Loving and Living

I have been dating my high school sweetheart for a little over three and half years now; which I believe in gay years is about seven years, but anywho we love each other greatly and have been sharing an apartment for nearly a year. Thankfully we have not encountered any hatred or prejudice or discrimination of any kind (which is a big deal for such a red state). Life is good at the Acosta-Labrado apartmenthold, we have two cats (the kids), a lot of laughter, piles of holey socks, bickerings over chores and such, and most importantly, a lot of love.
I read a story on the Advocate website (www.advocate.com) about the home of a gay couple in Clayton, N.C. that fell victim to a hate-crime. While out of the house, the couple received a phone call that their home had gone up in flames. Everything that was in the home was burnt to ashes and the gentlemen themselves were too distraught to even make personal statements for the article. The was definitely an act of hatred against homosexuals stated the investigative reports, within the past year the couple's home has been tagged with derogatory slurs, they have received harassing notes in their mailbox, and their tires of their vehicle had been slashed.
My partner and I plan on moving into a house together in the future, and it is news like this that disheartens me to an unfathomable point. Are going to have to live in fear for the safety of us and our possessions? Are going to have to give off the appearance that we are brothers or friends and pretend that we haven't spent years together; years together learning and loving and growing and earning the right to shelter ourselves in home together where we can continue to love and learn and hopefully raise children?
This goes beyond affecting my partner and I, this goes beyond affecting the gay and queer community, this affects everyone who's ever been denied or intimidated their rightful places in America-in the world. Estevan and I have worked so hard on making our relationship last and are working even harder on earning educations and saving from our weekend jobs so that someday we can afford our own little comfortable corner in the world. Who do these people think they are? Destroying everything that their neighbors have worked to create?
I'll tell you one thing though, I'll bet that this crime may have shattered their emotions, but has not weakened their love for each other. Despite that fact that this is sad news that gets us a little nervous about our future together, our love for one another is not at all shaken.

http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/02/07/Gay_Couples_Home_Destroyed_in_Arson/