In Defense of Marriage
Marriage, we are told, is under attack. Just this past week, the United States Senate voted on a measure to officially define marriage as the union between one man and one woman. Meanwhile, two state legislatures (both about a two hour drive from my home) were dealing with the same issue. Down in Atlanta, Governor Purdue is vowing that he will work to ensure that his state’s gay marriage ban is allowed to become law even though the state court overturned it just a short while ago. Up in Nashville, a group of Tennessee state senators are working hard to push through a similar law. Even our president has been very vocal about his support for laws to place restrictions on marriage in the U.S.
I’ve been listening to and reading about the debates for years but, in the last few years, this issue has gradually become one of the main topics of discussion in every political arena. And, without fail, laws banning gay marriage are referred to as “Defense of Marriage Acts” or something in the same vein. Apparently, if men are allowed to marry men and women are allowed to marry women and people are allowed to have multiple spouses (okay, the last one isn’t as big a deal but, I’ve been watching Big Love), heterosexual couple marriages will become a thing of the past. Marriage, it seems, is being destroyed by godless liberals.
This has prompted me to speak out in defense of marriage. I, too, feel that the sanctity of marriage is being undermined and our rights are being threatened. Marriage, as an institution, is in grave danger and we must fight to save it! The time has come to stand up to these insane groups of raging nuts that want to force their twisted and sick version of love on us! We must defend marriage and the only way to do that is through the courts and legislature. That’s why I’m calling for a true defense of marriage act--one that makes marriage open to anyone who is in love. If we let the Right Wing nutjobs rob us of our right to express our love, we’ve lost one of the most basic of human rights.
Christie and I have been married for almost two years now (our anniversary is the 26th of June) and I can’t imagine my life without her. Marrying her was the best thing I ever did (and I can say that with all honesty because I’ve never bought a multi-million dollar winning lottery ticket). Of course, since I’m a man (though she frequently disputes that assertion) and she’s a woman, there were no real barriers to us officially solemnizing our vows and reaping the legal benefits of marriage. (And, by “reaping the legal benefits of marriage”, I mean that I now have health insurance and someone to take me off life support. Plus, she can’t testify against me in court!)
In the back of my mind, the raging activist in me (a part of me that is vehemently vocal but extremely lazy) said that we shouldn’t get married until marriage is a right that everyone in this country can enjoy. But I love her. Goddamn, I love her! And I wanted everyone to know it and I wanted to make it official! (Plus, I really needed to see the doctor but couldn’t afford it. Prozac ain’t cheap, people.) So I married her and I’ve never regretted it (though that’s another assertion Christie would likely dispute).
It is the fact that I’m so happily married that makes me want that right for everyone regardless of sexual orientation or taste. I still believe there should be some licensing process for parents buts marriage, when it’s a product of love, is the most amazing institution on the planet. It’s beyond anything I ever imagined it would be and I wouldn’t trade a second of it. I just don’t understand how one group of people could deny such feelings to another group of people. That’s just selfish and mean!
Let me digress for a second and say (for those who might not know me well) that I am a hardcore atheist but I’m not necessarily anti-Christian. I was deeply indoctrinated into the cult of Jesus as a child but I no longer believe in that particular religion and I can assure you that I never will again. Still, I know that, for some people, religion is an extremely important and valuable part of their lives. Furthermore, I actually understand why it is. What I don’t understand is the paranoia and hatred that religions often seem to engender.
The so-called “Defense of Marriage” acts are a great example (or a scary example of how hatred and bigotry can make otherwise fairly intelligent take something that should be good and pure at heart and twist it into a weapon in a political war.
Here are some open questions to those who would ban same-sex and/or multi-partner marriage:
Do Christians have a trademark (or copyright or patent or whatever) on the institution of marriage? Do you think you invented marriage and, therefore, have the right to define and limit it?
What is gained by prohibiting same sex marriages? What have you personally lost if a man marries a man or a woman marries a woman? Does the fact two people of the same sex love each other diminish the love you feel for your spouse?
Love is the one thing in life that should be truly limitless and open. Maybe I’m less intelligent than I think I is but I’ll never understand how putting limits on love is a good thing for our society.
I’ve been listening to and reading about the debates for years but, in the last few years, this issue has gradually become one of the main topics of discussion in every political arena. And, without fail, laws banning gay marriage are referred to as “Defense of Marriage Acts” or something in the same vein. Apparently, if men are allowed to marry men and women are allowed to marry women and people are allowed to have multiple spouses (okay, the last one isn’t as big a deal but, I’ve been watching Big Love), heterosexual couple marriages will become a thing of the past. Marriage, it seems, is being destroyed by godless liberals.
This has prompted me to speak out in defense of marriage. I, too, feel that the sanctity of marriage is being undermined and our rights are being threatened. Marriage, as an institution, is in grave danger and we must fight to save it! The time has come to stand up to these insane groups of raging nuts that want to force their twisted and sick version of love on us! We must defend marriage and the only way to do that is through the courts and legislature. That’s why I’m calling for a true defense of marriage act--one that makes marriage open to anyone who is in love. If we let the Right Wing nutjobs rob us of our right to express our love, we’ve lost one of the most basic of human rights.
Christie and I have been married for almost two years now (our anniversary is the 26th of June) and I can’t imagine my life without her. Marrying her was the best thing I ever did (and I can say that with all honesty because I’ve never bought a multi-million dollar winning lottery ticket). Of course, since I’m a man (though she frequently disputes that assertion) and she’s a woman, there were no real barriers to us officially solemnizing our vows and reaping the legal benefits of marriage. (And, by “reaping the legal benefits of marriage”, I mean that I now have health insurance and someone to take me off life support. Plus, she can’t testify against me in court!)
In the back of my mind, the raging activist in me (a part of me that is vehemently vocal but extremely lazy) said that we shouldn’t get married until marriage is a right that everyone in this country can enjoy. But I love her. Goddamn, I love her! And I wanted everyone to know it and I wanted to make it official! (Plus, I really needed to see the doctor but couldn’t afford it. Prozac ain’t cheap, people.) So I married her and I’ve never regretted it (though that’s another assertion Christie would likely dispute).
It is the fact that I’m so happily married that makes me want that right for everyone regardless of sexual orientation or taste. I still believe there should be some licensing process for parents buts marriage, when it’s a product of love, is the most amazing institution on the planet. It’s beyond anything I ever imagined it would be and I wouldn’t trade a second of it. I just don’t understand how one group of people could deny such feelings to another group of people. That’s just selfish and mean!
Let me digress for a second and say (for those who might not know me well) that I am a hardcore atheist but I’m not necessarily anti-Christian. I was deeply indoctrinated into the cult of Jesus as a child but I no longer believe in that particular religion and I can assure you that I never will again. Still, I know that, for some people, religion is an extremely important and valuable part of their lives. Furthermore, I actually understand why it is. What I don’t understand is the paranoia and hatred that religions often seem to engender.
The so-called “Defense of Marriage” acts are a great example (or a scary example of how hatred and bigotry can make otherwise fairly intelligent take something that should be good and pure at heart and twist it into a weapon in a political war.
Here are some open questions to those who would ban same-sex and/or multi-partner marriage:
Do Christians have a trademark (or copyright or patent or whatever) on the institution of marriage? Do you think you invented marriage and, therefore, have the right to define and limit it?
What is gained by prohibiting same sex marriages? What have you personally lost if a man marries a man or a woman marries a woman? Does the fact two people of the same sex love each other diminish the love you feel for your spouse?
Love is the one thing in life that should be truly limitless and open. Maybe I’m less intelligent than I think I is but I’ll never understand how putting limits on love is a good thing for our society.
posted by C.L. Wright at 4:52 PM
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