Kickstarter

I am a Parent. There really is no other way to describe the relationship I have with our son. But, In May of 2006, without a home visit, I was denied parental rights because my partner of ten years and I were not "legally" married. The problem is that in November of the same year, the State of Alabama passed an amendment making it unconstitutional for the state to recognize same-sex marriage, leaving me no option to obtain full legal parental rights to our son. After many meetings with lawyers and being told over and over again that "it can't be done in Alabama" I created the above video.

That was almost four years ago and many things have changed, but my parental status has not. On September 23, 2008, my partner, Kim and I were legally marred by the State of California. Needless to say, we were crushed when six weeks later, Proposition 8 passed. leaving our marital status unclear.

We have faced many obstacles throughout our journey to obtain simple legal protections that most families take for granted. However, we have also seen that by sharing our story, hearts and minds begin to change and important conversations begin.

It is my goal to create a full length documentary that illustrates the beauty of creating a family, the importance of having basic family recognition and to provide an educational tool that fosters understanding and opens up important conversation, especially in the deep south.

Where will the funds go?

The video you just watched was created by me in just a few days. I am a professional video editor and the owner of All Good Creatives, a local video production company. Now imagine what I can do with a BUDGET!!!  Every cent will go directly to the production of a full length documentary that retells our story in a more intimate way. The money will be used to purchase equipment, hire additional help, editing time and dvd duplication costs. If we raise more, the remaining funds will pay for film festival submission fees, PR and promotion of the film. 

I love the idea of Kickstarter because it really is a grassroots effort for funding creative projects and offers fun and tangible rewards for contributions. We have a budget of $10,000 and the way it works is the project must be fully funded before its time expires or no money changes hands.  In this case, we have until June 15th to reach our goal and we need your help!  Please, if you are moved by our story, pass it on, tag your friends and give what you can!

With your support, I am a Parent will be shot this summer and we'll keep you updated all the way.

In love + light,

Cari Searcy

I Am a Parent Facebook Page

News articles

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-05-21-gay-tide_x.htmhttp://legacy.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/news/060710/adopt.shtmlhttp://www.edgesandiego.com/index.php...