Heather Mizeur is Speaking

"When I was an 8 year old kid, I knew my Catholic faith was important to me. . . and I also knew I was gay."

"In the complex web of my humanity, I was all of those things. It was only going to be my relationship with God woulld allow me to reconcile these things. I prayed for it--especially the gay part--to go away. When I got to college, I realized that never once in my conversations with God did he tell me it was wrong. It wwas always people external to me telling me it was wrong. And I knew it to be something different."

"The most important teaching of my particular faith: the love that is in our hearts that comes from our discernment and prayer, that is the primary source of our wisdom and our actions. "

"You are made in my image. Be not afraid. Love one another as I have loved you. Do unto others as you would have them do to you."

"And empowered by that message, I set out to do God's will."

"Every day I hold up my hands and say these are God's hands. Let me do your will. I do that will through my work and also through my marriage. Doing God's will is best when you have a soulmate. Thankfully, God saw fit to send me my soulmate. Deborah I were married before our family and friends and our G-d. That's what marriage is. It's just a vow to love each other, to be with each other in good times and bad." "It's love that makes aa family but it's marriage that protects it."

"425 rights and protections come with a marriage licence." Discussing medical decisions in a hospital, riding in an ambulance and other very personal matters. That's all we're askingis to protect our relationships and our commitment."

"Even if this bill doesn't pass, my wife and I will still be married whether you choose to protect us from tragedy."

"You can't stop us from loving each other. You can't stop us from pledging our love in from of God and each other. All you can do is make it worse for us in challenging times when life throws you curve balls."

"What we're asking for is equal protection under the law."

"Choose love."

"This week in the Ash Wednesday service in the Gospel of Matthew we were reminded that we are called to prayer in private and that will be our reward." The word for hypocrites will get their reward here on earth, those who work hard and pray privately will have their reward in heaven.

"I choose love, not just Deborah, but I love all of you. I love each and every one of you without regard to party, without regard to jurisdiction, without regard to any ugly or nasty things you may have said in the past, or today, or you will say in the future. I love you."

"But we have to love each other. God loves you. Examine your conscience. Cast your vote in favor of love. Let the people of God say Amen."