Nerdy folk dig equal rights ...
#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @erinpcapuano
I do not believe there is one person left on this earth who is not aware of the battle to legalize same-sex marriage in the United States; currently there are 7 countries that legalized same-sex marriage. SS marriage became legal in the Netherlands in 2001 and since then 6 other countries have joined, Belgium, Canada, Spain, South Africa, Norway, and Sweden. Spain is the only country to recognize heterosexual and homosexual marriage under the same laws. Twenty countries currently have some form of “marriage” in Civil Unions or Registered Partnerships. While there are some states in the U.S. that recognize Civil Unions we still have many steps to take before the laws are equal to both parties. California is the most recent state to make news by adding the Proposition 8 vote and passing the law to ban same-sex marriages in the state after San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom passed a law allowing SS marriage in his city. Since then Mayor Newsom has been a staunch supporter of the Gay and Lesbian community. We currently have in this country 26 states that have passed amendments explicitly banning SS marriage, while 18 states have passed statewide laws that recognize marriage as an institution between a man and a woman. States that recognize same-sex marriage are New Hampshire, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, and Vermont. Washington D.C. granted the legalization of same-sex marriage and that will begin March 4th, 2010. In total only 6 states and The Coquille Indian Tribe in Oregon recognize same-sex marriage legally.
When faced with a fresh intelligent debate most on the side to ban same-sex marriage will quote the bible or talk of how allowing SS marriage would pave the way for Polygamy, Bestiality and other ungodly acts. It's frankly disgusting to even put SS marriage in the same category as those but unfortunately this is the rhetoric from the other side. Most recently there have been some commercials circulating the television news stations trying to make the case for banning same-sex marriage they are filled with lies and hate filled verbiage to try and scare people into thinking same-sex marriage will somehow affect their heterosexual marriages. Some political figures have also been making the rounds on cable news stations such as MSNBC, CNN and FOX News. One man in particular Pat Buchanan (MSNBC Political Correspondent) has always had a strong stance on his opinion to ban same-sex marriage and makes no apologies for his argument that is filled with nothing more than bible excerpts. While on Hardball with Chris Matthews last year Pat was faced with debating the head of the HRC Joel Solomese.
During their first opening arguments Mr. Buchanan made the comment that same-sex marriage is unlawful and unnatural by stating that it's human nature for a man to be with a woman strictly for procreation purposes. God made man and woman to make babies and therefore because two partners of the same sex cannot conceive together they must be unnatural and not allowed to be married. I always find this argument interesting because if we were to take that statement and dissect it what we'd find is that if that was truly the case then we'd have no abortion, unfertile men and women or men and women who give children up for adoption what we'd have are people running around creating child after child with overpopulation. I do not feel it's innately present in our makeup as humans to live only to reproduce. As humans we are overwhelmingly emotional and enter into most if not all our relationships on some level looking for love.
Mr. Buchanan is forgetting the United States strict policy of separation of Church and State written into the constitution, for all its aesthetically pleasing attributes if read correctly you will find some amazing things in that piece of paper. Take our forefather Thomas Jefferson "No man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burdened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer, on account of his religious opinions or belief; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities." VIRGINIA STATUTE FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM written by Thomas Jefferson http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Statute_for_Religious_Freedom In essence this statement should be enough to counter the religious argument but I'm not against giving one more just to make sure you're all paying attention."Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between church and State."
Not to be outdone Mr. Benjamin Franklin who while raised a Catholic went on to write and create the 1725 pamphlet A Dissertation on Liberty and Necessity, Pleasure and Pain, http://www.historycarper.com/resources/twobf1/m7.htm, in which he attacked the Catholic religion on free will and morality and was adamantly against involving the church in government.
Mr. Buchanan's next statement was to say that it is human nature for men and women to be monogamous. Let's take this one and run with it, the divorce rate in the United States for 20-24 year olds is 36.6% (women) 11.7% (Men) while 25-29 year olds are at 16.4%(Women), 22.3% (Men) 30-34 year olds is 8.5% (Women) 11.6% (Men), and finally 35-39 year olds is 5.1% (Women) 6.5% (Men). The divorce rate for 1st marriages as opposed to 2nd marriages is 50% while 2nd marriages are at 67% and 3rd are at 74%. (Statistics found at www.divorcerate.org). How can the opposing side say that same-sex marriage threatens heterosexual marriage it seems heterosexuals threaten their own marriages.
We need not look further than the Constitution this is the document they say Gays and Lesbians are violating by wanting to marry one another. It is clearly stated that our founders did not intend or want religions to be an influence in running our government and making our laws. The Civil Rights movement was one of strength, passion, and pride, people of all races coming together to stand up for the rights of African Americans, it was a movement that till this day can still be remembered in our history books and current society. It was a hard fought battle and the two situations mirror each other, where we are throughout history to where we would like to be. There are few voices that can be heard as loudly as Martin Luther King Jr. right now the GLBT community does not have that forceful, emotional voice screaming from the podium saying "I have a dream."
The Stonewall Riots that took place in New York City at the Stonewall Inn in 1969 was the first movement of its kind in the GLBT community. Spontaneous riots broke out after the Inn was raided by police which was a regular occurrence during that time. People were beaten, and thrown in jail for being gay, being caught in a bar or club with a person of the same sex. Since so few bars or clubs allowed gays the police would target the ones that did and this occurred almost on a nightly basis. The Stonewall rioters are cited as the first instance of the GLBT community standing up against the police and government and fight for their equal civil rights. Some would say they paved the way for the GLBT community to have made the progress they have today. During this time many social movements were active including the African American Civil Rights Movement and the Counterculture of the 1960s as well as anti-war demonstrations. After the Stonewall riots, gays and lesbians in New York City faced gender, class and generational obstacles to come together and be one community and fight on the same side. Within the next six months two gay activist organizations were formed in NYC concentrating on confrontational tactics and three newspapers were made to promote rights for gays and lesbians. It wouldn’t be long till gay rights organizations were founded across the United States and the rest of the world. On June 28, 1970 the first Gay Pride marches took place in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco remembering the riots.
While we still have a long way to go before we can obtain equal rights the small but brave steps we have taken just brings us closer to what we hope is an equal country. Many brave men and women have stood up for what they consider flagrant disregard for civil rights and equal rights under the Constitution of the United States. As I'm sure most people will tell you they are looking for no more than what they are awarded as a citizen they do not want to take rights away from heterosexuals or change how they live their lives they just want the right to love and marry the person of their choosing. While I'm not a protestor standing outside holding up signs shouting out catchy slogans I do have the power of the word on my side. I am a fighter from behind my keyboard keeping those who oppose honest and factual in their arguments. If there were no fact checkers the opposition would be allowed to get away with the flat out lies and propaganda that is the anti same-sex marriage war. I'm just the messenger so don't shoot me just get the message.