Yesterday, on 04.08.2010, something rather lovely happened. California's Proposition 8 was overturned, ruled 'unconstitutional', by a US District Chief Judge. Although the ruling is still pending appeal, it's not inappropriate to view it as a pretty extraordinary victory for common sense and equality.
For those who may be unfamiliar with Proposition 8, it was California's constitutional amendment which stated that marriage was only to be valid between a man and a woman. In short, gay marriage was completely outlawed, and thus so were the rights of gay people living in the state. Prop 8 as it's often colloquially referred to is also known as the 'California Marriage Protection Act', which I think says a lot about the mindsets of the bureaucratic bigots who pushed their pens to get it passed. 'Protection'? From what? From gay people? If it's 'protecting' the institution of marriage that concerns you so much, then maybe you should be excluding dangerous people from it, rather than people who don't quite fit under your umbrella of 'normality'.
It's also worth noting that it wasn't exclusively religious people who supported Prop 8. In fact, the California Council of Churches called for its 'immediate removal' on the grounds that some churches had given their support to gay marriage and it therefore infringed on the religious rights of the institutions. The Board of Rabbis of California also opposed it, as did all of the main bishops of the Episcopal diosces.
It also wasn't the media that called for the support of Prop 8. All ten of California's main newspapers were editorially biased against it.
So, who did support Prop 8? The Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter Day Saints (that's the Mormons to you and me) certainly did. Then again, they probably voted while eating a delicious shellfish platter wearing nylon and polyester clothing, so I personally take their vote with a pinch of salt.
The fact is that the majority of people who supported Prop 8 did so because, in their cluttered little minds, the purpose of marriage is to reproduce.
Now, I'm not trying to be facetious (much) here, but I think that's a complete load of excrement. If that's your argument, then surely infertile people, people who have gone through the menopause and people who just don't want children should have also been persecuted by Prop 8?
When you put it like that, the argument for Prop 8 pretty much flies out the window and gets defecated on by a flock of pigeons on the way down before landing in a huge pile of cow dung.
Gay marriage just doesn't affect anyone who doesn't choose to get involved. Unless someone kidnaps you at gunpoint and forces you to marry someone of your own gender, then I just don't understand how it infringes on your rights to marry someone of the opposite sex. Marriage shouldn't be a heterosexual privilege. Maybe it goes against your beliefs, but it doesn't harm you. Girls who look like Wotsits in string bikinis goes against my personal beliefs, but I recognise that it's their right to dress like that if they want to. I would never dream of passing a law that says they have to wear what I want them to wear because it offends me. Newspaper headlines with bad puns offend me, but do I want them banned? No. I just want journalists to stop being lazy. But that's another story altogether.
You might think, 'but I'm straight / British / ignorant. How does this affect me?' Well, to put it simply, the dismissal of Prop 8 symbolises a step in the right direction in the name of equality. The fact that it were allowed to be passed in the first place denotes a step backwards. Prop 8 symbolises everything that still needs to be addressed in society; prejudice, ignorance, violence (death threats and even hoax anthrax alerts were used on both sides) and segregation. Opinions were polarised and there was no suggestion of compromise.
To summarise, I suggest that anyone who supports Prop 8 take a good look in the mirror. Imagine if the law were reversed. Imagine if you woke up one morning and discovered that heterosexual marriage had been banned. I bet you'd fight for your constitutional rights then. You'd probably become a namby-pamby, equality-supporting liberal yourself.
Equality is not subjective. No-one is more deserving of equality than another. And if gay marriage offends you, then may I suggest that you focus on your own life and simply steer clear of it yourself.
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Agreed. Very well said. The most subjective thing in the world is how people are offended and insulted. You cannot have a law against homosexuals because some people are offended. Boy bands offend me, why aren't they illegal?
ReplyDeleteA life choice is between them, their partner and their God, not their government