By now Prop 8 has been debated and re-debated many times over. Every side has stood their ground and declared justification for why they believe what they do. Arguments have raged on now for nearly two years in California. Friendships have ended over this issue. Families are torn. Church congregations have been divided.
Why?
Here are the facts. Gay people do exist. They always have existed. No research or science has ever been able to prove that gay people are recruited or that people choose their sexual orientation. Gay people do have relationships and in those relationships, they want the same things that heterosexuals in relationships want...stability, companionship, shared responsibilities and life experiences. Gay couples want to buy a house together, build a life together, and sometimes raise children together. Sound familiar? We are not so different, are we?
What does a marriage automatically do for people? Well, it automatically confers shared property and parentage. There are no additional documents or procedures needed when a married couple buys a house or adopts a child. Those additional steps needed for those who are not married sometimes make the processes prohibitive. There suddenly is a different standard required for those who are not married.
In court proceedings there is a preferred status granted those who are married. They can not be compelled to testify against someone they are legally married to... It may not seem like a big thing to those not currently on trial, but it can be very important if you would find yourself in that situation. Also, married people have access to visit spouses in jail that unmarried people may not be granted.
And then there is death. It is hard to think about, but it is harder still for the same-sex couple who have lived their lives together for many years and built a life and estate together....only to have one person die and the other treated like an interloper when they are told they have little to no rights to the shared properties. And if they are allowed to inherit, they are automatically hit with addition property transfer taxes and income taxes on those items that legally married people would not have to pay.
These are just a few of the benefits granted married people. There are over 1000 federal benefits that can not be recreated without becoming legally wed. Domestic partnership and Civil Unions can provide some of those benefits, but it has be proven that those alternatives are eternally flawed at providing the exact same rights.
Our laws and our government are intended to view each of us as equal. With equal rights and opportunities granted to all of us as long as we are law abiding citizens of the USA. How in good conscience can our laws support or perpetuate denial of the right to marry the legally consenting adult of our choosing? Inter-racial marriages were also banned at one time too. And the same types of reasoning were used back then....they told inter-racial couples they were of course allowed the equal right to marry. Just go marry one of your "same kind". What a terrible and racist thing to say. We would not even think to say that to someone from a racial minority today. But so many who supported Prop 8 tell us as well that we already have the equal right to marry.....just marry someone of the opposite sex and you will be fine. Fine? They actually advocate further misuse of the marriage laws (that they claim are so sacred) just as long as we are not allowed to marry the person that we love. They would support marriage fraud over allowing legal same-sex marriages. Astounding!
I can not think of a more cruel or inhumane way to discriminate against a people. Either deny them their rights or deny them the one that they love. Make a choice....what do you really want? Yikes! No wonder people choose love over governmental rights most of the time.
Well, Prop 8 appears to be moving into History...but those who oppose gay marriage (and really they just oppose gay people, but are not willing to admit it).....those people will still be here.
How far will they be willing to go to promote their agenda when the laws ultimately fail to support them?
