| Editor's Rant |
| This space is reserved for our editor to spout off with his incite-ful opinions. |
Gay Marriage: Why Should They Get Out Of It?
I realize that this may be a moot point now that the religious right has lost
control of Congress. We’re not likely to hear a lot of talk about an anti-gay
marriage amendment for a couple of years at least. But a lot of states have
passed them, including my home state of Nebraska (last I heard it was struck
down because it went too far in denying gays the rights of other citizens).
The way I see it, marriage American style consists of two parts. The most
obvious part is the wedding ceremony where the marriage is made official
and/or consecrated by God. Every church has the absolute right to only
marry the couples they choose to. Many won’t even perform the service
unless both parties are members of the appropriate denomination. Also,
many of them believe that everybody who isn’t a member of their religious
denomination is doomed to hell because they worship the wrong God or
worship God in the wrong way. So all of those other marriages are just
shams anyway because they weren’t consecrated by their God. Why should
they care if a few of those sham marriages of doomed heretics don’t consist
of a man and a woman?
The second part of the marriage is more important and lasts much longer
(usually). The marriage license is the binding, legal partnership agreement
whereas two parties agree to combine themselves into a single married
entity. Along with many, many responsibilities, this agreement confers some
privileges on the parties. Such as the right to make medical decisions for
your spouse or to get medical insurance from your spouse’s work as a
dependent. Or to have a claim of joint ownership of marital property in the
case of a divorce. Or to jointly adopt a child.
The point is, like it or not, gay people do exist and they make up five to ten
percent of our population, depending on who you care to believe. We’re
denying a huge chunk of the population a basic right that the rest of us take
for granted, the right to become a legal couple. I don’t believe for a second
those nuts that claim they’ve made a choice either, because that implies that
the rest of us made the choice not to be gay. I can only speak for myself, but
I know that my own sexual orientation had nothing to do with choice. It was all
hormones.
The governments can call it something besides marriage if it makes them feel
better, but committed gay couples should be able to enjoy or suffer the rights
and responsibilities of marriage just like anybody else.
Some critics of gay marriage site the possibility of sham marriages, like two
straight men getting married because one of them needs health insurance.
But marriages of convenience take place every day among heterosexual
couples, so again we’re just denying the gays something that we take for
granted.
Others might raise the specter of a slippery slope. If a man can marry a man,
why not a man and a vegetable? Or an animal? Or maybe his car? Of
course this argument is beyond ridiculous. For one thing, only an adult
human being has the ability to signify consent. But more importantly, there
are very few (if any) people who would want to marry anything other than
another person, while there are millions of homosexuals.
The main sticking point for gay marriage opponents, though, is their religious
belief that homosexuality is wrong and that their religion owns marriage
because it takes place in the church. All I can say to that is; They’re here,
they’re queer--get over it. You’ll just have to be self-righteously satisfied in
the knowledge that everybody who disagrees with you will burn in hell one
day.
I realize that this may be a moot point now that the religious right has lost
control of Congress. We’re not likely to hear a lot of talk about an anti-gay
marriage amendment for a couple of years at least. But a lot of states have
passed them, including my home state of Nebraska (last I heard it was struck
down because it went too far in denying gays the rights of other citizens).
The way I see it, marriage American style consists of two parts. The most
obvious part is the wedding ceremony where the marriage is made official
and/or consecrated by God. Every church has the absolute right to only
marry the couples they choose to. Many won’t even perform the service
unless both parties are members of the appropriate denomination. Also,
many of them believe that everybody who isn’t a member of their religious
denomination is doomed to hell because they worship the wrong God or
worship God in the wrong way. So all of those other marriages are just
shams anyway because they weren’t consecrated by their God. Why should
they care if a few of those sham marriages of doomed heretics don’t consist
of a man and a woman?
The second part of the marriage is more important and lasts much longer
(usually). The marriage license is the binding, legal partnership agreement
whereas two parties agree to combine themselves into a single married
entity. Along with many, many responsibilities, this agreement confers some
privileges on the parties. Such as the right to make medical decisions for
your spouse or to get medical insurance from your spouse’s work as a
dependent. Or to have a claim of joint ownership of marital property in the
case of a divorce. Or to jointly adopt a child.
The point is, like it or not, gay people do exist and they make up five to ten
percent of our population, depending on who you care to believe. We’re
denying a huge chunk of the population a basic right that the rest of us take
for granted, the right to become a legal couple. I don’t believe for a second
those nuts that claim they’ve made a choice either, because that implies that
the rest of us made the choice not to be gay. I can only speak for myself, but
I know that my own sexual orientation had nothing to do with choice. It was all
hormones.
The governments can call it something besides marriage if it makes them feel
better, but committed gay couples should be able to enjoy or suffer the rights
and responsibilities of marriage just like anybody else.
Some critics of gay marriage site the possibility of sham marriages, like two
straight men getting married because one of them needs health insurance.
But marriages of convenience take place every day among heterosexual
couples, so again we’re just denying the gays something that we take for
granted.
Others might raise the specter of a slippery slope. If a man can marry a man,
why not a man and a vegetable? Or an animal? Or maybe his car? Of
course this argument is beyond ridiculous. For one thing, only an adult
human being has the ability to signify consent. But more importantly, there
are very few (if any) people who would want to marry anything other than
another person, while there are millions of homosexuals.
The main sticking point for gay marriage opponents, though, is their religious
belief that homosexuality is wrong and that their religion owns marriage
because it takes place in the church. All I can say to that is; They’re here,
they’re queer--get over it. You’ll just have to be self-righteously satisfied in
the knowledge that everybody who disagrees with you will burn in hell one
day.
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