Election 2008: What’s At Stake?

When Don Kreindler and Ernie Carswell get married on August 1 in their Los Angeles home, Carswell’s father — a Baptist Minister from South Carolina — just might show up.

“He hasn’t said yes, but more importantly, he hasn’t said no,” said Carswell. “He said he was going to check his calendar, so for him, that’s not a no.”

Carswell said he left South Carolina to be comfortable with his own identity, away from his father with whom he shares a name. As Carswell and his partner sat, waiting to receive their marriage license at the Beverly Hills courthouse yesterday, he said that the Bible Belt wasn’t always a place of acceptance for people with his lifestyle. “They believe it’s against their religious beliefs, and that’s even more reason for me to make this governmental stand,” Carswell said. “Because at least there’s a part of me as a human being which is the state-supported person that I am … that can be approved today.”

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A gay marriage greeting card by Hallmark (AP Photo)