.  Please contact me via my Email if you need 
confirmation or more information.


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

An open letter to State Rep. Jim Jordan regarding the so-called Defense of 
Marriage Bill


Dear Jim -

Recently you introduced a bill into the Ohio House of Representative that you 
say defends marriage in Ohio.   I have known you for 20 years. What you 
haven't known until now is that this bill targets me and attempts to relegate 
me to the back of society's bus.  This legislation is an unfair fringe bill 
that targets me as well as many other Ohioans. 

We know each other well.  Twenty years ago when you, your wife Polly, and I 
were together in high school I was class president all 4 years.  I graduated 
class valedictorian, and was voted most likely to succeed.  I was the 
groundskeeper for my hometown church in St. Paris and continue to practice my 
faith every week.   I have known that I am a mentor to you. Your parents told 
my parents that you looked up to me and wanted to be more like me.

After high school I studied aerospace engineering at Ohio State University 
for 11 years and earned my BS, MS, and Ph.D.  I held a security clearance and 
worked on exotic military aircraft designs at Rockwell International.  I also 
partnered with NASA to do advanced aerospace research to keep America the 
greatest nation on earth.

I am an All-American man from head to toe.  I also happen to be a gay Ohioan. 
 Everyday I thank God for all my blessings, including the blessing of being 
born gay.  Being born a gay Ohioan is the greatest gift God has ever given me.

When you were an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State and I visited you in 
the coach's office, I heard people saying disparaging things about gay 
people.  I was very hurt and offended by that, yet I have always treated you 
with respect - in the finest traditions of friendship and good citizenship. 

While you were coaching at Ohio State I had a relationship with a member of 
the wrestling team.  "Jeff", as I will call him, gave me the priceless gift 
of love.  He opened his heart and soul to me.  I was so honored and at the 
same time so humbled that he would care about me so much.  He deliberately 
hid his inner self from the coaches and his teammates.  If you and the 
coaching staff cared about the wrestlers - yet were hostile to gays, what was 
"Jeff" to do?

Had you been more accepting of people who are different from yourself "Jeff" 
might have opened his heart to you as well.  You missed out on a wonderful, 
beautiful person because of that.  "Jeff" changed my life, and to this day I 
give him unending, unbounded gratitude.  I am grateful God placed him in my 
life.

I came out to our mutual friend and classmate, Chad, 5 years ago.  He treated 
me with arrogance and does not speak to me anymore.  Even though I have known 
him as long as I have known you. Even though I was his college roommate.  
Even though I was in his wedding.  Even though I was a mentor to him, just as 
I am to you.  Even so, he treated me so very badly.

His behavior is an example of bad citizenship and unfairness.  Don't exhibit 
bad citizenship and unfairness by pursuing this fringe bill.

I dare you to explain this unfair bill to gay couples who have been together 
for 20, 30, 40, and even 50 years.  How dare you introduce a hateful fringe 
bill targeting people who have been in love with each other for a lifetime!  
Such a fringe bill graphically spells out the word "unfair".

I challenge you to meet with gay couples who have been together for decades.  
If you don't want to meet them I ask you, "What are you afraid of"?  Do you 
have the good citizenship and morality to respect lifelong committed 
relationships?

I have been inspired by the wonderful example of a gay couple who shared 30 
years together.  Len and David were the world to each other.  Len and David 
shared a lifetime of blood, sweat, and tears.  A lifetime of cherishing each 
other. A lifetime of commitment to each other.

David developed malignant melanoma of the spine just months before their 30th 
anniversary.  David was at death's door, yet he simply would not die.  David 
and Len's 30th anniversary arrived, and they celebrated 30 years of loving 
and cherishing each other.  Then David died the next day.  David's last act 
of love to Len was to live to share their 30th anniversary.

Why in the name of all that is godly and loving would you introduce a fringe 
bill targeting such beautiful, loving relationships as theirs?  Why can't you 
just leave them alone?

The most important trait in a public servant is good citizenship.  Good 
citizenship rises above petty politics and special interest groups.  This 
fringe bill is not good citizenship.  It is wrong to waste the taxpayers time 
and money on a fringe bill instead of tackling real issues such as school 
funding.

Ohioans are furious that the legislature has not resolved school funding.  It 
is insulting to the hard working citizens of Ohio that you and other 
legislators waste time on needless fringe bills instead of taking care of 
their children's school funding.  The good, hard working people of Ohio 
insist that this fringe bill be pulled so that the legislators can get back 
to school funding and tax control.

Jim, I have known you far longer than the politicians and big-money lobbyists 
have known you.  I am your friend and mentor of 20 years.  I have always been 
reliable, and I have never misled you.  You know you can call on me anytime 
of the day or night and I will be there for you.  So now I tell you.  Pull 
this extreme fringe bill!

Your legacy as a wrestler and a coach was that of integrity.  You always 
competed fairly, and you always treated others fairly.  If you still believe 
in fairness you will pull this bill.

I challenge you to meet with gay couples who have been together for a 
lifetime.  You have so much to learn from them.


Your long time mentor and friend, 

Daniel Erwin
Columbus, Ohio
DanielE330@aol.com