One year ago on September 27, 2009 a tradition was begun, though not well publicized.  A monthly activity for same-sex couples to put our love out in the public on the last Saturday of the month.  The event is called: Sshh! Saturdays: A Day in Hand.

This event was begun by David Watkins in the United Kingdom.

Hi, my name is Dave Watkins and I am the founder of A Day In Hand. I’m absolutely passionate about issues of diversity and I hope this project reflects all the different permutations of what it means to be human. I live in London with a bunch of brightly coloured fish and two frisky felines.  I’m so grateful to everybody who has sent their pics in. You are the pioneers. To the rest, I hope you find some way of getting involved and that this project helps you to live happier, to love happier and to allow yourself to be loved without fear or restraint.

I suffer some subtle form of discrimination because of my sexuality, every day. There was a time when it felt like dying of a thousand paper cuts. Now it drives me forward to want to change things. That’s why I came up with the idea for this project. It has 2 main ideas: 1) We want to see more Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans (LGBT) people living their lives publicly without shame and to the full.

2) When same-sex love is out in the open, people will start to accept the reality of LGBT lives not so unlike their own. The more you’re ‘out’ the less hard being  ‘out’ is.”

I have been planning Sshh! Saturday events in the Twin Cities since last September.  This September 26th will mark one year that I have been preparing and publicizing the event on Facebook.

This year Minnesota’s LGBTQ communities are facing the tough challenge of passing Marriage Equality.  If we succeed in electing a Marriage Equality friendly Governor and State Legislature we may pass Marriage Equality by the end of 2011.  The National Organization for Marriage , the Minnesota Family Council, and the Minnesota Catholic Conference are determined to stop the progress on Marriage Equality.  It is time for our communities to take a public and social stand.  We must change the hearts and minds of people about what same-sex love is, by making it publicly visible in a most appropriate way.

Sshh! Saturdays: A Day in Hand will continue to take place on the last Saturday of every Month.  All you need to do is step outside or inside a mall, or store, bar, or any place where you are public and hold hands with someone of the same-sex.  We need to show that same-sex love is just as beautiful and wonderful, that even the public can see how awesome it is.  Just take the hand of a same-sex individual even if you are just friends and show what same-sex love is.

Be part of the revolution.  Be part of the solution.  Be part of changing societies understanding of the wonderful love that same-sex couples share.  Even if you hate politics, you can still do something social and help change those politics you hate towards better days for all same-sex couples.