Same-sex marriage, Civil Unions, Low-fat cookies and Fandom.

[linden_jay]

Gay Marriage - pros and cons from an alternative lifestyle supportive straight person. Discuss. *makes hand wavy gesture*

Okay. I have owed darknight999 this rant for... lord. I don't even know how long. Long before she asked me for it. But this is one of those subjects where my thoughts tangle around themselves, and I worry that I won't be able to get

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[nurseowens]

In Canada, anyone who is of age and consenting may marry anyone else, regardless of gender. Marry. Not Civil union, not some other half-measure, marry. When the measure was passed, not every province (like American states, only less of them, and much bigger) was in support of it. Not everyone was happy (oh, understatement). But our government decided that the time had come for this change to happen, and by God, it did. They fuck up a lot, but sometimes? They get it right. And this is one of the reasons I'm so damned proud to be a Canadian.
The same thing applies to Belgium (as you sort of stated). Did it change anything? Yes and no. Same sex couples are more visible and more accepted, other than that, no. The sky didn't fall on us and we didn't suddenly all become deviants.

It took me a while to understand why John and Scott chose their words so carefully all the time. Why John never called Scott his husband. I kept thinking that he wasn't proud of it, until I came to the same realisation you did. The low-fat cookie.

Excellent rant!

And I'm glad we get the full deal. It makes life a lot simpler and a lot nicer too!

[linden_jay]

Yay for Belgium! Solidarity and all that sort of thing, dude. Your country and my country are proof that same-sex marriage does not destroy heterosexual marriage, or any of the rest of that alarmist crap.

And yeah, I remember all of the posts and articles and all when they legalized their civil union, and I think it makes perfect sense that they choose to see it the way that they see it.

Thank you!

Isn't it nicer having the full deal and living in a place that doesn't screw around on that whole 'equal' thing? Makes me all fuzzy inside.

[nurseowens]

You know, I never understood why it had to be different. Like you said, it's about equality and we feel everyone is equal, but those who feel it shouldn't be called marriage, don't believe in equality. they still fundamentally believe that same sex couples are less than...whatever.

I don't know how it works in Canada, but in Belgium, marriage is a legal thing. You can't marry in a religious context unless you're married legally first. Some couples (but by no mean all) decide to also have a religious ceremony, but that religious ceremony has no legal consequences. We have a strict policy of NEVER mixing religion and state and I think that's why we don't have a problem calling a marriage between a same-sex couple, a marriage, while the U.S does.
It's been made abundantly clear these last eight years that the concept of keeping religion far away from state matters is something the U.S. hasn't begun to fathom.

Just my two cents ;-)