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Same-sex marriage. Semantics in equality
Monday, June 16th was the first day allowed by state law for legal same-sex marriages to take place and be recognized by the State of California. This landmark day in freedom and equality was brought about by the decision last month by the California Supreme Court striking down the state’s ban on gay marriage. This decision is threatened to be nullified by opponents who say they’ve have collected enough signatures to call for a statewide vote on a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as between a man and woman. The gale of public opinion and sound bites on both sides of the issue has begun in earnest, and frankly I believe the wrong issue is being discussed. This is not a question of what defines marriage, this is a battle on the front in the war between the separation of church and state. After all, the opponents to same-sex marriage generally draw their opinions on the issue from religious dogma which denounces gays and the union between to consenting gay adults. Whether or not you believe that your god approves or disapproves of these unions should in no way effect how your country’s government views and recognizes them. As far as any state’s decision, or a federal decision to grant the same legal rights to same-sex marriages as for man-woman marriages it has nothing to do with whether your church recognizes that same marriage. This is an issue of declared devotion between two adult human beings who have been told since they were young children that this government saw them as equals, and this act on their part is a public and legal proclamation that they are achieving those rights of equality. But this issue goes even deeper than that. This issue addresses a great injustice that has plagued gay couples for decades, and that is the right of inheritance. Without that legal contract of marriage, couples are not protected by same joint tenancy laws that protect millions of so-called “traditional” marriages. The volatility of the debate does not surprise me, nor does the religious right’s stubborn self-righteous opposition to gay marriage. Barack Obama approves of same-sex “civil unions” but stops short of supporting gay “marriages”. John McCain’s stance is similar and even that point of view has probably lost him some votes among the staunchest conservatives. But as long as this legal union is recognized by the state as offering the same legal rights, benefits and encumbrances as man-woman marriages, then I say to ask for more than that is to play in semantics. While the church’s opinion is protected by the First Amendment, the church and its organizations have no say in the actual governance of this country. A marriage recognized by the Catholic or Protestant churches, or any other form of organized religion has no bearing on the laws of this country, nor should it have any bearing on how the state views a couple’s legal status and weighs their legal rights. This has nothing to do with dogma, it is purely an issue of equality. Obviously religious beliefs run deep, and I respect and honor those beliefs. I can also understand why it is important to gay and lesbian couples who want to be recognized by the church along with all the social acceptance issues that go along with the term marriage. However I would tread carefully on the fine line between fighting over the semantics of the term and opening of the window of opportunity allowing religion to get intertwined within our government. Call it a civil union or civil marriage, but keep religion and its conventions separate from our government. Just as in California, Christian groups throughout the country are pushing for a constitutional amendment to define marriage as one man one woman, an amendment not surprisingly supported by George W. Bush. I would hope that free-thinking men and women across this land, regardless of their sexual preferences, religious beliefs, or party affiliation, would recognize the dangers involved and strike such an amendment down, At the same time I would hope they would speak out in support of any leader who understands the grave consequences of the issue, and is willing to proclaim that the gay and lesbian’s fight for social equality, tolerance and acceptance is no different than the fight for equality waged by African-Americans, the poor, women, immigrants, the homeless, the abused, senior citizens, the disabled, the uninsured, the unemployed, and the unrepresented. The fight is the same, and the stand for equality, regardless of the term used, is a fight the government must tackle to ensure that all of our citizens have equal protection under the Constitution. The politics of this country are extremely volatile, and a major election can be lost on one unpopular point of view. But in an age when we need a leader to exemplify a new vision for our country, I believe that equality for all should be a major priority alongside the economy, health insurance and ending our involvement of troops in Iraq. While it can be difficult to get actual statistics on the number of registered gay and lesbian voters, I would have to think that across the entire span of this country, it would be a substantial constituency numbering in the millions. But the telling question, is whether the American public in general is ready to accept and elect a man who stands up for the Gay and Lesbian minority as strongly as he stands for other minorities? Only a true leader can answer that question, and only a true leader can have the strength to take up the fight and achieve the steps needed to win the fight for equality. If such a leader exists, please take one step forward. |
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