HAPPY NEW YEAR " Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love. " -Martin Luther King, Jr.
Well it is here..1999! As we sit and write this evening, we can not help but think about what a wonderful year we have had. Our year ended with two full weeks together as one big happy family, with Michael on vacation from work and Rosa and Adam on vacation from school. There were no media interviews, no work phone calls or meetings, no homework, no statements etc., just family, our family together celebrating Christmas and the coming of a new year. What a glorious time we had.
Our Children. So many wonderful people have come up to us and offer the following advice "Enjoy every minute, they grow up so quickly!" and boy is that true.
Rosa is still not with us permanently as we do not want to interrupt an incredibly successful school year. It is getting harder and harder to bring her back on Sunday nights. It is not easy but it is the best thing for her. Last semester ended with a report card filled with A's and B's. We could not be prouder of her and our choice for her to remain where she is until June seems to be the right one. She remains focused on her studies and her future.
Since we met her two years ago, she has blossomed into a young lady (and a stunning one at that!). She continues to negotiate everything, as teens do, and is making better and better choices for herself on her own as she matures. She'll kill us for this but….she might possibly be "in love" for the first time with her boyfriend. However, being the Latina Princess that she is, he has a few hurdles in front of him first! THE GIRL NEVER GET'S OFF THE PHONE! Teenager's.
Adam is just doing phenomenal. Since he started at his new school and began taking medication in November, the results in his development have been incredible. Again, our little boy was faced with another medical obstacle and with the help of some great doctors and teachers (and maybe even, dare we say, some good parenting!), he is thriving. He learned just about every Christmas song there is but his favorites are holding at Jingle Bells and Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. At the Christmas Eve service at our church, he belted out a rendition of Happy Birthday Baby Jesus in the middle of the Christmas Pageant that demanded everyone's attention!
He continues being sociable, adorable and charming at all times. Adam and Madison play better then ever. They love to play "parent's". They cook and clean in their new play kitchen. Then Adam (the Daddy) plays with his trucks while Madison (the Mommy) feeds they baby (she named her Precious). They have both entered the land of "make believe".
Madison is just a joy. She is very much in her "Terrific Two" phase of development but her intelligence shines through so brilliantly that we are really enjoying it. The other night, Jon told her to stay in bed (a nightly ritual with her) and she said "NO". When Jon told her that it is not nice to say no to Daddy, she looked right at him and said quite slowly and deliberately "N-O-O-OPE" – clever is she not?
She is Miss Manners around here. She is consistent with saying "please" and "thank you". She covers her mouth when she cough's or sneeze's. She usually eats with her napkin on her lap and when Adam burps at dinner she is quick with a "what do you say, Adam?". When he says, "excuse me" she nods her head and says, "that's right."
Michael's corporate career at Sprint PCS continues to flourish. He now reports directly to the Vice President and is happier there than ever. Since Sprint PCS has now merged with it's parent company Sprint, he is now traveling once a month for corporate meetings and such which is a new adjustment to an already hectic schedule.
He has an active role on the Planning Committee at our church and continues as a lay reader. With the last smidgen of free time, he has accepted a seat on the Board of Directors for the New Jersey Lesbian and Gay Coalition. Luckily, these extra curricular activities are not taking time away from the family. Michael still has plenty of time to play the kid's favorite game "Monster, hide and seek" and teach Adam how to catch a football (he's getting pretty good).
Jon, the stay at home Dad manages to get the kids up and fed and Adam on his school bus all by 8:00am. Although most of the day is spent picking up toys and wiping fingerprints, he and the kids have wonderful fun filled days reading, coloring, painting and of course sticker sticking. The kid's schedule is quite structured and they still take a two-hour nap in the afternoons. During which Jon will enjoy a nice cup of coffee and pack in as many telephone calls as possible.
He manages all of our family projects, like book writing, movie producing, speeches, etc. He is quite busy as our schedule is getting more and more demanding. He is now on the Vestry of our church and continues as a lay reader, as well. Recently, he was nominated for a seat on the Board of Directors of the New Jersey American Civil Liberties Union.
Advocacy continues its high priority with our family. We continue to strive to educate a misinformed public on the plight of foster children in this country. There are so many children in need of good permanent or temporary homes. We know that America can do better for its most vulnerable resource, so we continue to carry this message wherever we go. Of course, there is one solution that can help, and that is the gay and lesbian community. This requires granting equal rights (take note: not special rights – equal rights) to gays and lesbians. Here is a huge resource of potential caretakers. So many of which are scared to enter the arena because they do not have the basic protections like our heterosexual friends. Protections like job discrimination and harassment. Pardon us as we give you some statistics on this sad reality.
There are only ten states, yes that's right only 10 states, that have laws banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. There are 30 states banning same-sex marriage, which is not even legal in any state – YET. There are also 19 states with sodomy laws still on the books.
We know that to some of our straight friends, this whole area of equal rights gets uncomfortable but we challenge you, beg you, to face your discomfort and start advocating with us. The frightening statistics inhibit so many gay and lesbian people from speaking out that we need your voice. We know that the love and compassion of the American public is there. We have seen it, felt it and used it to carry on through some of our darker days in our struggle to adopt Adam. If each of you that is touched by this newsletter started one more conversation about these inequalities then we will continue moving forward towards a free and fair country for all. We must continue to communicate. Communication is the bridge to true understanding. Do not let the hate out there intimidate you, it may be loud but it is not stronger than love.
Frank Rich of the New York Times wrote an article titled "Family Values Stalkers" on January 13, 1999. This article exposed the Family Research Council's continued attempts at destroying our family. In less than a year, they have written about our family six times. The last time was in an article titled "the good and the bad of 1998", they listed seven bad things and our family was number six. They include our children's names as well.
We realize that as public advocates for children and gay and lesbian equality; we will be talked about, written about, etc. However, we draw the line when they use our children in their hateful articles. If you want to talk about our children to celebrate their lives and recoveries that is wonderful, but talking about them to destroy their lives is another story. Therefore, like a lioness protecting her cubs, we will continue to fight these people until their incessant dehumanizing and hostility towards our family ceases.
They are not alone in their attempts to scapegoat the homosexual community. The Family Research Council, The Christian Coalition, Focus on the Family and their leaders Gary Bauer, Pat Robertson, James Dobson and, let us not forget the Reverend Jerry Fallwell, whom we debated on Larry King Live, are obsessed on destroying families in the name of God.
We ask that you pray for them, that they will come to know the God we know, the God of love and peace and understanding. Until that time, whether we are responding to their multimedia campaigns to rid the world of homosexuality or individual articles bashing us to their followers, we will do our best to speak from and of love. After all, love conquers all.
For that, we are recognized. We are honored by OUT Magazine by being named to the list of 100 people "that rocked 1998". It is their January issue titled OUT100, on newsstands and bookstores worldwide. You can find us under "Noisemakers" oops we meant "Newsmakers". We look forward to attending OUT's big party at the Empire State Building next week as we will get to meet some of our heroes and friends. Michael Adams, God's gift to us in the form of an ACLU attorney is honored as well. It will be great to see him again.
So here is our schedule. As we travel around the country please make sure to let us know when we are in your "neck of the woods". It is great to connect with those of you from afar who support us along our journey.
Feb. 23, 1999: Indiana State University, 7:00pm, Hulman Memorial Student Union: "Building a Family, a Human Right" with Jon and Michael Galluccio. Reception to follow talk. For information contact (812)237-3827
Feb. 25, 1999: Muhlenberg College, 7:30pm, "An Evening with Jon and Michael Galluccio" Muhlenberg College, Allentown, PA. For information contact Kelly Canon at (610)821-3602
March 20, 1999: The HRC Houston 1999 Winter Gala. This event will center around Family Values and the Galluccio Family will be part of their program. We are honored to be their guests for this event. For information please contact HRC at (202) 628-4160
March 21, 1999: The Lesbian and Gay Rights Lobby of Texas will be marching to the capitol in Austin and holding a rally. Our family will be there to march and talk to the people in Texas about family and equality. For info, contact the LGRL of Texas at (512) 474-5475
April 20 1999: University of Delaware, 8:00pm, Student Center, University of Delaware, Newark. "Jon & Micheal Galluccio: Gay Rights/Human Rights - Achieving the American Dream". For contact information call (302)831-8066
July 31 – Aug 7, 1999 Gay and Lesbian Family Week in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Come join our family and hundreds like us for a wonderful week of sun and fun. Of course, there will be workshops galore for those of you who just can't rest!
August 22-29, 1999. We will be travelling and speaking onboard Carnival Cruise Line's newest and biggest ship to ever sail to the Mexican Riviera for the first annual GLBT Family Cruise sponsored by Alternative Family Magazine and End of the Rainbow Travel.
GALLUCCIO.COM It's here, we warned you, so check it out. OK it is still the same old site but with our webmaster, Bill Kibler of Kibs Design constantly working on it, it is quite impressive (if we do say so ourselves). As we are writing this we were informed that our site received another award, kewl, as they say in cyber space!
Our book proposal is 99% finished and should be released for auction by our next newsletter. Most of the authors we have met have said that the proposal is the hardest part of the book, we hope they are right! Still learning the lessons of patience and faith where our movie is concerned.
Our cruise on the Elation of the Carnival Cruise Line to the Mexican Riviera is not exclusive to families like ours. So, if you are looking for an exciting vacation regardless of your sexuality or family situation, come join us. Call 1(888)981-4245 to make your reservation now.
New Beginnings. As we begin 1999 and approach the new millennium, we are resolved to stay focused on all the good things this world has to offer. Auntie Mame once said "Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!" So dig in, take a bite out of life, and bring a friend along, there is plenty of goodness to go around.
May love correct everything that stands against love! Jon, Michael, Rosa, Adam and Madison