If you missed our last newsletter, this is a picture of us after our legal marriage in White Rock, BC, Canada.  Hal, one of the owners of Sam's Cafe is on the left. Kathy (WA State PFLAG chair & Robert Reim) are on the right.  The roses and ballooon are part of how they made our evening special on November 23, 2006.

We did a podcast interview with Wayne Besen, founder of Truth Wins OUT, who was visiting Vancouver (he lives in Miami).  It was a great interview...we will let you know when it is posted.  In December, Wayne wrote the following about professors and scientists who are fighting back about their research being distored by Dr. James' Dobson.

"University lecturers left their classrooms this week to lecture Focus on the Family’s James Dobson to tell him he has no class. The tenured were teed off and staged a revolt because they were revolted by how Dobson had perverted their work in TIME magazine. In a guest column criticizing Mary Cheney, Dobson justified his trashing of gay families by citing the work of renowned researchers. But instead of allowing their work to be distorted, the scholars hollered and told Dobson to stop lying for the Lord." 

Lisa Darden, conducted the interviews with Dr. Gilligan and Dr. Pruitt.  Click here to read more about her documentary, For Such a Time as This, that is in production through her company, Hope Unlimited Productions. She is looking for funding for the final editing.  Think about contributing...it is going to be an amazing film!

3. We hosted the Joe Teehan show 

On January 2, 2007, we hosted the Joe Teehan show, called the Liberal Outpost, on KGMI 790 AM in Bellingham, WA.  We had as our guest, Jim Hunt, who recently completed his term as president of The League of Cities, as well as our neighbor, Michelle Willoughby.

Jim Hunt

The interview with Jim was important. And the answers to some of our questions were both amazing and encouraging.  Our next Stand UP Speak OUT project is The Great American Roadcast.  Although we will officially kick it off in January, 2008, traveling to cities that are in partnership with the League of Cities' program "We are building an inclusive community," we will begin meeting with people in these cities as we travel around the country during 2007, podcasting and asking, "What does it mean to be inclusive?"

Cities such as Selma, Alabama, are already participants.  In our home state of Washington, five cities have officially become aligned with this program.  Please listen and consider encouraging your elected officials to take a look at this program, by visiting the League of Cities website.  Click on this link and go to appropriate link to find out how you can encourage your elected officials to accept the proclamation and be a part of confirming, "We are building an inclusive community." 

Remember how some of our neighbors were somewhat shocked to discover that their new next door neighbors were a lesbian couple?  This discovery created some initial discomfort and fear, causing some to think, "What do we tell our kids?"  Our suggestion then and now is, "Tell them we love one another."   

Fear is a natural response to things situations/people that are different and that we don't understand.  Acknowledging fear is the first step toward eradicating it.  Submerging fear, and pretending it doesn't exist, doesn't solve anything. 

From our perspective, Roby initially felt frightened and angry when she realized what was going on back in 2004.  After all, we had thought we were moving into a welcoming neighborhood. After confronting our own fears, however, we decided that their fear was a call for love, and that we had a lot of love to give.  We didn't want to live in a blind neighborhood, and we knew that if we matched their fear with our own, that is exactly what we would be responsible for creating. For the "rest of the story," click here to discover what we call "The Neighborhood Story" and what solution Dotti had in mind.  It transformed, us as well as our neighborhood, and was a catalyst for our journey, Gay Into Straight America.

Our neighbors have shown us that we can all learn and grow together.  Our neighborhood is just a microcosm of the bigger world.  On every invitation to a neighborhood party at our home, we write, "How can we change the world if we don't know our neighbors?"  The situation in our neighborhood, and the shift we experienced with people as we chose to meet fear with love, was one of the catylsts for our journey, Gay Into Straight America.  We thought, "If this can happen here, this can happen anywhere."  We adore all of our neighbors, and one special lady, Michelle Willougby, was on the radio show to share her story about us moving in the neighborhood, and the impact on her life.  Click on the podcast link to listen.

4. Story Corps experience

Last February, when we were on the road in Florida, we had the opportunity to make history and tell our story as part of Story Corps.  We finally have that posted to our podcasts, where you can listen. Just click on the logo to the left for the full interview.  A five minute section was selected for playing on the NPR station in Miami. We encourage you to click on this link and learn how to record your story.  Each of us is making history. Please share your story! Your interview will be added to the StoryCorps Archive, housed at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress,  As we have said repeatedly, if you are Standing UP and Speaking OUT, you ARE on the journey!  There is another opportunity at the bottom of this newsletter to SHARE YOUR STORY!  Remember...

The tiniest story in your life can deeply touch another.
You cannot know the effect your story might have.”--Sark

5. Feature story on our journey for GLBT magazine in midwest

6. We spoke at MCC in Seattle, PFLAG in Bellevue, WA...Walla Walla, WA is next!

We began our new year of speaking with an invitation from MCC in Seattle during the middle of January, once again to jumpstart their commitment to non-violence and celebration for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. DAy.  This was our first time with our new signs on our suburban saying, Stand UP Speak OUT.com, rather than Gay Into Straight America.com, along with our Two Women & a Poodle Logo  The old signs had been stuck for so long they had to be peeled off.  We know that if they visit our website, they will be able to link to our first journey, as well as read about our upcoming one.

MCC meets at a beautiful Jewish synogogue.  When Roby went out to the suburban at one point, a couple approached her.  They LOVED what we are doing, asking lots of questions.  It always feels great to sense people's excitement.

Bellevue PFLAG...We never speak at a PFLAG meeting where we aren't absolutely blown away by wonderful supportive parents...and friends.  Thanks, Wendy, for gathering some folks together for dinner before the meeting.

Thank you so very much for sharing your incredible journey of "Gay into Straight America."  I know that all of us were moved by your stories...but I was truly impacted by your courage.

You both have done something that many think about doing-sitting in their cozy chairs at home-but you actually did it!

As a parent, I thank you for opening up the hearts and minds of America.

Blessings and love, Ariane Kurita and all of Bellevue PFLAG

We will soon travel to Walla Walla, Washington to speak on February 27, after being in Olympia, WA, for Lobby Day on the 26th.  Click here for details. We really missed talking with our legislators when we were on the road last year. Stay tuned for feedback on those conversations.

7. Share your Personal Story...