Monday, September 18, 2006
What We Want
See this? This is what we need.
When I came out of the closet, one of the first unpleasant discoveries I made about life for gays and lesbians is the dubious nature of our relationships in the eyes of the law. I read anecdote after ancedote about lovers kept apart during times of emergency because they weren't related, or out-of-state relatives swooping in to challenge a will and claim the spoils after a partner died, leaving the man he loved for years with nothing. This is what gay marriage means to me.
Thing is, this basic desire has been obscured by years of spin and counterspin. There's talk about whether it's good for children, what it will do to society, whether it's defying the will of the people... well, here's what gay marriage is: being guaranteed the same rights as straight couples without having to beg mercy, hire a lawyer, or stand before a judge. Hopefully, this will cut through the bullshit and show straight voters in Wisconsin what this is really all about.
When I came out of the closet, one of the first unpleasant discoveries I made about life for gays and lesbians is the dubious nature of our relationships in the eyes of the law. I read anecdote after ancedote about lovers kept apart during times of emergency because they weren't related, or out-of-state relatives swooping in to challenge a will and claim the spoils after a partner died, leaving the man he loved for years with nothing. This is what gay marriage means to me.
Thing is, this basic desire has been obscured by years of spin and counterspin. There's talk about whether it's good for children, what it will do to society, whether it's defying the will of the people... well, here's what gay marriage is: being guaranteed the same rights as straight couples without having to beg mercy, hire a lawyer, or stand before a judge. Hopefully, this will cut through the bullshit and show straight voters in Wisconsin what this is really all about.
