Update June 26, 2015. Today, the United States Supreme Court made same sex marriage legal in every state.

My husband and I have been married for more than 21 years. He’s my best friend and the life we’ve made together is amazing. I know how lucky I am to have found a partner with whom to share my journey.

Unfortunately, as I write this there are those I love who are unable to share my joy in marriage. They cherish their partners as deeply as I cherish mine–and yet they are unable to legally marry because of their sexual orientation.

This is wrong. Utterly wrong. Love that is willing to make that kind of commitment should not be denied but rather celebrated, honored and protected with everything religion, family and law can muster–-no matter what!

While I’ve never been silent on this matter (just ask my sons), I have only recently found the combination of stitches with which to publicly announce my solidarity with those who are fighting for the right to marry. If you look at the pattern you’ll see sections where the stitches are more densely clustered thus changing the shape of the adjacent sections. This signifies the fact that constraints on the liberties of some impact everyone around them–because no group can be truly free when it is permissible to discriminate against some individuals.

The yarn colors are also significant. The rainbow is the traditional symbol of gay pride. I originally selected black as a contrasting color because it made the rainbow colors really pop–and I still think that. But, the more I worked on Solidarity the more the black began to stand for my anger with the current status quo and my commitment to adding my voice to the call for change.

I hope to one day make Solidarity again using white as a contrasting color. That Solidarity will be a celebration of the widespread change that I have faith is coming to my country. I have so much faith that this will happen that I’ve already purchased the yarn. I just hope my hair won’t be completely gray when that day arrives!

Solidarity was made with knit picks chroma fingering--1 skein each of black and prism.

Half of all profits for Solidarity will be donated to LGBT rights advocacy groups. My current favorites are the Give a Damn Campaign (www.wegiveadamn.org) and The Reconciling Ministries Network (www.rmnetwork.org). If you have another group to suggest please email me. I’ll record contributions on Solidarity’s Ravelry pattern page.

Contributions
6/6/2013: $20 to True Colors Fund/Give a Damn campaign