90 days…

Yesterday, the oral arguments began before the California Supreme court to discuss the issue of same-sex marriage.  On the one-side, you have those arguing that gay men and women can choose to have domestic partnerships, which (they argue) are just about as good as marriage.  That, they believe, should be good enough.  Then you have the other side, which rings a bell that has been rung time and time again through history – separate is NOT equal.  To me, it really is a logical no-brainer.  We do not deny people of different race from marrying (as has been done before).  We do not require that people who marry must produce offspring.  So upon what legal ground should they deny same-gender couples?

 

Sadly, this very complex issue is complicated further by religious extremism.  On the one hand, this is a matter of law, and religion should not play a part in it.  But let’s be honest it does.  Many people in this country are exceptionally conservative.  And because they choose to live their lives to a very staunch view of the bible, they believe others should as well.  I do not object to people who choose to live their lives conservatively, if that is what they believe they should do.  Where I object is to have such viewpoints drive the law for everyone.  In matters of marriage, I wish this country followed a model like Europe where “marriage” is a two-part process – the legal union as seen by the government, and the church marriage.  I absolutely believe that each church can and should decide for itself the conditions under which it will perform a marriage ceremony.  If I want to marry in a Church, and that Church decides not to allow marriage ceremonies for anyone who was born in March, then so be it.  That is the rule for that church, that that is that.  However, for the government to deny one particular class of citizens the basic rights that others receive is just preposterous. 

 

It breaks my heart when I hear the stories about gay couples throughout the country.  One partner goes into the hospital, and the other partner can’t make the life-death decisions.  Instead, the family who disowned him or her for “living a sinful life” gets to make such decisions.  Or what about the benefits policies that are denied when one partner dies?  Custody battles… adoption… etc., etc., etc.  All of these things that are so very, very, very clean when the word “married” applies are not so clean when it comes to gay couples.  Yes, we gained a major victory with the creation of domestic partnerships.  Yet, domestic partnership does NOT grant all of the same privileges that married couples receive.  And frankly… why?  Two houses stand side-by-side.  In one house, a man and a woman live together, build a life together, and work together on things.  In the next house, two men do the same.  Everything is parallel… except for that certificate.  The man and the woman have an advantage.  Whether it be tax status, or benefits, or simply understanding by others, they have the advantage.  A very real, very legal advantage.  Um… why?  Why should one couple be given an advantage that the other couple is not?  Lemme guess… because the Bible says…

 

And that is the problem.  The Bible.  I do not mean any offense to Christians out there.  I really do not.  If one chooses to live one’s life according to the lessons and tenants of the Bible, fine.  Live and let live, I believe.  However, I do NOT believe there is anything wrong with homosexuality.  Like skin color, height, personality, or anything else, it is part of what makes a human being.  It isn’t right, or wrong.  It simply is.  Let us call a spade a spade.  The whole “marriage is between a man and a woman” philosophy is nothing more than a blatant right-wing Christian belief that is shoved down our throats.  And that is just wrong.  On so many, many, many levels, it is just wrong. 

 

I will be tense over the next 3 months of argument.  This case was brought to court by 10 of the couples who had their San Francisco marriage licenses taken away – just like me and Paul.  We are one of the 4,000+ couples who had a marriage license for a matter of days, only to have the courts nullify them.  And we are fighting.  Paul is my husband – my HUSBAND.  Anyone who contests that fact can frankly KISS MY HOMOSEXUAL ASS.

 

Hey friends and family in Massachusetts!  Can you help remind the rest of the country that you did NOT sink beneath the waves when you granted marriage to gay couples?  And neither will California. 

 

90 days…