As the country focuses on the debate of marriage equality in the states and in Congress, it is important to recognize the impact equal rights have to individual gay and lesbian families. Chuck Vazquez, a City Councilman from Cathedral City, California speaks about what marriage means to him:

Right now while everyone is getting ready for the Holidays, and all the celebrations and special times they bring, next years political pot is getting ready to boil over with issues. Among those issues will once again be Marriage. People loudly and profoundly will lend their voices to what “they” believe the definition of marriage should be and who should have the right to marry. Millions of dollars will pour into the campaigns, people will get angry, rude, offended, insulted and hurt on both sides of the issue. What so many seem to forget is that these are ALL real people, whether they are for or against, that are embroiled in this battle, they are part of our communities, they are neighbors, friends, co-workers and even sometimes family. I am not here to change anyone’s mind, it’s not for me to tell some else how they should view or think about an issue, however I would like to ask EVERYONE involved to open their minds to the other side.

Read more at Liberty Education Forum.