New York town clerk Laura Fotusky is shocked that since she’s employed by the state she resides in, she must actually follow state laws. This is shocking to Laura because she doesn’t want people to fall in love with other people of the same gender. She doesn’t want two consenting adults to create a life together, worship when they chose, have a family if they want — not to mention own a house, drive a car, and do their dishes. Laura’s very concerned that something awful might happen to her and her family if she signs a paper that solidifies two people of the same sex wanting to make a legal commitment to one another.
Laura’s also annoyed that she doesn’t have ultimate power in New York State. Laura’s big beef comes down to the fact that although she ‘loves everybody,’ she’s certainly not going to attach her name to an unholy union. Her religious freedoms are under attack and Laura’s going to do what any other red-blooded American would do under the same circumstances: she’s going to exert her religious right to break the law of her state.
Laura also believes that religion and government are the same thing. Laura believes that it’s actually her these same sex couples came to see. That out of all the state representatives in that office that day, that they wanted Laura Fortusky’s personal signature on their certificate of marriage. That before anyone got dressed or stepped into a cab, the couple turned to the Universe and asked God, ‘Dear Lord, please send us Laura Fortusky today. If not Laura, we’ll be done with each other. Amen.’
Laura doesn’t really have a full grasp on this whole pesky government job thing quite yet. Laura doesn’t really understand that it’s not her these couples want nor care about. Laura seems to be dipping into the Ego Parfait a few too many times. Like many who have problems with the changing of the world and the way people are opening up to what love is and the fact that it has not a color preference or religious preference or gender preference, Laura’s struggling. She’s reaching for anything she can because the fear and the rage against ‘newness’ is almost too much. It’s bigger than she ever thought possible and larger than she ever dreamed. And although Laura and her like are just a wee bit confused about the fact that they work for the state, and their religion, or lack thereof, has nothing whatever to do with the title of their job, Laura’s sticking to her guns. She’s ready to quit. She’s ready to walk. She’s a soldier of God and her immediate need is to put an end to this ever changing tide. She likes the old ways. She believes in one man and one woman as a union to be blessed by her — emphasize her — God. She’s mistaken when she thinks that’s true for most of the people needing a signature from anyone sitting behind that glass pane in her office. No one’s asking about her specific God, nor does anyone need to be blessed by it. All they need is a signature.
Not Laura’s signature.
A signature.
Laura almost lost her job. Laura’s thinking about quitting. Laura feels discriminated against. And Laura’s getting a lot of angry hate mail and being called ridiculous things like ‘bigoted’ and ‘hateful,’ when all she’s trying to do is simply express herself and live in what she and her God believe to be true. It really is unfair. It really is a shame and a crime. But I think I may have a solution for Laura Fotusky. A way to get her out of this awful jam she’s in and off to a place where she’s free to live her life according to the book she feels most connected to. There is an answer. There is an answer and a way everyone wins. Everyone’s happier and more at peace and no one complains. There’s a very, very simple solution for Laura Fortusky:
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