Donna: When a good friend of ours found out that we're lesbians, he asked his wife, "Who plays the man?"Debbie: His wife socked him in the arm and said, "Get a clue! There is no man!"We still tease him about that. And there's a man I work with who I'm very fond of, but when the marriage amendment topic came up I heard him say, "What's to stop them from marrying two or three people?"I was floored. Donna: A lot of people have the stereotype that lesbians and gay men have a different partner every night. They don't know that there are so many of us in long-term relationships. Debbie: Our commitment to each other extends to our families. We hear horror stories of non-acceptance, but we've been blessed. My family loves Donna, and to Donna's sister's kids, I'm one of their aunts. Thanksgiving is our holiday to have everyone over to the house. Donna: It's about 20 people, with a long table through the living room. One time, one of Debbie's nephews noticed a magazine with Melissa Etheridge on the cover. He said, "She's gay, you know,"and another nephew said, "Yeah, so what?"It's wonderful to see young kids with attitudes like that. That's what's going to change the world.
Together since August 28, 1992