(Untitled)

[m00n]

As a straight person who finds himself utterly baffled by the New York State supreme court's decision that gays should not be allowed to marry, I have to wonder: Am I missing something? Is there some evil secret about married gay people that I'm just not in on?

What exactly are these people so afraid of??

Comments

[amyura]

Don't you know? When two gay people get married, it harms the marriages of all the straight married couples. I know Brian and I haven't been the same since May 17, 2004!

Also, I think a lot of people are afraid of the strong likelihood of gay marriage becoming the first in an avalanche of redefinitions of marriage such as a human and a snake being allowed to marry-- you know, because snakes can sign a marriage license application and everything.

I trust Mitt Romney when he says that marriage should be what it has been for thousands of years-- a sacred union between one man and one woman-- you know, like it has been in his own church for the past hundred and fifty years.

[/sarcasm]

[m00n]

That's funny because I always thought that marriage spent the better part of history being about property than about love or sacredness.

In fact, for many straight Americans, I doubt that's changed at all!

[nevers]

it's just homophobia. people can't do much about gays falling in love but at least gays shouldn't be able to share the dignity of marriage.

[m00n]

At first I was going to get annoyed at you for answering my question of why people are afraid of gay people by saying "it's homophobia" because it's a circular argument.

But then I realized, that's kind of the whole point. I think these people are afraid of gay people just because they're gay, and for no more rational reason than that. It just wouldn't even occur to them to not be bothered buy it. The thought probably hasn't even crossed their mind. They're too busy being angered by it to even consider the idea of accepting it.

[nevers]

yeah, it is pretty circular -- and mystifying.

[m00n]

And you have to wonder, with all of the things in the world that are definitely proven to hurt children (like toxins in our food, or underfunding our school systems, or WAR), how can people even consider devoting so much of their time and energy to preventing something with such an abstract relation to the health of our children as gay marriage?

[lucky_otter]

They're afraid that it will give comfort to their enemies. They're afraid that if gays become accepted, they'll have to come out. They're afraid that their kids are gay. They're afraid that a gay person might sit next to them on the bus. They're afraid that they will feel less worth as human beings if they share anything with gay people.

[m00n]

Good answer.

It's like they'd be a lot more comfortable with the whole thing if there really was some kind of fundamental distinguishing feature of gay people, like six fingers on each hand, or no hair anywhere on their bodies, or something. It wouldn't even have to be something ugly, just as long as it made the "non-gay" people feel safe in their knowledge that they were definitely straight.

[soapygirl]

Silly moon. Don't know that gay marriage killed the dinosaurs? And caused global warming

[m00n]

It kind of makes you wonder how long we can really survive as a country when we try to ban everything that is not just like us.

But then, I guess we've been doing that for a while now. How long ago was it that the supreme court decided that Irish and Armenians were officially considered black?

[earthpeaceorca]

Hello, I'm Orca. I'm aquapyro, Sarah, or Honu's friend, and I think you two are doing the STP with my dad (who incidentally is attempting to sing The Incredible String Band at the moment. I would be going also, except that I am going to be in El Salvador. Anyway, from your Lj you seem to be a jolly good person. I especially liked the condom/birth control entry. Do you mind if I steal it, to share with some people who need to hear that?

[m00n]

Hello Orca! It's nice to hear from you! It's too bad you couldn't do the ride, I'm sure it will be fun.

You are more than welcome to share anything that you want from my journal, especially that entry. The more people that hear it, the better.

Have a fine time in El Salvador! I'd like to go there myself some time...