I know you've all been waiting for me to weigh in on the California Supreme Court decision to legalize gay marriage. Or, maybe you haven't. Anyway, I'm pretty pleased about it. Generally, here's where I stand on the issue:
1. I was completely ambivalent about gay marriage until Curt and I had to pay an attorney lots of money to draw up expensive papers to get the most basic rights and protections that are assumed with a legal marriage contract- financial power of attorney, spousal inheritance, medical power of attorney, etc. This rubbed my cheap Lutheran-raised sensibilities the wrong way. We still have to get something drawn up that says Curt has control of my corpse should I die. And, just in case you're wondering, let it be known I want to be cremated, unless someone wants to taxiderm my ass and prop me up in your house holding a tray. At least make me useful.
2. I have no particular desire to get married in a church or feel the need to have my commitment to Curt sworn before God or witnessed by friends. Our commitment is already in place and doesn't require anyone in particular's blessing. A new toaster oven, perhaps. Blessing, no. I am only interested in the legal rights and benefits assumed in a legal marriage (or civil union or whatever you want to call it). For the more fervent church goers, let me remind you that the laws of this country were not written by God. The Bible perhaps, but not the laws.
3. I don't believe that gays being allowed to marry is the biggest threat to the institution of marriage as it exists today. What is? D-I-V-O-R-C-E. If you hate the thought of gay marriage on religious grounds, but aren't concurrently proposing a constitutional amendment banning DIVORCE and gay marriage, you don't get to talk to me about the topic. For cripes sake, DIVORCE breaks the VOWS you took before GOD to be committed for the REST OF YOUR LIVES. Straight people bail on their VOWS all the time, well about 53% of the time anyway. Don't be a hypocrite and rally against gay marriage more than you rally against divorce. Just don't.
4. Churches have every right to say no to blessing gay unions. Duh. We're not asking for that. We're asking for legal recognition, not church recognition. I don't recall any law in this nation that forces churches to do much of anything EXCEPT to stay out of politics in the pulpit. Otherwise taxes need to be paid.
5. Constitutional amendments to ban gay marriage piss me off. I can't even carry on a reasonable conversation about how f*cked up it is to use the constitution to restrict legal rights. We have LAWS against things. We have amendments to grant and ensure rights for ALL Americans. Show me an amendment that restricts rights for one demographic only to ensure rights for another demographic. No. We ALL have free speech. We ALL have the right to bear arms. Blah blah blah blah blah. Now I'm pissed.
6. Curt and I have been together for 9 years and plan to grow old together. We live in the suburbs, have jobs, have gardens, have dogs, travel. We aren't shoving "it" down anyone's throats. (Haters, do you know how funny we find it when you say that?) If a nice, boring, middle-aged, long-term, committed couple doesn't meet your particular standards for marriage, then you suck- and not well, I might add.
Well, that was nice.
4 comments:
BRAVO!!!! BRAVO!!!!!!!
Well said MG, all of it. I am right with you on every single word. And let me weigh in here as a heterosexual person: "I in no way, shape, or form feel that my heterosexual marriage is threatened by homosexual marriage. If fact, just the opposite. When other adults work at a commitment to create a life-long union, that helps me uphold mine."
But admit it MG, you want to wedding so you can get cash and some new bath towels.
We do need some new bath towels. Or at least I'm bored with the ones we've got.
Thanks for the support. I hope one day, when your twins are 80, they will look back and say "Do you remember way back when this country wouldn't allow gays to marry?" in the same way we think about segregated drinking fountains and buses.
The other angle that pisses me off is the "special rights" argument (usually in response to hate crime legislation). No, dimwits, gay people are not asking for "special rights", they're asking for equal protection and treatment under the law.
I'm so tired of these people and their perpetual victim stance. If we non-believers and gay people and scary biologists wanted you dead, you'd be dead. Just leave us alone, quit trying to ram your fairy tales down our throats and force us to kneel at your altars. Separation of church and state exists for your benefit, too.
As far as I'm concerned, the churches have no business influencing the State's position on marriage, straight or otherwise.
HOORAH!!!! It's a long time coming, but it will now happen in more and more states and people in committed, loving relationships can be recognized as equals under the law. I agree with MNMOM,this only strengthens all committed relationships, straight or gay!
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