Durham City Council Votes for Marriage Equality

I was a little worried when I e-mailed one of the council members because I didn't want to feel like an outside force butting in, and instead tried to come across as a neighbor with a vested interest in the Bull City. I didn't contact them all, but since I live close to one of their wards I thought it not inappropriate to contact him.

Here is my e-mail:

To my Neighbor in support of Marriage Equality

Dear Mr. Woodard,

I write you as a long time neighbor to the Bull City asking you to continue Durham's tradition of a little southern hospitality in welcoming all their neighbors . I went to undergrad at NCSU and found Durham to be a wonderful neighbor. I spent time & money at Southpoint & elsewhere in Durham while living in Raleigh.

After college I was employed by the Carrboro Plaza Veterinary Clinic and now live in Chapel Hill, but not so far (less than 2 miles) away from Ward 3. And it is not uncommon to find me visiting the Carolina Theatre, or shopping on Ninth Street, or hoping on the Amtrak in Durham, or catching a movie at Northgate, or visiting & speaking at WUNC's radio station, dropping by Target, or standing outside a polling site during election season at NCCU's campus, or polling sites downtown, or up north at a school, or elsewhere at a library holding up signs & wearing buttons for national, statewide, & yes local would be civil servants.

Durham has always been a hospitable neighbor whom I love to visit, and who I feel a connection to as a long time resident of the triangle area, and I hope that Durham can keep up this welcoming hospitable tradition in supporting marriage equality as your neighbors such as Carrboro & Chapel Hill have done. I would appreciate any thoughts you could share on the issue.

Your neighbor,

Jake Gellar-Goad

The emphasis there wasn't in the original e-mail, but I was just trying to point out that he had cover if he felt he needed it since other triangle area cities were already doing the same thing.

and here was his response (I guess I lucked up in contacting someone who was already very much on our side):

mike.woodard@durhamnc.gov
to me

show details 10:08 PM (1 hour ago)

Reply

Follow up message
Thank you for writing. I will be supporting this.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Mike Woodard
Durham City Council
mike.woodard@durhamnc.gov
919.560.4396, x276

I would like see this happen in more places. I wonder if Hillsborough, or Cary, or Raleigh, or any other triangle area cities would be willing to follow suit.

An amazing step forward. Once more communities embrace marriage equality we can put the pressure on the state.

The time will come when the "rightness" of equality overcomes the establishment of fear. This was a step in the right direction.