Soapbox Time

You know what? I'm all for government and laws.

You see, I understand that in order to function as a society we can't all just do what we want. I understand why there's a law that says I can't drive at a hundred and fifty miles an hour through a school zone, I understand why I'm not allowed to hit a random stranger over the head with a rock and take his stuff…hell, I even understand why we have to pay taxes.

What I don't like are 'moral' laws. Laws that aren't in place for everyone's safety and protection, but are in place because one group of people don't like something and think they have the right to tell everyone else to live their lives.

Let's talk about gay marriage for a moment, shall we?

Firstly, here's the part people seem to miss about this issue. I've heard a ton of people just say "What's the difference? It's just a ceremony. Why don't they just live together?" Well, unfortunately, it isn't 'just a ceremony'. Marriage formalizes a relationship and establishes your partner as next of kin. I want you to think about that for a second. Imagine getting involved with someone and spending your entire life with them.

Now imagine that person dying and discovering you have zero say in how they are buried, what happens to their possessions, the home you lived in…and then you find that their death benefits and life insurance go to your partner's brother or sister instead of you.

The thing that really pisses me off about this isn't the actual law…but the reasons behind it. My favorite one is the idea that by allowing gay people to marry we'll 'destroy the sanctity of marriage'.

Excuse me?

We live in a country where over half of all marriages end in divorce. You can go to Vegas be married by an Elvis impersonator to someone you've only just met without ever leaving your car. There are 'dating' services set up for the sole purpose of helping married people have affairs…and then we have celebrities like Britney Spears whose marriages literally don't last the weekend.

Exactly what are we protecting here? I hate to say it, but we don't have to worry about 'the gays' destroying the sanctity of marriage because we straight folk have done a pretty good job of doing that ourselves.

However, the one reason I hear a lot that really sets my teeth on edge is this one:

"If we allow gay marriage in this country, that's as good as condoning it."

You know what? Fuck you. Fuck you and your ridiculously archaic world view. Who said that in order for something to happen, you have to give your pious, holier-than-thou stamp of approval? Who says you get to tell anyone what to do?

We get it, you disapprove, but your disapproval doesn't automatically make it law.

For me, the gay marriage issue is simple because it's mostly a religious issue…and in this country we're supposed to have separation of church and state.

All these people want is to stand up in front of their friends and declare their love for each other, while getting legal recognition of their relationship. On that level, God doesn't enter into it. So, to all you religious nutcases, feel free to live in the dark ages and refuse to allow same-sex couples to get married in your church…but just because you feel that same sex marriage doesn't belong in your church doesn't mean same sex couples don't belong in their local registrar's office.