There are at least a half-dozen copious threads from the past few weeks where this topic is discussed at length (and width, and height, and breadth…).
Even among those who can already legally marry, marriage is not necessarily a religiously significant concept. For some it has no religious significance at all but is a binding civil/legal contract.
Also, legally recognized civil unions have so far fallen short of providing a comprehensive duplication of the rights/privileges applied to marriage by the Federal Government. Certain states come close, but the lack of Federal recognition blocks…well…Federal recognition.
Yes, it’s 1:30-3:30 in NYC at 260 Broadway. I’m going to the NYC one even though I live in New Jersey, because it’s just a few blocks from where I work (I take the PATH train in every weekday morning.) There is going to be a huge turnout and I want to be at the front of this movement.
So I’ve got my poster board, but few ideas what to write.
There’s my first idea,
CIVIL RIGHTS FOR EVERYONE – with ‘‘EVERYONE’’ in rainbow stripes.
I’m not sure who you’re directing your anger at – people for being against civil unions, or gays for wanting to get married. I’m having a hard time understanding what part of it pisses you off.
On my part, I can say it definitely pisses me off that gay people don’t have the same rights as straight people do, like hospital visitation and transference of property. At this point I’m so desperate for these rights to be recognized that I’d consider civil unions a victory. But ultimately the US has a responsibility to its citizens to treat them with complete equality. I don’t know why people are so dead set against things like love and happiness and building families – well, I do know – bigotry, plain and simple. The best way to eliminate bigotry is through exposure. Tomorrow is a part of that. I’m glad gay people are going to stand up for themselves, but most of all I want people to be stunned by the vast number of straight people who are no longer willing to tolerate this kind of systematic injustice.
A fundamental part of this is the idea that gay people are any different from straights. There’s no difference except the gender of the person they are attracted to. My best friend, who I have known since fourth grade, works as the manger of the audio booth at the Chicago Field Museum. She takes the subway every day to work. She comes home, kisses her wife, and walks her dog while her wife makes dinner. She watches TV. Sometimes they fight. They’re just people. They just deserve to be treated like people, and they deserve for their love to be recognized as fully and completely as my love is with my own husband.
You might not understand, but it is my fervent hope that someday you – or at least your children – will.
This is weird, but I’m kinda nervous. I’ve never been to a protest before.
Next time I attend one of these events, I’m going to print out full-color photographs of my best friend getting married. It was a lovely family celebration outdoors in the park. Maybe their joy will reach someone.
As someone who is gay and atheist, I’m sitting here staring at this question, and simply not comprehending its meaning. Are you implying that agnostics and atheists don’t get married, or don’t care about the issue, or what? Why on earth should we not give a crap?
Sorry - I didn’t mean to mislead anyone.
I meant where sometime after it happened a lot of people would pop up and say “oh crap was that today?” and pulled 8 pm out of my butt.
It pisses me off because you personally don’t own the word “marriage” or get to decide what it means. I believe we’ve pretty firmly established in this country that “separate but equal” isn’t a viable option. Why are you more invested in preserving a *word *than you are in preserving civil rights for people you claim to support?
I can’t even parse the “agnostics and atheists” part of that post. Why *wouldn’t *we give a crap? The thing about civil rights is that they’re for everyone.