What is it about same-sex marriage that gets Conservative America so upset? Why would a simple legal document inspire vicious hatred from the self-proclaimed voices of God? Why should we care?
The idea of equal rights for the homosexual community is not a new one. Like many other issues of equal rights in America, the gay rights movement built its foundation in the late 1960s and 1970s. And just like the African American civil rights movement, the "homophile movement" stemmed from the blatant abuses that gay men and women experienced in the years after World War II. And again, like the other civil rights movements, this movement was effective; police harassment of homosexuals decreased, many states decriminalized homosexual behavior, and many cities included sexual orientation in their civil rights statutes.
However, conservative groups such as Jerry Falwell's Moral Majority formed to oppose gay rights in the 1980s and the homophile movement suffered setbacks. In short, things stalled. While women and minorities were included in programs such as Affirmative Action to boost their acceptance into the workplace, gay men and women were denied jobs, promotions, and benefits that were essentially protected by law.
Anyway, that's enough history for now. The real urgency centers on the same-sex marriage debate that has been heating up this election year, a debate that was kicked into overdrive during President G. W. Bush's 2004 State of the Union speech. In his speech, he stated clearly that he believes marriage should only be permitted between a man and a woman, protected by a Constitutional Amendment, if necessary. He summarized the Conservative viewpoint on same-sex marriage in a few simple sentences, "Our way, whether popular or not, should be law."
The one answer that Conservatives continually regurgitate, "The Bible condemns homosexuals," is the only argument I have heard condemning gay marriage. Sure, there are derivatives like "marriage is traditionally between a man and a woman," or even "God hates fags," a disgusting mantra espoused by the Westboro Baptist Church, an extremist group controlled by a sick bastard. Not surprisingly, Westboro Baptist Church hails from Kansas, the state that decided "Creationism" should be taught in Science Classes, replacing the realistic evolutionary theory accepted as true by scientists worldwide. Really, you have to wonder what in God's name were they thinking?
I'm not focusing on the real issues here, am I? Are same-sex marriages really the unraveling of the social fabric of the United States? I doubt it. Civil unions, essentially same-sex marriages by a different name, are legal in Vermont. California already grants many rights to civil union couples that it does to married couples in the Golden State. But when the word "gay" precedes "marriage," the Bible-thumpers and right-wing pundits get their rosaries in a knot. It was before my time, but I know that the race riots of the 1950s and 1960s were often seen as a very shaky time for America. If cooler heads don't prevail, I fear that the same-sex marriage legislation in the works—on either side of the Senate isle—could escalate into an all-out fight in America's streets not seen since Vietnam.
Modern psychology now understands that a person's sexual orientation isn't a choice, but is decided before a child is born. Homosexuality is also found in many (if not most) species of animals, including all higher-order primates. Considering man hails from the animal kingdom, it seems only natural that some individuals will be homosexual by birth. Knowing this, it makes no sense to deny the rights afforded to straight men and women from the gay community. Would we accept legislation that denied rights to certain couples based upon the color of their skin? Of course not.
Just as the moral arguments presented by the Ku Klux Klan against civil rights for minorities have been struck down as racist, ignorant, and hateful, so too will the arguments presented by fringe groups like Westboro Baptist (as well as many "mainstream" religions) be seen as unfair and wrong. It is only a matter of time.