Those of us watching the nation’s capital and its Jewish ongoings get a little mired at times in wondering how "Jewish" a public figure is: Is s/he attending a shul, is s/he married to a Jewish spouse, is s/he raising their kids Jewish, are they attending a Jewish day school?
Still: It’s nice to learn U.S. Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) has a Jewish spouse.
If only because Marlon Reis is all about making Washington a more diverse place.
Here he is, describing his experience as part of a CNN series on freshmen in Congress:
Rarely has anyone seen me for what I actually am. I don my "Congressional Spouse" lapel pin proudly and hope each time not to be questioned, yet I still receive sideways glances and orders to produce an official ID. It is as if my story is too unbelievable to be true, that I am an interloper, someone in a place I do not belong.
Perhaps this has to do with my being the partner of the first openly gay man to win a seat as a nonincumbent. I have noticed among those I meet a tincture of incredulity; a reluctance to accept that which has not been seen before.
We know Polis is Jewish, and Reis self-identifies on his MySpace page.
