February 22, 2004
Attacking Gay Marriage On "Traditional" Grounds
Seem ta me they's only t'ree ways ta attack gay marriage: 1) It causes actual harm. 2) It's against [whoever's] religion. 3) Tradition. Marriage has always been defined as one man and one woman.Dealing with them in order:
1) The harm argument: Shouldn't opponents have to demonstrate that with significant evee-dense? If they could do that, wouldn't we all have heard about it by now?
2) Religion. Doesn't matter. Ours is a secular government by design. The first amendment guarantees freedom of religion. Really, it guarantees freedom of belief. So why shouldn't people be free to believe that gay marriage is bang-on, square-up, okey-dokey, fine and dandy without the secular government discriminating against them on religious grounds? Besides, there's no actual religious consensus on the subject, although even if there were, it wouldn't change my argument.
3) Tradition. Dumb argument on at least two grounds. Doesn't surprise me a bit that the far right thinks it's a great argument. Why ya t'ink I calls 'em dingers? Not that tradition is necessarily a bad thing. It should be respected, but it should also be looked at with a critical eye. First, marriage hasn't always been defined as one man and one woman, only mostly. There have been many other forms of marriage. There're still plenty a polygynists in the world today, some in the Middle East, some in Utah, some in other places as well.
Second, monarchy was traditional, feudalism was traditional, the subjection of women was traditional, treating children as property was traditional, slavery was traditional, torture was traditional. Even today, the treatment of women in Muslim country's owes more to tradition than to Islam. I'm pretty sure I could go on and on, but you get the picture. Should we bring back every horror that was once considered traditional?
So where's another rational, logical defense of forbidding gay marriage? Huh? Cuz I sez, bring it, meat! I'll knock that motherfucker right outta tha park!
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