Friday, December 01, 2000

At last, it's come: my biased, overzealous political shpeel. Or, at least a little rhetoric-spouting, eh?
Actually, it's going to be a micro-shpeel. It's just that for a project on special interest groups, I've been researching groups for and against the legalization of same-sex marriage.
First, I would like to announce that I think crazy right-wing political organizations are, well, crazy. (Took me that long to reveal my stance on the issue.) For example, there is a group called the American Family Association (AFA), who, at a glance, seem innocent enough. Upon closer inspection, the AFA reveals itself to be *gasp!* a group of hyper-Christian reactionaries, whose "homosexual agenda" includes a call for a crusade against the struggle for the legalization of same-sex marriages. The founder and president of the AFA, Dr. Donald E. Wildmon, writes that homosexuality itself "is a sin grievous to God and repulsive to Christians [more...]." Dr. Wildmon also writes that "same-sex marriage undermines the God-ordained institution of marriage and family [more...]." I find these claims not only offensive, but downright ludicrous. Not to get idealistic and mushy (I can't help myself), but there is so little pure love in this society, that I think we should embrace it and recognize it, not deny and suppress it. Not to mention the fact that denying same-sex couples the right to marry tramples basic human rights and violates the very principles of equality and personal liberty upon which this country was founded. Same-sex couples share the same responsibilities as married couples and thus they should share the same rights and benefits afforded to married couples. Because marriage is a basic human right and an individual personal choice, the State should not interfere with same-sex couples who choose to marry. Our government should be ashamed that anti-gay, anti-equality legislation such as the "Defense of Marriage Act" (DOMA) and Proposition 22 (the Knight Initiative) are approved and/or supported, while the slightest legal recognition of same-sex unions is provided by only two states (Hawaii and Vermont). The good news is that thanks to a plethora of human rights organizations (the largest of which is the Human Rights Campaign), most anti-gay groups have been put on the defensive. Groups such as the Freedom to Marry Coalition assure that the fight to legalize same-sex marriage will continue until equality is achieved.
On a rather frightening sidenote, the "elections" that we're entangled in now could prove to be a decisive factor in the future of gay rights and the legalization of same-sex marriage. In this year's presidential debate, George W. Bush, sounding much like a representative for the AFA, said: "I'm not for gay marriage. I think marriage is a sacred institution between a man and a woman, and I appreciated the way the administration signed the Defense of Marriage Act... But I think marriage is a sacred institution." (The ....'s just eliminated his embarrassingly inane blubbering.) Although Al Gore's stance on the issue of same-sex marriage is far, far from ideal, he at least exhibits more tolerance (no great feat when I'm comparing him to Bush): "I think that we should find a way to allow some kind of [same-sex] civic unions." The reason the positions of the candidates on this issue this year is so important is because the next president will be appointing about three Supreme Court justices. Before I started thinking about the importance of this election, I always thought that within ten, fifteen, perhaps twenty years, same-sex marriages would be legalized and recognized nationwide. After all, groups such as the Freedom to Marry Coaltion have gained so much ground recently. However, it is very plausible that whoever wins the presidency will be the one to decide the future of same-sex couples in America, given that Supreme Court justices' terms are for life.
I didn't begin this blog with the intention of writing a novella on the issue; I've rambled for a bit too long, as usual. Goodnight.
P.S. Fine. I'll just say it: I HATE BUSH. (surprise!)

:: posted at 12/01/2000 02:05:00 AM | link | | ^top

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