california, why?

It seems, as this point, that unless the few millions of uncounted votes contain at least 500000 more votes against proposition 8 than for it, California will have added to its constitution an amendment banning gay marriage. An Amendment to the State Constitution of CALIFORNIA.

What is it about giving marriage licenses to gay couples that offends and provokes such a visceral response? Protecting the sanctity of marriage? Why not ban divorce? Protecting children from being taught about gay marriage? Um… schools are not required to teach children anything about gay marriage. Children are not as dumb as you’d think, although they are certainly not as smart as many parents would hope they’d be. How does this benefit you? It doesn’t, except perhaps you can be smug about denying a right to another group. Does it suddenly change your life if a gay couple living together for years now possess a marriage certificate? They won’t be holding their wedding on your front lawn. They won’t be flaunting their relationship to your children in schools. It’s merely a piece of paper and you would begrudge them that?

The irony is that a lot of the money supporting prop 8 came from the Mormon church, which so clearly upheld the ideals of marriage as a union between one man and one woman so well through out the years. Let’s face it. The state should not meddle with the religious definition of marriage, so if a particular church doesn’t want to marry a gay couple, so be it. However, marriage as it is interpreted by the state is more like a legal contract than a holy/sacred union before whatever god you chose. Religious groups should not meddle with the state interpretation of marriage. Be divisive and turn away people from your churches, but please don’t presume to alter the law to suit your beliefs at the cost of the rights of another group.

3 Comments

  1. You are a Kool Aid drinker. This is the second time this amendment has been passed. The people have spoken, gay marriage is banned in California. Go to MA or CT to get married, it isn’t happening here.

  2. You forget to mention that other supporters of no on prop 8 included our governor, Barack Obama, Apple, Google, all our major newspapers, episcopalian bishops, and many more. I’m not lesbian, so this ban doesn’t affect me. However, it offends my sense of equality and decency as it does so many others. Incidentally, I was a resident of MA when it legalized gay marriage and I’m proud to have lived in a state that was so open minded.

Comments are closed.