Here’s a simple solution for a complex issue. First, some background: I watched the Democratic Presidential candidates’ debate on Logo (the “gay” cable TV channel) a couple of weeks ago. Well, OK, it wasn’t exactly a debate, as each of the candidates appeared sequentially rather than together. All of the front-runners and most of the others went a long way toward supporting same-sex partnerships, but very few of them could say “yes” to same-sex marriage (the exceptions being Kucinich and Gravel).
So here’s a thought – if “marriage” is such a holy, sacramental institution, why do all the Christo-fascists want to entrust it to the federal government? Why not leave “marriage” to the religious institutions instead?
Here’s my modest proposal: Do away with all government-recognized marriages. In their place, have governments establish “civil unions” or “domestic partnerships” for all consenting adult couples, be they heterosexual couples or homosexual couples. Then, you would go to the government for your registered civil union, and the government would grant you all the benefits that currently inure to “married” couples. Meanwhile, if you’d like to get “married”, go to your favorite church, synagogue, mosque, temple, or other spiritual congregation and have a marriage ceremony.
There you go, in 80 words, the solution to the entire same-sex marriage debate. Why is this so hard? Why isn’t this a solution we all can’t agree on (well, I know why we all can’t agree, because there are some of us who are completely hateful and bigoted, but maybe we can go with “most of us” instead)? Is it such a radical idea that no one of note can propose it?
Actually, one candidate came fairly close to proposing this in the Logo forum. That candidate was Barack Obama. Senator Obama also had one of the best lines of the entire forum, when he described the so-called Christians who are anti-gay as “taking one line out of the book of Romans and elevating it above the entire Sermon on the Mount”.
So maybe I’ll send this post to Senator Obama and see if he’ll adopt the idea in his own campaign. What do you think? Simple answer, or glossing over too many technicalities? Let me know what you think.
4 comments:
I advocated it two years ago, so I'm surely in favor. At my blog, there's even my suggestion as to how a responsible candidate could even phrase it/ sell it. Now, let's hope we can!
I agree too. I know every time gay marriage issues come up in the news or in conversation, Peter gets upset and has proposed a very similar solution. Go ahead and send it to Obama, though I'm sure he's heard it before.
I think a lot of GLBT people (I'm included in that camp) would agree. So long as everyone is equal under the law, churches would be able to remain true to their particular denomination's teachings. Some GLBT people disagree with me and feel that only the term "marriage" will gain equality. But in the scenario you suggest (and I've also thought of for a long time now), everyone IS equal.
And, now that I've commented -- hi! :) I've enjoyed reading your blog and attend a UMC in the Atlanta area as well.
I agree as well. Maybe you could send your proposal to all the democratic candidates.
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