Authenticity is at the very core of who Gail and I are - knowing who we are and being proud of who we are. An integral part of being authentic is being seen and knowing that you belong, that you have a right to be here just the way you are.

Gail and I were married (although not legally) on June 3, 2000. Shortly after our wedding, we heard about the Michael Leshner and Michael Stark case in Toronto (interestingly enough on Planet Out). Their application for a marriage license was accepted but held in abeyance by the City Hall Clerk. A lawsuit ensued on behalf of a number of gay and lesbian couples in Ontario (now totalling 10) that subsequently joined the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto’s case in 2001.

For Gail and I, the issues were equality, freedom of choice and fairness. We love each other deeply. For us, as for most couples who choose to marry, the act of publicly declaring and celebrating our love gives our commitment to each other a depth that it wouldn’t otherwise have. Not all people will choose the option of marriage and we wouldn’t want to impose our opinions or wishes on anyone else. We simply wish to have the same options, the same rights and obligations as the rest of our fellow Canadians.

Our family is as valid as any other in Canada. The more we support each other in the various families that populate this country, the stronger we will all be.

The more often we choose to sit down with each other and respectfully listen to what has to be said, the more we will come to understand each other. Only through conversations that are respectful can we eliminate the barriers of fear, ignorance and illusion.

Gail and I are called to be a part of the solution in bringing all people together in the interest of establishing healthy families that contribute to a healthy society. We are prepared as Gandhi said, "to be the change that we seek in the world." In an atmosphere of understanding, we will sit down with people to create, dialogue and listen to everyone wherever they may be.

It is our desire to create intentional spaces for people of differing opinions to come together to share their concerns. We really believe that conversations change lives.

These conversations will have the power to eliminate the fear, ignorance and misconception that surrounds the human rights issue of marriage for same sex couples. And we will go wherever those conversations are needed. Together, Gail and I have attracted wide media attention on behalf of human rights:

Press:The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, The National Post, The Toronto Sun, Xtra
TV: Canada AM, CBC, Global, City TV, Rogers Cable’s Goldhawk Live
Radio: Roy Green Show, CHML; Radical Feminism, CKLN; CBC Halifax, CBC Cape Breton, CJAM

We have also spoken to numerous school and university groups on the themes of authenticity, equity and diversity. For example, Etobicoke School of the Arts’ Rainbow Week; Thornhill Secondary School’s Equity Day; Bramalea Secondary School, Aurora High School, Turner Fenton Secondary School, and the University of Toronto.

To book a speaking engagement, please email us@authenticlives.com