I think the vocal opposition to gay marriage just uncovers the true feelings these people have about homosexuality. They say “love the sinner, hate the sin” and they say “I don’t care what two people do in the privacy of their own homes” but really, they do hate the sinner and they do care what goes on in the bedroom. They can’t get past the idea that gay sex is “perverted” — hence their “slippery slope” argument that this will lead to bigamy, polygamy, and bestiality — and if we accord gays the right to marry, society will be officially admitting that homosexuality is normal and gay sex is normal and gays are more than just tolerated, they are equals in society.

When I see Shrub pounding the bully pulpit for an anti-gay marriage amendment, I’m reminded of George Wallace standing in the school doorway proclaiming “I draw the line in the dust . . . and I say segregation today, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever . . . ” Polls show there is a generational gap in attitudes toward homosexuality, where the old folks despise it, the baby boomers tolerate it, and the generation X’ers couldn’t imagine a sitcom without a likeable gay character. That’s why this is a hot button issue right now, because in ten years, passing an amendment will be impossible.

Besides, the arguments about how marriage has always been one man and one woman and that serves as the bedrock of our civilization are also bunk. One needs only research the homophobes’ primary document, The Bible, to find some new amendments we should apply to our Constitution:

There was an article in the Sunday Oregonian where a Harvard Professor of Law came out (pardon the pun) against gay marriage, citing how marriage is primarily for the raising of children. Couples like Iva and I, or couples that are infertile, hmm, I guess we are accepting a benefit we don’t deserve.

She also said that we would be conferring a financial benefit to gay couples who are, mostly, financially well-off. Hmm, is that how we mete out civil rights now, based on financial hardship?

Then the anti-gay marriage folks like to bring up that if we legalize gay marriage, we’ll have to teach our children about homosexuality in public schools. Gasp! God forbid we teach our kids about how people are different from one another and how to love and respect those differences. That might keep some of thos gay teenagers with the ultra-high suicide rates from killing themselves.

The counter-point article explained how really the gay marriage that’s a problem. We aren’t trying to stop gays from living together as married couples (indeed, I have many gay friends who’ve been “married” for years). They cohabitate, they can adopt, they can get partner benefits from most of the Fortune 500 companies. It’s the gay marriage ceremony they can’t handle. It’s like the gays are OK if they are not seen. You hear it in the homophobes’ arguments that “they can have civil unions, but don’t call it marriage”. As long as we can call them something that denotes that they are not really married like good straight white Christian folks, then we’re OK with it.

“Radical” Russ — I agree with Bill Maher’s monologue last night that it’s not really about homosexual marriage, it’s about gay marriage… no one seems to have a problem with the lesbians marrying, Madonna and Britney kissing, or Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly doin’ it in the movies… it’s about those swishy pole-smokin’ queens…

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