Gay Marriage: November 2006 Archives

From an Opinion Piece...

If majority rule determines what’s best, then I guess the losers never get a chance in life. At least not in America. And certainly not in Tennessee. I guess you can move to San Francisco or Massachusetts or Denmark. That’s America? If you don’t like it, leave?

Yes, it would seem so.

Years ago, when asked why he left the Democratic Party, Ronald Reagan stated, “I didn’t leave the Democratic Party. They left me.” That is exactly how I feel today about my country, America. I thought that we were all Americans. You know, “United We Stand”. Well boy, have I learned a thing or two. We are not united at all. So much so that many gay Americans are leaving America and moving to places where it’s less hostile - much like many of our original immigrants (we can call them refugees, I suppose) fled England to come to America to avoid religious persecution.

So, what does that make gay Americans fleeing to other lands where they can live a more productive and open life? Are they now refugees fleeing from the tyranny that is being imposed by the majority via voter referendums that effectively put us into a second-class status?

Random Thoughts On Gay Marriage
posted November 11, 2006

As a child of divorce, I really have no respect for the institution of heterosexual marriage. As far as I can tell, the bonds of marriage are easily sealed on a whim, and legally broken with great cultural consequence.

Marriage, family…those are just words that hold meaning on an individual, case-by-case basis. The institution has no legal responsibilities, no legal ramifications, no social boundaries.

Our culture is passé when it comes to marriage in general. The greatest advantages it offers is tax relief, cheaper insurance, adoption rights, and certain employment benefits.

There is nothing sacred about commitment in our culture. It doesn’t exist any more unless two people actually decide to stick it out through thick and thin.

Many argue that adoption rights is a big reason why gay marriage shouldn’t happen. They’ll quote surveys about it being healthier for children to be in a male/female family unit. I wonder where I fit in to their paradigm? I wonder how abused children are better off as long as they have a mom and a dad to beat them.

I don’t know if Massachusetts will allow a ballot initiative to proceed to the voters or not. This happened back in 2004 as well. The legislature could vote to allow the amendment to proceed to the voters (they only need 50 votes!), or they could let it die for lack of time. If it goes to the voters and is approved, gay marriages and any recognition of civil unions would end in Massachusetts. Marriages obtained by gay couples to date would remain intact.

As you’ve heard by now, Tuesday’s election passed gay-marriage bans in seven states. Now, lawmakers in Massachusetts are convening to decide whether or not to ban gay-nups in the homo promised land.

While many of us may have thought the legislative nightmare ended back in 2004, when same-sex marriage got the legal okay, it seems that a conservative group has gone out of their way to collect over 120,000 signatures urging lawmakers to reconsider. Thus, a joint session has been called at which the pols will mull it over.

But, I love the headline of this piece...

Very creative.