It just takes one person. One person to raise their hand, one person to refuse to give up their seat, one person to stand up for what they believe in. One person to say this is my partner, this is my lover, my significant other…rather than my friend or my roommate. It takes one person to stand up against the naysayers, the holier than thou, those that don’t understand. It takes one person to say, we want the same things that you have and we want to be recognized.

I’m not a very political person and it was only until recently that I came fully out of the closet to family, friends, coworkers and complete strangers, but it is something that had to be done. Now granted, I went kicking and screaming, but now that I am out, there’s no turning back. I’m really good at saying my partner Ava, we are expecting our first child in April, my partner is pregnant. They are words that now flow out of my mouth without hesitation. They are actions that define me.

I write in this blog to be one person that shows how we become a family. How family is not defined by one man and one woman. How family starts with love, faith and honesty. Family is the foundation of hope and peace and happiness. And family is not defined by the churches or the government, but it is defined by ME. I am only one part of the family, but I am the one writing the definition. Two women and one child.

Please don’t misunderstand me, I also adore my family which includes my parents and my siblings, niece and nephews. And they all have their families, but the definition of family is not static, it has many definitions. It is the ebb and flow of our lives…how we define and ultimately embrace and accept all families.

This blog is also about starting conversations - awakenings. It’s the talks that happen at the family table or around the water cooler. The conversations that make people think before they judge and to ask people to open their hearts rather than close their minds. This conversation is the beginning of awareness and understanding of different types of families and the inclusion of these families for all of those around us.

One day I would like to start an awareness campaign. It would be a simple series of billboards or ads in a paper. The first ad would simple say ‘Who Are We?’  That’s all it would say. People would read it and wonder for a second and continue on. They won’t give it much thought since most will think it’s a bank ad.

The second ad would be “We are your postal worker. We serve your food at your favorite restaurant. We deliver your pizza. We are the CEO of Fortune 500 companies. We work at the Zoo, the dry cleaners, the pet store. We own our own companies. We are professional athletes.” You understand the picture. We are all places you shop, work or live.

The third set of ads would be a bit closer to home. “We are your neighbors, we drive your children to school. We are your doctors, nurses and care givers. We handle your finances. We teach your children.” Do you see how it’s developing now.

The fourth ad: “We are your sons, your daughters, your aunts and uncles. We are your mom or your dad. We are your role models.”

The fifth ad would simple ask the question again. “Who are we?”

The final ad, “We are gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans-gender. We are everywhere.”

It’s about awareness. If people start to put faces and emotions and connections to the people that touch them everyday.  If they stop and think about our lives as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, they will have conversations. They will listen, they will talk, they might stand up and take action. They will still condemn our chosen families, but they will start conversations.

If it only takes one person to start a conversation, to start a blog, to open your mouth and speak the truth, we can change the world. Will you be that person?