Thoughts on Gay Marriage.

A friend of mine wrote this and I thought I would share.

I am not gay. I have never been gay. I likely never will be gay.

I'm also not married. Never have been, never expect to be. It's not my thing.

The truth is, I find marriage to be an archaic construct set in place long ago by organized religion in order to create fear of sex and sexuality so that said organized religions could then swoop in and say 'but if you have this ceremony, under our auspices,of course, then it's okay for you to have sex; otheriwse it's sinful and you'll burn in Hell'.

MY opinion and I don't demand that anyone agree with me. It's just what I think.

Does this mean I'm anti-marriage? Hell no. I think people should find joy and happiness wherever they can, as long as it doesn't hurt anyone on purpose. If marriage floats someone's boat, then I say go for it.

Does this apply to 'gay' marriage, as well?

Absolutely.

I never have and never will understand any person, religion or political structure trying to administrate what 'kind' of love is acceptable and deserves to be recognized.

Should two men who've been together for years and who have built a loving, stable and permanent relationship have the same right to marry as a straight couple who met during a drunken night in Vegas and headed to a chapel ten minutes after that fateful meeting?

Hell, yes. In fact, a case could be made that straight people should have to prove their willingness to be committed and devoted to each other before they're ever granted a marriage license.

Now, let's consider that for a moment. Marriage License.

A document issued by a representative of a State's Government which declares that Joe Blow Straightguy and Jane Doe Straightgirl are legally entitled to enter into a binding contract which joins their lives forever... or until it gets 'too haaaaard' and they divorce. The only requirement for this license is that the people applying pay the fees, sign the paperwork and be of opposite genders.

There is no stipulation that the people thus applying even know each other, in some places.

And yet, take a gay couple-- male or female-- who have been together through thick and thin for decades. Maybe they even have kids, through whatever means. They CAN NOT marry because it's 'wrong' in the eyes of people who have likely been married more than once and sometimes don't want to take responsibility for the kids they have themselves.

Yes, that is an incredibly broad generalization. I'm aware of that. But it's still true, in some cases.

Now, some people say 'it's an abomination; it says so in the BIBLE! Marriage is between one man and one woman'.

Okay, this is a point. However, having read the Bible, it actually says marriage is between one man and however many women he can support. Homosexuality is an abomination, according to God, they say... but so is eating shrimp. And wearing linen and wool at the same time.

Call me crazy if you must, but linen and wool? A fashion nightmare, possibly, but an abomination? God says YES.

Enjoying a plate of Scampi? Well, clearly any Christian who's done that is going to Hell.

MY point is, if someone is going to fling about Bible passages in order to support their homophobic stance and determination to keep something like marriage 'theirs-theirs-theirs', it might carry a bit more weight to me and people like me if they actually followed ALL the rules set out in God's very own Handbook of Right and Wrong.

These people don't like gay marriage. Well, it isn't for them. It's for gay people, and it's not a threat to the 'sanctity' of straight marriages that rarely last in the first place.

But maybe that's the truth underlying all the overly dramatic outrage. The fear that if gay people are allowed to marry, they just might prove to be better at it than their straight counterparts.

Let's face it. Gay people aren't trying to REPLACE straight marriage with gay marriage. They're not saying 'oh, you cute little straight folks... now you have to marry people of your own gender even though you're not attracted to them'. If they did, the entire country--and maybe the world--would be up in arms and fighting a much more open and honest war than the one going on right now, which is composed of sly digs and proudly displayed ignorance on the parts of many people, both in the private and public sectors.

And yet, that's what we-- the Goverment as well as private and loud citizens-- are saying to gay people. We're basically saying 'well, you can get married, but not to anyone who isn't of the opposite gender, so nyah-nyah-nyah. Now, off with you. Shoo!'.

Gay people aren't telling the rest of us to turn gay. They're merely asking for the same rights as straight people to live and love and be happy while having the same RIGHTS.

This country, the United States, was founded upon the principle of SEPARATION of church and state. This says to me that making legal decisions, on a Federal or State level, based upon religious beliefs, is outside the charter of what this country is supposed to be all about.

Life. Liberty. The pursuit of happiness. That's in the Declaration of Independence, right?

I don't remember any part of that document that says 'We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal... unless, of course, they happen to be gay, in which case we can treat them like idiot children or maybe pets, and throw them crumbs from the table but never share the full meal'.

It DOES say that all men are 'endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights'.

It seems-- again, to me-- that if ALL men have certain UNALIENABLE rights and straight people can marry while gay people can't...?

Somebody's rights are definitely being denied.

Well said, Tistoo. :-)