by Mitchell Anderson

I first voted in a Presidential election in 1980, the year that Ronald Reagan dragged the Moral Majority into Washington on his long coattails.

Since then, anyone who does not belong to a two-parent, non-gay, child-bearing family has been vilified by The Right.

They have co-opted the family as their issue. They call their crusade a fight for Family Values and yet they represent only a fraction of the real families in America.

In this election cycle, I would like to see Barack, Hillary, John and the rest of the Democratic field get back into the fight for all American families. I want them to acknowledge that in 2007 we are not all in two-parent, non-gay, child-bearing families.

They need to speak for the single parents who are trying to earn a living; secure health insurance for their children; buy into the American dream by owning a home; and get a decent public education that relies on academic thought and not fanaticism.

They need to speak for the families of immigrants, with and without papers, who came to this country in search of a better life, many of whom do the work that other Americans won’t. These are families that need a voice as much as anyone else.

And yes, they need to speak for and fight for the millions of families like mine – two guys and a cat.

We are the forgotten families. We are getting up each day, going to work, creating jobs, giving back to the community and living kind and gentle lives - yet our government, whom we pay to work for us, barely acknowledges our existence and our unequal rights, let alone our worth.

I happen to live on a very blue island in a very red sea. My day-to-day existence is one of acceptance, honor and love. My partner and I, and our cat Elmo, are lucky that our lives are supported by our family, friends and community.

And yet, we are not protected by law. The list of “what straight people can do that we can’t” is too long. The inequities of GLBTQ families must be addressed on a national level by the President of the United States. He or she cannot hide behind the argument that the states should decide these issues. After all, this is not the lottery or the sales tax. This is about people’s lives.

GLBTQ families are denied access to the full benefits of American life that we pay for just like anyone else. The next President needs to bring all families into the American dream – because we all really do matter.

Actor-turned-chef Mitchell Anderson starred in Doogie Howser, M.D., If These Walls Could Talk 2, Party of Five and Relax, It’s Just Sex. He came out publicly in 1996 at the GLAAD Media Awards and has since been outspoken on human rights issues. He was a regular contributor to gay.com in its infancy. In October 2005 Mitchell began his second career as owner and chef of MetroFresh Café in Atlanta: . He continues to act occasionally.