I’m sharing this video with a tear in my eye and pride in my heart, along with the hope that you’ll share it with your friends, family, and social networks so that many people – particularly in the state of Minnesota — are able to see it. The Reitans are a wonderful family; they’re personal friends of mine and friends of Truth Wins Out. They even hosted me in their home during part of the time I was undercover getting “reparative therapy” at the Bachmann clinic last year.
Phil and Randi Reitan have been married for almost 40 years and have four wonderful children. Three of them are married to their opposite-sex spouses, but one of them — their youngest son, Jacob, who is gay — will be constitutionally barred from marrying in his home state if Minnesota voters approve a marriage discrimination amendment this November. The Reitans have been busy lobbying, making calls, holding and attending fundraisers, and having one-on-one conversations in the effort to open enough minds and hearts to defeat the awful amendment. Phil and Randi, along with all four of their children and all three of their kids’ spouses, have teamed up with Minnesotans United for All Families – a bipartisan statewide coalition of progressive, LGBTQA, labor, faith-based, and civil rights organizations, leaders, and individuals coming together to beat back marriage discrimination in Minnesota — on a video to tell their fellow citizens why they should vote to defeat this malicious and hurtful amendment and stand united in support of equality for every person, every family.
Please watch and share the Reitans’ video. Help them spread their message of love, equality, and inclusion as widely as possible.
Randi Reitan and me in the family living room, June 2011
What a terrific family. When you see how they are including their gay family member in the wider circles of love of the whole family, you realize how ugly people like Maggie Gallagher are in their gay-bashing bigotry.
Very cool family. This gives me some hope. My in-laws are not anti-gay as such, but perfectly oblivious as to our rights and why they should be helping fight…so that their son can enjoy the same rights that they enjoy.
I salute this family and hope they continue in their path of love and acceptance. I wish them all the best in this world.
What a wonderful family this is! This video brought me tears. As a former Minnesotan, this is how I always envisioned my home state; not a place that discriminates against a minority for any reason.
Jerry