Sneedivism
By Meg Sneed

A Week of Walking
Equality Walk promotes understanding on marriage issue

There were moments of surprise, acceptance and fellowship as 10 walkers completed a 98-mile Equality Walk from Aug. 7 to 14 through Northern Arizona.

We visited 15 cities during our pilgrimage. Along the way, we found earnest discussion and cordial fellowship.

The 98 miles represents the number of years that Arizona has been a state without full marriage equality for all citizens.

We found ourselves planting seeds of love and acceptance in the smallest towns. As we told our stories, we felt the olive branch being extended. The power of being out and telling our stories was reaffirmed, and as I reflect on the week on the road I get goose bumps.

Here are some of the highlights from each day of the Equality Walk:

Aug. 7

Lake Havasu City: Approaching Sen. John McCain’s office to attend an event with his staffers, we were surprised to find the door locked. We double-checked the times on the event flyer, which said it was to be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. But even though it was 9:05 a.m., the sign on the door said the office was closed for lunch. We waited for 30 minutes and when no one showed up we were resigned to the fact that once again McCain and his staff were not accessible to his constituents.

Kingman: We met with community members and Kingman’s vice mayor. While the vice mayor was speaking with us we saw her face change in a kind of an “ah-ha” moment. We discussed the 1,138 rights that a married couple receive. She told a story about her friends who had no desire to get married, but because of their age difference they realized the importance of being protected under the law and eventually they got married. In that moment she said that marriage is about civil rights.

Aug. 8

Prescott: We attended the Sunday service at the Universalist Unitarian Church. When newcomers were asked to stand and introduce themselves, we told about our journey and why we were walking. The congregation cheered and after the service parishioners talked to us about our journey and gave us well wishes. A family of four spoke with one of the walkers and the mom and dad explained why we were walking to their 6- and 4-year-olds. As they spoke words of love and acceptance to their children, we saw the hope for tomorrow ... and that change is on our side.

Prescott: We were stopped many times while we were walking, eating and relaxing. People were curious about our red shirts, and when we told them about our journey we got support, love and even donations.

Aug. 9

Jerome: We got lost on the winding streets, we backtracked and got turned around. But once we stopped and asked for help, a nice couple pointed us in the right direction. It reminded me of our journey toward equality — no matter how lost we may feel or how many times we step back, we will always find our way again. And with the help of others we will reach our destination — equality.

Sedona: We meet with the mayor, who spoke to us about his sister who is a lesbian. He was open, affirming and supportive of our pilgrimage, and hopeful for change.

Aug. 10

Flagstaff: By the fourth day, walkers had begun to reach their emotional limits with each other. We were tired and achy, but we had reached the halfway point. We stopped and blasted Bon Jovi’s “Living on a Prayer” and as we belted the lyrics “We are half way there” all the pain and mood swings washed away. It was a pleasant reminder to take a moment and celebrate our victories to reenergize ourselves to keep on walking for equality.

Flagstaff: We were a little disappointed when we arrived at City Hall for our appointment with a councilwoman and found that she was out of town. But the day ended well as we gathered with community members over dinner and had great conversations.

Aug. 11

Winslow: We enjoyed breakfast with a kind man, Pete Henderson, who sharing stories of discrimination and inequality. He talked about how the local LGBT community did not feel safe enough to speak out on gay issues, but there were four or five straight allies that where trying to create change.

Winslow: We walked through Winslow with the rainbow and American flags and we heard “Look a Parade!” from a Catholic nun, school children, residents and cars passing by. We were stopped by a woman who thanked us for walking and told us that she is gay, but not out. She invited us to a meeting, but when two walkers attended the meeting the woman introduced herself as though they had not just met on the street. Our reception in Winslow was positive, but we know from those who live there that it is not always that way.

Holbrook: A young man walked four miles with us. As I told him my story as a lesbian and the discrimination that the LGBT community faces, he repeatedly said “that is messed up!” He vowed that he wouldn’t forget my story, and that he would continue to walk the streets of Holbrook carrying the message of love and acceptance.

Aug. 12

Eagar/Springerville: We met with the mayor and city manager. As we discussed the differences between civil unions and marriage equality, the city manager said he could understand why civil unions are not enough. He said he believed that everyone should be granted the rights.

St. Johns: We met with employees at the Little Colorado Behavioral Health Center. As clinicians, they were interested in how they could be culturally sensitive and competent to the LGBT community and how they could provide safety for their LGBT clients. We also were on the agenda for the city council meeting, where we were given a couple of minutes to speak. The mayor commended us on our journey.

Aug. 13

Globe: Wow … as we walked through Globe we got so many honks and thumbs up that the pain just whisked away. We were stopped by a woman who was so excited to see us that she took a picture so that her friends would believe that we had really came to Globe with a rainbow flag.

Payson: While we walked only two miles in Payson, the time there summed up our entire experience. A man driving a pick-up truck pulled to the side of the road to ask us what we were doing. Considering his vehicle and clothing, we were not sure how the conversation would go. But as we talked he reached into his pocket and handed us all the cash he had. Once again we were surprised and found acceptance where we least expected it. A woman stopped one walker and asked if we knew where we were — did we know that we were walking through Payson? The woman joined us for our meeting with PFLAG over dinner and left a new member.

Aug. 14

Phoenix: Our final day was amazing, as we were joined by family and friends for the “last mile” from Phoenix City Hall to the state Capitol. As we finished our journey, we felt hope and love. Over the past week we had gone into small towns and planted seeds that will create a ripple effect of love and acceptance and will one day bloom into full equality.