I recently attended a Town Hall meeting in Kirkland in support of the bill that was signed legalizing same-sex marriage. Governor Gregoire signed the bill into law on Feb. 13, but a referendum was immediately filed to try and overturn it.

During this meeting we were all informed of the huge amount of money that has been donated in order to fight what to all intents and purposes is an issue of equal rights and nothing else. I have heard values of between $1-$6 million – a value that we as supporters of this law have to try and match if we are going to have a fair fight to win our equality.

One thing that the opponents of this equality bill say is important is the impact that gay marriage will have on families and children, which is something that is equally high in my mind as well as that of others.

The trouble is that whereas the opponents of same-sex marriage think that it will destroy families and their values, I feel totally different, as do many other people.

Whether they like it or not, there are already families out there that consist of same-sex parents who are successfully raising children. There is no way that these families are going to vanish, and it will thankfully become more and more widespread as the years go on.

These are totally normal and well-adjusted families that are a very valuable asset to any well-balanced society. I myself am proud to be a part of a family like that and I am so happy to see my children thriving in what they see as a totally normal family.

If these groups that are opposed to same-sex marriage are so adamant that they are looking for the best interests of children and families, should they not do something that will benefit all families?

That would be to allow same-sex couples to marry so that they can show their children they are a valuable asset to society and that they are not second class citizens. They could also take the millions of dollars they have raised and put that towards education, where year after year we are seeing cuts that hurt children and families.

If that were to be the case and they were to drop the opposition to the referendum, then any money that the marriage equality groups were out raising could also be donated to schools in the same way. This would represent a real and valid way that they could help families and children.

It is about time that we lived in a society that saw all people as being equally valuable members of the community, and learned to get along with people who may show differences to themselves but are otherwise the same – loving and normal families. Across the board it is true that marriage is founded in love, commitment and family.

Shaun Kelly, Kirkland