Southern Equality passed on this story to us about a 6th grader from North Carolina who wrote to each of the nine Supreme Court Justices urging them to legalize gay marriage when faced with the Prop 8 and DOMA cases later this month.

The daughter of a lesbian couple, 11-year-old Cameron is yet another example of why kids raised by same-sex couples are kinda the best:

Hello, My name is Cameron. I am eleven years old and I am currently in the 6th grade [in North Carolina]. I am the daughter of Susan and Sheila. I watched President Obama’s inauguration speech today and my parents pointed you out to me. They informed me that although President Obama is leading the fight for my parents to be treated equally, you and the other justices will be making very important decisions in the next few months. I know you are busy, but I hope you have time to read this letter. My parents have been together for 26 years. They took me to New York on their 25th anniversary so that they could be legally married. I was so happy for them. They are the best parents a kid could ask for and I love them so much. I would like to see their marriage recognized here in our home state. Please look at our photos and think of us when you make decisions based on gay rights. We are a family. I am very proud of my parents and I hope you understand how your decision will affect my family. If you have any concerns about the welfare of kids of gay parents, I can tell you that I am doing great. I am so loved. Everyone I know tells me I am such a lucky kid. My parents are my life. They quiz me before tests and make sure that I am doing well in school. I was the top student in my class last year and have made Headmaster’s List every 6 weeks. I play travel soccer and I am currently trying out for the Olympic Development Program which means they dedicate most of their weekends to traveling all over the state so that I can compete against other teams. I also play tennis. A couple of years ago I collected 200 soccer balls and sent them to Liberia for kids who do not have soccer balls. I have many good friends who love my parents. I have never been teased. I think things are going very well. Thank you for your time. Respectfully, Cameron

Justice Sonia Sotomayor was moved enough by Cameron’s plea to take some time out of her busy, federally-appointed schedule to write a friendly response:



Dear Cameron, Thank you for writing to me. I always enjoy reading letters from young students. Unfortunately, I cannot comment on issues that might one day come before the Court, so I am unable to respond to your letter regarding marriage. I encourage you, however, to continue to think about the many important issues that impact our society. I know dreams can come true when you work hard to achieve them. In the years to come, I wish you the joy of dreaming big, working hard, and succeeding in all that you do. With warmest regards, Sonia Sotomayor

With loving and supporting parents like hers, Cameron will be just fine. She’s just lucky she didn’t get a letter from Scalia, which probably would have consisted of his advice to her, as illustrated by his valediction — a crude drawing of a middle finger.

To get involved with Southern Equality’s grassroots project to bring LGBT issues and full equality to light, visit their Hometown Organizing page.