Legally My Mom

Dear People,

My name is Jackson. I am 8 years old, and I live in the Orlando area. My parents just got the right to get married, and I am looking forward to their wedding in July. I think I will feel like our family has become more real when we all get married.

I am glad my parents can finally get married because they love each other very much, and they are happy together. I love them both very much. I want to be in their wedding. It makes me very happy that my mom and I have found someone who is very nice to us and who is very kind and loving.

Getting married would make my new mom my legal mom. She wants to adopt me, and after that we are going to celebrate with a bunch of people. It’s going to be very, very fun. I’m okay with that because I love her very, very much. If she’s legally my mom, she can’t abandon me without getting into trouble like my old mom. She can legally say that she’s my mom and she’s my mom’s wife. She can protect me because she’s legally my mom, so I would have two legal moms. I worried this year about kids bullying me because my parents are gay, but if they are legally married no one can say they can’t be together.

 The fact that my parents couldn't get married before makes me feel sad. I know they want to get married, and they are very, very excited about getting married now that the state law changed. We'll celebrate and get married in this old golf course place. We will celebrate with food and dancing and games. I have been in one other wedding for my grandpas, and I want to be in my moms’ wedding. It’s so much fun, and we have such a good family, and I can’t wait to celebrate it with everyone who matters to me.

When I look at other married parents I feel happy for their children. Their children get to experience a legal mom or dad or gay parent. It’s good when your parents are legally your parents. If they aren’t legally your parents, they can’t defend you in court and help you with some things or protect you in some ways. They can’t do some things a legal parent would. Being married also gives the parents, like my moms, a legal relationship to each other. This is important so people know how much they love each other. And it means they can hold hands and kiss and be wives together.

 Jackson