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Friday, August 13, 2004
SOUND OFF: Gay Marriage
Phewwww!!!!! The Supreme Court of California rescinded the licenses all the 8,000 loving homosexuals that got married! Do I ever feel safer! I can just see the heterosexual marriages around me grow stronger in the hours that have gone by since the decision. While those evildoers were married, the divorce rate, the abuse rate, just kept on rising!
It is amazing to me that the world has such a need for love today and yet such honest, sincere love is discriminated against. Can anyone who reads this imagine being blamed for the degradation of the family, because of who you have chosen to love? They, the holy ones, sit there and smile and say they love all, while they spout so much vile hate.
For this lesbian, it hurts. I will be in a committed loving relationship for 16 years in September. It hurts to think that our love for each other actually changes how the rest of society is getting along. What power we homo's have! Enough so that there is a need to amend the Constitution, because we do not deserve and are not human enough for our love to produce a marriage.
I am minding my own side of the street, my brothers' and sisters' divorces were no doing of mine. This is what I know. Then what really stabs deep is the fact that a big percentage of Democrats are also opposed to gay marriage, and also believe that it will erode the bedrock of society; marriage between a man and a woman. I have talked to people that I am shocked to hear really don't think gays should get married. It should be kept for us, I guess their point is, not you low-lifes! No celebration for your loving partnership, at least not the same kind of celebration that our loving relationships can have!
Anyway, whoever reads this should remember: Today they smile and hate gays. They may come to my house and abduct me or burn me at the stake as they did in the past. Tell you what, I am ready today, but tomorrow it may be you. I suggest you get ready because the temperature is rising. ---Mary Ellen
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(Note: This is the first of a new blog feature called Sound Off. If you want to vent about an issue, this is the place. Email me by clicking on the link near the top of the right-hand column on this page and send along your Sound Off for consideration for our next featured rant. -BW)
August 13, 2004 at 02:52 PM in Sound Off! | Permalink
Comments
Hey, congrats on your upcoming anniversary! Yep, I was just thinking, how secure I feel now because gay marriages in CA have been outlawed. I think I'll go play in the street and run with scissors to celebrate. Geez.
I'm reading a good book...What's the Matter with Kansas? It talks about the fact that most Republicans don't really care about social issues such as gay marriage, etc. but the party was hijacked by the anti-abortionists in the 80s and 90s. How'd they do it? They VOTED. In primaries.
So, there's my rant. Until progressives start voting in primaries, we'll never have candidates we feel strongly about. (And I'm a former non-primary-voter, I hate to admit.) Funny, this go round I've done more volunteering and contributing to primary candidates than general candidates!
Posted by: Kathy | Aug 13, 2004 5:00:00 PM
Thanks for writing Kathy. I suggest you be careful with your celebrating in the street with the scissors.
Posted by: mary ellen | Aug 13, 2004 5:55:44 PM
Yeah, and remember that a terrorist could be anywhere! Hmmm, I fear the worst sort of terrorists are in the White House this time. But not for long!
Posted by: barb in albq | Aug 15, 2004 1:18:07 PM
First they came for the Communists,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time there was no one
left to speak up for me.
by Rev. Martin Niemoller, 1945
Your sound-off reminded me of this quotation, Barb.
I'm with you - and congratulations, you guys, on your anniversary - how in the world some of these pundits can say with a straight face (no pun intended, but what the heck) that hetero marriage is somehow at risk if we permit gays and lesbians to marry... what a massive non sequitir! I have lots of gay and lesbian friends whose relationships are strong and long-lasting nad have many of the same struggles as my straight friends' marriages. I'd like to think that this is one of those things that is so obvious that the people and the constitution, if not the bigots, will eventually come around. It would help, in my opinion, if Senator Kerry's campaign web site had an unequivocal statement about his position on gay marriage and civil unions. I was unable to find anything there but his disavowal of the Federal Marriage Amendment, which does not constitute an endoresement of either civil union or marriage for the GLBT community. The GLBT community could really use high-placed allies who aren't weenies, who are bold and straightforward (no pun...)in their defense of everyone's civil liberties. For God's sake.
Posted by: John McAndrew | Aug 15, 2004 6:32:42 PM
Hi John,
The Shout Out on gay marriage was really Mary Ellen's, not mine. She was hoping she could rouse the readers and get others to Sound Off about what's on their minds. I hope it works as I'd like to make Sound Off a regular feature.
The Dems' hierarchy has definitely stepped back from the gay marriage issue. While I wish it were otherwise, I also understand what a conundrum it is for them, considering the tactics used by the BushCo bigot brigade and how much is at stake in this election.
I try to remember how quickly things have changed regarding gay rights and acceptance. We now have most people supporting civil unions, if not gay marriage. That's a big difference from when I came out in the late 60s and was tossed out of the house for being evil. Talk about an era with few role models and almost no acceptance!
So I've witnessed quite a change in straight people's attitudes and in gay folks' attitudes about themselves as well. I, too, believe gays will achieve full rights and responsibilities very soon. The tide is on our side and young people are very accepting by wide margins. Widening freedom and tolerance has been the norm in the US, and I do think that will continue regardless of how much the right wing wants to push attitudes back into the 1950s.
As far as Kerry goes, he's officially against gay marriage and for civil unions that provide all the same rights as marriage, same as Dean. Unfortunately, civil unions don't really provide the same rights, especially in terms of federal benefits like Social Security. But it's a start.
It bothers me that Kerry has said he supports a Massachusetts state amendment to ban gay marriage, even though he's against the federal amendment. The Kerry campaign likes to keep that quiet, but he is on record saying that. A salve to his political fortunes in his home state, no doubt. But then we all know what we're getting and not getting with Kerry, don't we?
Posted by: barb in albq | Aug 16, 2004 9:54:35 AM
I live in Austin Texas and having lived in the belly of the beast and watched the unplesant making of this so called president we have now, I ask the people of New Mexico to enlighten me as to your governor Richardson's view on the gay marriage issue. Iv'e been googling this issue all morning and he seems to be like all the rest. Really against gay marriage and fuzzy on civil unions. My being gay and having to have gone to Canada to sort of make my 23 year relationship have some validity, I would like to know really where this guy stands on this issue. I can't and won't support any candidate that won't stand up for the 15 million gay Americans that are really second-class citizens. And what about establishing the office for Faith-based communities. Why did he pander to religion? He sounds like all the rest to me.
Posted by: Terry Harris | Jan 21, 2007 10:54:53 AM
