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GUEST EDITORIAL: An Apology to Family, Friends and Fans
Ed Mathews

The last time I wrote anything for PopImage was last October. Since then a great deal has changed. I’m working on a comic with a good friend. I’ll talk more about that in my new column here, “The Gospel According to Mathews v3.0” in future installations. In the meantime, a lot of changes have taken place. My partner Matt and I moved from New Jersey to San Francisco last month so that after 9 years of being in a relationship, we could get married. And we are going to get married. But thanks to a ballot initiative in California known as Proposition 8 that will ban same-sex marriage, we have a small window of opportunity. We picked up our marriage license yesterday and we will get legally married before November 4th. For this and for the following, I want to apologize.

I want to apologize to my family because you can’t be here for this. There’s no time to get my mother and Matt’s parents here for the legal ceremony. I am sorry that in order to live the American dream, we are forced to elope. I’m sorry to my brothers, for one of whom I was co-best man at his own wedding, and to the other who is currently single. I’m sorry to my cousin, Diego, who promised me years ago to be my best man. I’m sorry to Matt’s brothers who would love to make it out here for us. We’ll have a ceremony and reception for you guys and for the 23 first cousins and their families who make it to New Jersey in about a year. I’m sorry it couldn’t be done differently.

I want to apologize to my friends, many who are cartoonists and creators, writers and editors. You are people we admire and would love to invite to the party to do this thing right. I want to apologize to Chris and Andrew, my Canadian friends who are married in Toronto in a country that doesn’t put equality up for a vote. I want you guys at my reception. I’m sorry the timing is off. I apologize to Jonathan Ellis, the greatest Co-Editor a man could ask to work with, because I want him and his girlfriend here for this. And they can’t be there for this. Not on such short notice.

I want to apologize to fans of the site. I’ve been so preoccupied with this and I just want to talk about comics. I promise that’s going to change. I’m thrilled Brian Domingos is Editor in Chief. I’m equally thrilled to come back and write a column focused on comics and not politics (unless it is important to the comic in question) for this site. I promise my batteries are recharged, and I hope you’ll like the new column.

In a week or so, I’ll be a married man. And I apologize for asking you for the following.

I need your help. I need you to keep the American dream alive, not for me, but for others. When we started running YOUNG BOTTOMS IN LOVE many years ago, the thought of a daily gay romance comic seemed out of reach. Tim Fish, editor and cartoonist, proved me wrong with an amazing group of talented cartoonists and writers who stepped up to the plate and hit a home run. The logical next step in gay romance is a committed relationship. The ultimate expression of that in legal terms is state-sanctioned marriage. Extending the benefits of marriage and the protections of divorce are essential and assumed in heterosexual circles.

I apologize for asking my Republican friends and my Democratic friends and my Independent friends to be my advocates on this matter. You should just be able to come to our party, have some cake, enjoy the DJ, and acknowledge what you already know about us. I’m not asking you to talk with your neighbors to help Ed and Matt. We’re already sorry to have to elope, but I believe that we will have our legal protections under the law. I’m asking you to help others keep these basic protections after November 4th. There are forces from outside of the state of California that are working to pass this unfair law. Well, now I am asking you to help out. If you’re in California, please vote no. If you’re a US Citizen or a legal Green Card carrying resident in the USA, you can donate money to No On Prop 8. I am currently volunteering with this organization, and we need help. And I’m sorry I live in a world where I need to ask you for it.




 


Ed Mathews was the Co-Editor in Chief of PopImage and is a new columnist here. He moved to California on October 1, 2008 and was approached by a volunteer at a fair to help out with No On Prop 8 and has been doing network administration and solving customer service issues since that day. He has been an adjunct instructor teaching Political Science courses with a focus on American Government. He still believes in the American dream. For this, he does not apologize.


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