Who Cares About Gay Marriage?

This is a must read if you want to gain a clear picture of why GLBT people and their supporters are pushing so hard for gay civil marriage rights. How would you like it if your life partner were rushed to the hospital and you were told you couldn't be in on the information or decisionmaking, or visit them in the ER? People usually believe that legal documents like a durable power of attorney, a healthcare proxy or a domestic partnership registration allow GLBT partners to obtain many of the legal rights provided by civil marriage, but it's not really true. There's no guarantee across all states or even in states that supposedly recognize the documents.

Healthcare workers and others can refuse to acknowledge these documents on a whim, and there's no readily available legal remedy. Especially in states that have passed legal prohibitions against any and all forms of gay marriage or partnership, there is no legal recourse in such situations.

How much longer can a culture that purports to be a democracy that guarantees equal rights under the law for all continue to allow right-wing religious doctrine to trash the civil rights of GLBT citizens? I don't give a shit what religions say about gay relationships. What I care about is seeing to it that civil law treats everyone with equality and fairness, regardless of what this religious leader or another proclaims. If we allow this to continue, what next? Should we stop allowing vendors to sell contraceptives because the Catholic Church calls them sinful? Should we require all citizens to attend a religious service and all stores to close on Sundays (or Sabbath)? Either we have separation of church and state or we're rapidly devolving into a theocracy.

Another thing that irks me about the "sanctity of marriage" crowd is that they don't seem to have a problem with straight people availing themselves of this "sacrament" before a justice of the peace, sans religious content. If "marriage" is solely a holy, religion-controlled event, how is it that all marriages aren't required to be performed within a house of worship? How would allowing gay partners to enter into a civil contractual agreement before a judge destroy the sanctity of church weddings? Short answer: it wouldn't.

Unfortunately, the GLBT struggle for equal rights hit another obstacle recently, with the New York Supreme Court's decision stating their state constitution doesn't require the recognition of gay marriage. DNC Chair Howard Dean, renewing his push for GLBT equality after that horrible gaff while being interviewed on the 700 Club, had this to say:

"As Democrats, we believe that every American has a right to equal protection under the law and to live in dignity," he said, according to the Associated Press. "And we must respect the right of every family to live in dignity with equal rights, responsibilities and protections under the law. Today's decision by the New York Court of Appeals, which relies on outdated and bigoted notions about families, is deeply disappointing, but it does not end the effort to achieve this goal.

The fight continues, as much within our Party as without.