Marriage Equality Should be So 20th Century

Yesterday I attended a rally at the RI statehouse that would be the envy of most political action organizations. There were at least 300 - 500 straight and GLBT attendees who need not be convinced citizen equality ought to include same gender marriages.

So there is no doubt where I stand on this issue, I am for marriage equality and would advocate for the promotion and protection of these rights. My reasons are really very simple. I don't consider it a gender or relationship issue. I consider it a human rights, dignity and discrimination issue. The proposed law is not asking heterosexual people to sacrifice their personal choices or religious beliefs, but this seems to be the obstacle of many legislators.

Examined from the opponents perspective, it tends to be about religious beliefs. I ask nobody to change their personal beliefs, if they are uncomfortable with the elasticity of their own values. Prejudice, bias and preconceived notions are powerful roadblocks between a person's mind and their heart. Ethnic, gender and age civil rights struggles required overcoming these objections. But diversity does not have to be divisive.

Divisive principles that are then enforced by law do not unite us. I'd argue that the same thing holds true for institutions of religion. The difference is I do not believe anyone is asking for these institutions to change their beliefs nor should those who hold these institutional beliefs use our laws to forward their agendas on the free public striving to be one community.