My First Experience as a Volunteer at a Gay Pride Festival, by Lee Brockman

I'm a 76 year old woman who happens to be heterosexual, and I have a handsome, talented, charismatic, and loving twenty-two year old grandson who happens to be gay. So when someone from Fairness for All Families phoned to see if I would help man the booth at the Sarasota Gay Pride Fest, I went. And I want to tell you that I had a fabulous time! I was there for nearly four hours, and my job, as I understood it, was to make sure that everyone at the Festival understood how the so-called "Marriage Amendment" would affect them. I decided to stand in the aisle in front of the booth, instead of sitting behind our table. This way I could get up close and personal in order to speak directly to individuals who came our way. (There was a noise factor, with hundreds of people crowding the large room where the booths were set up.) My question to each person was "Are you familiar with the proposed Marriage Amendment?" Usually the answer was, "Not really!" Then I'd hand them one of our fliers with the exact wording of the amendment. They'd read it and register shock. (Because it is shocking!) And I'd then "suggest" that they might want to vote NO on number two in November. "Good suggestion!" they'd say, and they'd be grateful for the information I'd given them.

What a "high" you can get when you've spent some time helping others! Put me down for next year! I'll be there if you need me!