Interview At NOH8 Campaign With The Pawning Planners March 2015 Dallas CW33 NewsFix

A lot of things have changed this past year with one of them being the legalization of same sex marriage in Texas.  Gone are the days of driving to Oklahoma with my Texas Twins Events/Pawning Planners Team.  When my twin sister and I along with our Little Pawners were pulled aside for this interview, many of the things I said were effectively spliced for one sentence of the aired interview which isn’t unusual http://thepawningplanners.com/texas-twins-events/the-pawning-planners-the-little-pawners-travel-noh8-dallas-photo-shoot/

 While many things have changed since stating “we believe love is love” on news channels last year, many things remain the same with religious zealots continuing to send me hate mail or advising me that I’m going to burn for officiating at weddings or funerals for my LBGT friends in the community. 

 The LBGT community is important to myself and my family after being welcomed with “open arms” five years ago at the TCGPWA Parade in Fort Worth, Texas.

When asked by parade officials if I would be willing to “make a statement” with a group unification ceremony on the courthouse steps, I purchased a wedding cake and arrived early with unification certificates for the couples.  Years later, these couples are still my friends and although some may view my involvement as “controversial” what you don’t know may enlighten you by reading this blog-http://thepawningplanners.com/reverend-wendy-wortham/in-honor-of-my-dear-friends-charles-thomason-dewitt-mcnight-and-tom-anable-supporting-lbgt-communities-is-important-to-me/ 

You see, throughout my life some of my closes friends were members within the LBGT community and I was often my good friend Charles “beard” accompanying him to events as his escort.  Charles and I worked together for years and while we worked alongside a few “haters,” and naysayers- Charles taught me that he was no longer bothered by our homophobic coworkers because he had lost Dewitt and would never again have a partner in life.  Instead I would be his partner at the country club, fundraisers and any other “public event” where his orientation might be questioned.

As we have moved forward this  year- in many ways we have moved backwards with those who profess to be Christian spewing their hate and attacking members of the community.  How tragic that so many have been lost who never hurt anyone!  How tragic that social media puts both the victims and the survivors “under a microscope” simply because they are viewed as “different.”

I’m often quoted as saying that members of the LBGT community are sons, daughters, friends, coworkers and families because they are.  Simply because a family has two dads or two moms doesn’t really make them that different and I will give you an example to enlighten you- My twin sister and I raised our three adult children as a TwinTeam.  We weren’t LBGT but we had no one to rely on other than ourselves since we were divorced.  We were a two mommy family when one twin was at work, the other twin was the babysitter.  We took turns going to school functions when we could not attend together AND we heard the whispers since we were always together.

 Simply because someone else’s family doesn’t mirror your own doesn’t make them “weird, crazy or gay” quite the opposite it makes them a family!

Last night, I went to comfort a widow who had lost her husband who had drown in their swimming pool.  I’m a volunteer funeral clergy and on call to administer Last Rites as well as act as a Funeral Clergy when families have no money.  Have I seen much sorrow?  More than you will ever realize.  Do I receive several social “threats” regarding my businesses?  All the time along with a few mailed to my business PO address.

However, this “isn’t my first rodeo” with bullying or threats.  As a child, I suffered a chronic stutter that made me a target as a “retarded freak.”  

Years of voice therapy were required prior to finding employment as a model, Cadillac spokesperson and even my present role as an event coordinator, wedding officiant & party planner for Texas Twins Events & The Pawning Planners. 

 Learning how to refurbish antiques and furniture would be required of me to make all three businesses “blend and coordinate” with Texas Twins Treasures rounding out my “no money? No problem We Take Trades” dive into helping families with no money by bartering for services.

Although I wish that Charles and many of my other LBGT friends could have marched with me in the parade- I’m looking forward to our new couples and previous clients joining us this year. 

 Giving peace a chance isn’t always a possibility for the LBGT community when there will always be someone who thinks they know it all- even when they don’t.  Why?  Because you often have to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes before you can understand their lifestyle OR their journey! 

 Nearly half of all of our clients at Texas Twins Events & The Pawning Planners are LBGT and letters from religious zealots are most certainly not going to change my business practices today, tomorrow or ever.  Our LBGT client base are the friendliest folks we’ve ever met.

As I throw my latest “warning letter” in the trash, I wonder why this idiot bothered to write 11 pages of Bible Scripture and why he couldn’t spend that time volunteering in his community or even taking an anger management class???

Wendy M Wortham We Take Trades! Submit Yours At The Pawning Planners! Family Owned & Operated