As Pride Month comes to a close, I want to publicly congratulate the states of New York and Rhode Island for recently passing laws allowing same sex unions.
New York Allows Same Sex Marriage
Rhode Island Okays Same Sex Unions
I wonder when the rest of the country will see the light and follow suit?
I am utterly perplexed by the continued resistance to same sex unions. Let's really try to talk this thing through, shall we?
I think we are all familiar with the words, "We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal", and hopefully we are all familiar with the equal protection clause as well as due process guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment of the Bill of Rights. These things being such a major part of the foundation of our country, I fail to comprehend why a segment of Americans don't feel that these inalienable rights should apply to our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters. I realize we liberals had to fight these same battles before women and blacks achieved the steps toward equality that they now enjoy. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that the same forces that tried to repress women and blacks now try to repress gays and lesbians. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that we have to fight the same fights before gays and lesbians will achieve equality. Obviously, major victories have been won, but the fight will not be over until same sex couples who are in love are allowed the same legal recognition and protection as their opposite sex brethren.
Here is another thing I don't understand. The argument that same sex couples cannot procreate children. Well, sans adoption, a surrogate parent, or a sperm donor, same sex couples cannot have children of their own, but what about same opposite sex couples who either choose not to have children or are naturally incapable of doing so? Are their marriages invalid? Should opposite sex couples only marry if they plan to reproduce? Should opposite sex couples who choose not to have children by forbidden from marrying? Friends, I don't think this argument by the anti-gay crowd flies any more than their ignoring the fact that this country was, at least in theory, founded on the principle that everyone is created equally and should have equal opportunity.
Some say that same sex couples are unnatural, yet there are numerous examples of homosexual behavior in the natural world. Some say homosexuality is a mental illness, yet the APA ceased listing homosexuality as a mental condition many, many years ago. Some say being gay is a "choice", so I ask my heterosexual readers one more time, when did you "choose" to be straight? (I am still waiting on someone to answer that question from the last time I asked it.)
And this one really puzzles me.................... Some say they are against same sex unions because they "don't want to pay for it". For the life of me, I've no idea what they think they are going to pay for, and I surely wish someone would enlighten me.
I could give the religious argument against same sex unions more validity, if the same arguments weren't used against interracial marriage fifty to sixty years ago. That being said, would a reasonable compromise be to leave it up to individual denominations to decide whether they want their clergy to perform same sex marriage ceremonies while allowing local officials to perform civil ceremonies in order to provide the legal protections and recognition of same sex couples?
Here is some food for thought. I have a gay friend who has been with his partner for well over ten years, but they cannot legally be married while an opposite sex couple can legally marry a week after they meet and then divorce six months later.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is past time for this country to wake up and accept the fact that some of our fellow humans are attracted to the same sex and fall in love with the same sex. It is also past time that same sex couple who want to make a legal, lifetime commitment to each other be permitted to do so in the spirit of equality and in the spirit of America.
Peace and love, my brothers and sisters.
No comments:
Post a Comment