Carter backs civil unions for gay couple as equal
Former President Jimmy Carter confirmed this week that he supports state-sanctioned civil unions for gay couples, in response to a letter from two veteran Atlanta gay rights activists and questions from Southern Voice.
“President Carter opposes all forms of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and believes there should be equal protection under the law for people who differ in sexual orientation,” said Deanna Congileo, Carter’s press secretary. (source)
Gee, it’s too bad that civil unions don’t guarantee “equal protection under the law for people who differ in sexual orientation”. Equal protection means that we have EQUAL protections right along with marriage.
Will a civil union transfer to another state? NO
Will the Federal Government honor a civil union just exactly like a marriage? NO
It’s not equal. Jimmy Carter, stop trying to sound like you have a brain here. You are better than this. At least, I thought you were. Only a moron would hold up a comparison of a civil union and a marriage and call it “equal protection”. It’s not even close.
2 Comments
Leave a comment
I think that would work with time, to go for "civil unions" now instead of marriage. Of course, there are some in the religious community who want us to have neither marriage or a civil union recognitions. Some of those 11 states that passed constitutional amendments to their state constitutions outlawing marriage for gay couples also went on to outlaw civil unions for gay couples or any arrangement that simulated marriage.
I think most people would say that that extreme view of giving us absolutely nothing is unreasonable and "mean spirited". However, there is a risk (a significant risk) involved in settling for less than marriage.
Most who have advocated civil unions have always said that they are willing to allow civil unions to give "some of the rights" of marriage. They have NEVER EVER EVER EVER said they would be equal. They make no bones about that.
If we settle for civil unions, there is a risk that we will never see marriage - that civil unions will become the "norm" for gay couples... with "some of the rights" of marriage. No one really can honestly answer truthfully what will happen if we concede. We would like to assume, as you said Dan, that reasonable people would, over time, come to the conclusion that it would be better to just give gay couples marriage. But, that's not a given.
We further assume that the next generation will be more liberal than this generation. That could also swing the other way. For the polls that indicate the next generation of people are more liberally minded on social issues, there are other polls that state otherwise.
I suppose it all comes down to how you view marriage. Is this something that would be "nice" if we had it, or do you view it as a "civil right" that we must have to be equal citizens in this country.
African Americans didn't settle for anything less than full citizenship. They didn't come up with "equality.... for blacks". It was all or nothing and they were not going to settle for nothing less than equality.
Civil rights are black and white. They are not something you negotiate. You have then, or you do not have them. They should never be put to a vote and in time, many of the measures put in place with a popular vote will be found to be unconstitutional.
I didn't come to these conclusions over night. I, like the black folks who fought so bravely for their equal place in this country, will not settle for second best. For me, it would be harder emotionally to receive a civil union with just "some of the rights" of marriage. I'd personally rather be where I'm at. Let the injustice stay as it is for all to see. That is powerful. If I have a "civil union", people would look at gay couples like us and say, "What's he bitching about? We gave them civil unions."
For many, that would be the end of the argument. In time, we MAY achieve equality, but I bet you are talking about a hundred years or more, if we do.
Give me the Civil Union! We will push more and more marriage rights to go with it. The next generation will then realize that the separation is unneccessary.
Dan