I'm 47 years old. The civil rights movement of the 1960's was as familiar to me as the Flintstones and Barbie. I watched as women and minorities stood up and said, "We are equal and demand equality."

While I am proud to be able to share the excitement of the civil rights movement with my teenage daughter as we march side by side for the equal rights of same sex couples to marry, I am dismayed that the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender community has been marginalized for so long. I stand by this community as it too stands up to say, "we are equal and demand equality."

Each of us deserves to be treated fairly and have the same chance to realize our hopes and dreams. As important as the progress on domestic partnerships has been, they don't provide the same security as marriage, and are used as a way to exclude people from marriage and treat people as second-class citizens. Even if we disagree on marriage that doesn't mean it should be illegal. It is not for us to judge other people.

Deborah Skorstad

Seattle