Gay Marriage Will Be Legal Someday
Those who care about civil rights and justice are not pleased this morning with the outcome of the vote yesterday in Maine regarding the gay marriage referendum. It is never easy to see the rights of Americans put to a vote, and even harder to see that so many undervalue their neighbors and friends. Yet this morning this is no reason to despair. History, you see, is always on the side of progress and expanding equality. I know that, and feel it deep within me.
I believe in the rolling stone theory of politics. The inevitability of politics, and therefore the progression of public policy.
Take the smoking bans.
Fifteen years ago I would have been laughed at to predict that smoking bans would be more common than not. After all who was going to tell businesses that they had to think of the health of their workers and patrons and end smoking in their establishments. Yet today the trend toward smoke-free air is the way we expect to live, and we would be offended to walk into a restaurant and find the air gray.
When one place starts an issue like this it is hard to tamp it down. There is a certain momentum that is hard to contain.
I know there are multitude of reasons that the Northeast has been more accepting of gay civil rights than, say the South. Last night was a slap in the face due to heavy religious funding by outsiders who came into Maine to spread hate. As a result the lack of understanding about this issue was heightened even more. More education on this matter, like everything else, is always the key. But in spite of Maine this morning, overall there is a trend in this nation to move forward with how we think about gay marriage. Progressively forward.
Each of us has seen so much in our life. We have found new galaxies due to Hubble, witnessed the end of the Cold War, the use of stem-cells to prevent diseases is around the corner, even anti-matter is no longer a dream.
So in that context gay marriage is not hard to believe is coming.
Because it is.
Recall that folks like Rosa Parks lived to see so much of what she never had at one point in her life become the law of the land, due to fighting and demanding.
So shall we.
Never lose faith.
I haven’t.
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I have to agree with you though that there is simply no reason why people should be all worried about the state of traditional marriage–it isn’t the gays who are screwing it up in the first place!
Education is everything, I keep saying. I am telling you, there are students in my classes that at times make me think, “Yes, sir, the world needs street cleaners.” I had had really high hopes that good would win out over evil for once. Have I mentioned my disdain for bigots?
I think what is most unique about the ME situation is the relatively clean campaign that was run. My mom said that while the ads were intensely annoying, they were above board, and she appreciated that. No one said we were going to be out fornicating with children or the neighbors’ goat. She did say though that of course we would have to start teaching how to be gay in health classes–I mean PLEASE–they couldn’t even teach straight sex well in school. What makes them think they will be able to teach gay sex any better!!??
In your opinion, why has gay marriage never been accepted by any nation on Earth under any form of government at any time in recorded history?
You are very wrong.
Netherlands have allowed gay marriage since 2001. Spain does the same, since I think 2005. And there might be others that allow for gay marriage. In addition, some nations like France have a law that we might term ‘marriage light’ for gay couples.
How am I wrong? The examples you cite are from this decade. In four thousand years of recorded history from Egypt to Japan to the Amazon, same sex couples have always existed and held places of honor, power, and prestige. And yet, no countries, political structures, or religions have come to the point of a marriage contract that so engages today’s same sex couples. Not under communism, tribalism, fascism, dictatorship,nor even royalty as far as I know.
It likely does not matter.Perhaps an enlightenment age is upon us.
Thats because we are now more socially advanced than we were back then. Social norms change every fifty to a hundred years or so. Slavery also existed up until the 1800’s, not that im comparing it to gay marriage, but its still the same basic principal of “Well, this is how it always was”, which is an awful reason for keeping something the way it is when there is obvious injustice in not allowing people who have been together for 20+ years to not be with their dying partner because a dumb by-law says they can’t.
I dont care what you call it. Just give people rights.