Dear Minnesota,

I believe that some state will finally end up having the courage to stand up and say no to enshrining bigotry and hatred into their state constitution and I cannot help thinking that it could be you, beautiful, amazing Minnesota, who will do it.

Call me naive. Call me love-struck silly. I don't care, because I know you Minnesota and I knew you intimately when I lived there for 12 amazing years. You will always have a special place in my heart. And it is because of wonderful constituents like Jeff and Lori Wilfahrt, who think nothing of speaking out in spite of enormous personal loss and grief; and courageous young Republican Minnesotans like Madeline Koch who bravely represented the next generation of Minnesotans by testifying for fairness and against straddling her generation with this generation's bigotry; and principled State Representatives like Steve Simon (DFL District: 44A) making impassioned speeches like the one below that I believe you can defeat this ugly anti-gay marriage amendment.

Yes, yes, I know there are huge amounts of money pouring in from so-called family advocacy groups, protect marriage organizations, and wealthy churches who have decided fighting for bigotry is far more Christ-like than feeding the poor. And I also know that this is a classic David and Goliath story, but I still have faith you can defeat these misguided groups. You can beat the hate and homophobia that is being paraded around as God's Will and Family Values and Protection of Marriage. So show the rest of the country that you see through these Sanctimonious Frauds by sending them packing with their tails between their legs and a humiliating defeat that makes them think hard about doing this again in another state.

Please, please show these hateful frauds what really made America great. Remind the rest of the country that we did not become who we are by mocking diversity and tolerance, isolating powerless minorities and stripping them of rights and dignity, or forcing one set of narrow, exclusionary religious beliefs into our state constitutions and onto those who do not share those bigoted views. Show them Minnesota. Be the first to score a KO. You can do it, I know with all my heart you can.