I might not ever get married. I’m not sure it’s for me. I don’t know that I dig marriage.
But I dig love. And I’ll be damned if I don’t support a person’s right to marry the person they love.
I don’t care what your Bible tells you, I don’t care what your congressman tells you, I don’t care what your parents tell you. Being gay is not a choice. Being gay is not a sin. Being gay does not go against the natural order of things. I direct you to the upwards of 1500 species where homosexuality has thus far been observed. As far as I can tell, anti-gay sentiment exists in but one species.
I don’t say ‘homophobic’, because if you’re reading this, bristling with rage, the odds are you’re not afraid. Why would you be? Do you think they invalidate your sham of a straight marriage? Do you think there will be no more children, that you’re some vanguard of procreation against a horde of genocidal gays? Do you think you’ll be converted to another sexuality? (Because pray-away-the gay camps aren’t evil, right?)
You’re not a champion of traditional marriage. You’re a bigot. I’m ashamed that so many Christians act so unlike their Christ.
“But Ian, can’t you see you’re in the wrong? Why won’t you respect their beliefs?”
Well, I’m sorry, hypothetical, unwittingly prejudiced Xavierite reader, but all I hear is, “You people should be more respectful of my hatred towards you!”
I shan’t tolerate intolerance. People smarter and somehow snarkier than I have pointed out in detail as to why religion has no basis to deny gay rights. You wanna discriminate against gay people because ‘the bible told you’? Stop wearing mixed fiber clothing, stop shaving, don’t get any tattoos, don’t have premarital sex, and sell your daughter for a yak or two. Remember that public stonings are a wonderful recourse if you deny my homeboy Leviticus!
Then, there are folks who feel “Our economy needs fixing first!” And thank you for putting your wallet ahead of your fellow man. Yeah yeah yeah, you can say there’s bigger fish to fry than marriage.
I suppose granting gays the right to marry (and none of that civil union schlock. If you wanna make civil union the legal definition for every couple, homosexual or heterosexual, and keep marriage a supplemental religious institution,I give you a gold star for trying to be fair minded, but it still ain’t fair) is not the only way to aid the queer struggle.
I admit there are more pressing issues. On the LGBT front, thousands of queer teens are homeless, or committing suicide. The treatment of transgender people is simply mortifying (Arizona’s anti-transgender bill passed the House Appropriations Committee while we were all distracted).
The prison-industrial complex is a terrifying affront to justice, and it sucks up a lot of oppressed people in its wake. But we don’t have to choose one thing to fix!
We can focus on fixing all of these issues, if we so choose, and don’t give in.
It pains me to say it, but the land of the free and the home of the brave isn’t quite living up to the description on the box. I believe in taking every stepping stone to equality.
“But Ian, after all this, I just disagree. Marriage is between a man and a woman! I have the right to my opinion. An opinion can’t be wrong!” This is America. You do have the right to your opinion. So does the Klu Klux Klan. If your opinion is that the “Star Wars” prequels are a nightmare, that’s semantics (and I happen to agree with you).
If your opinion is something along the lines of Obama/Romney/some other rich dude in a position of political power sucks, you’ve every right.
But if your opinion is harmful, viscous, or bears malice towards a group of oppressed people, whom your culture is oppressing, if your opinion is that people should be anything less than equal, you are irrevocably incorrect. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
But hey. That’s just my opinion.
I apologize if I appear harsh; perhaps it wasn’t your decision to be ignorant. You have some say in ceasing to be ignorant, though. It’s 2013, not 1513.
We’re certainly not saints for spreading some equal sign on Facebook.
I see what they mean about slacktivism, it’s literally the least anyone could do.
We’re just trying to be decent human beings. And if folks want to jump on the bandwagon, it’s as beautiful a bandwagon as any.
And let’s not stop here, for there are many wrongs to be righted; transgender folks living in fear, people struggling in poverty, the millions still suffering the sting of racial and gender discrimination.
Hate may have its day, but it shall never triumph.
We live on a rock. It’s hurtling around a flaming ball of gas at 29.78 kilometers a second, through a vast, empty void.
The only thing that fills it, that makes it remotely tolerable, is love.
I implore you to fill your life with love.
Ian Riggs
Viewpoints Correspondent