Friday, September 18, 2009

VIDEO: Charlize Theron Restates Her Commitment to Not Getting Married Until All Gays and Lesbians Can

Many of us have heard numerous celebrities state their support for marriage equality, and it's always received with heartfelt thanks. But for me, Charlize Theron stands out.

Having met her back in May at Meet in the Middle, her sincerity rang true to me. She showed up at the major California statewide rally and didn't go on stage to speak, she did absolutely no interviews with the media in an effort to drum up publicity for herself - she stood for the whole several-hours-long rally in the Fresno summer heat with the crowd. She drove herself to Fresno from Los Angeles to be a participant, not to be in the limelight. She was one of us. And just by appearing, the rally got a lot of coverage.

But what makes her stand out most for me is her commitment not to get married until all of us, the LGBT population, can tie the knot.

Earlier this week on The View, Charlize Theron spoke about marriage equality, repeating her support and her commitment not to get married to her longtime partner Stewart Townsend until all gays and lesbians can. (See video below around 5:40)

"I don't want to get married because right now the institution of marriage feels very one-sided, and I want to live in a country where we all have equal rights," Theron said, remarking on why she and Stewart have not gotten married.

"I think it would be exactly the same if we were married, but for me to go through that kind of ceremony, because I have so many friends who are gays and lesbians who would so badly want to get married, that I wouldn't be able to sleep with myself," Theron said.

Charlize has witnessed first-hand what discrimination can do. Hailing from South Africa, she once compared the same-sex marriage bans to apartheid that once dominated her home country.

We could use more allies like Charlize.

Thank you Charlize for your committed support for us!

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