The people of Maine, Maryland, and Washington did something this month that no state had previously done. They upheld the principle that civil rights are important. Marriage is not defined by the gender of the participants. People who love each other who are not too closely related can marry each other, regardless of gender. The majority upheld the rights of a minority, and that is reason for real celebration.
How did it happen? A lot of supporters of the amendments hit the pavement. They went door to door, explaining to people why they felt the way that they did. I have a friend who manned the phones in Washington and she said that people were not always particularly happy to hear what they had to say. It took a thick skin and a conviction that this is fair and right and good. That equality matters.
The road to this has been a long one, but the issue has accelerated in acceptance. Thank goodness. But the part that I find most hypocritical is that the people who oppose it most vocally seem not to be particularly good about staying in their heterosexual marriages. The states that have the highest rates of divorce are largely red states. Nevada has the highest rate, but I think you have to discount that, based on the fact that divorce is a business there. After that it is states like West Virginia, Idaho, Tennessee, Wyoming, and Alabama that lead the pack. I just do not understand it--if you are going to stick your nose into other people's business, why not work towards keeping marriages together if you think that marriage is important? Lay off the question of who gets married, and concentrate on actually making all marriage more successful. Consistency is not a virtue for those opposed to same sex marriage, and there is hope that they will soon be the minority opinion. |
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