"Why churches fear gay marriage," from Salon

[star_cabaret]

It's an interview with Richard Rodriguez (whom some of you may know from his book, The Hunger of Memory)While conservative churches are busy trying to whip up another round of culture wars over same-sex marriage, Rodriguez says the real reason for their panic lies elsewhere: the breakdown of the traditional heterosexual family and the shifting role

Comments

[rosalarian]

Excellent interview. I agree that we shouldn't be putting ourselves in the role of "enemies of the church". Protesting churches is not the way to go.
And the linking of feminism and the rise of gay rights is quite apt. When women started rejecting the automatic role of housewife, mother, cooker, cleaner, soft-spoken, male-dependent, that is when the "traditional" family began to break down. Gays aren't breaking down traditional marriage. Women are. And that's okay. Traditional marriage was very patriarchal and unfair.

[star_cabaret]

Agreed on all counts, especially: "Gays aren't breaking down traditional marriage. Women are. And that's okay. Traditional marriage was very patriarchal and unfair."

[jaralith]

You said exactly what I am not eloquent enough to put into words.

[a_tergo_lupi]

This, exactly.

[tko_ak]

I saw that. I also think it's a convenient way to raise money.

[maebeth]

Yes. And also, it helps when we see, and help make explicit the connection. Because many who aren't sure on the "gay thing" are very sure on women's rights. So much of the middle would be less likely to hear and attend to the arguments of religious conservatives if they could see that IS really feminism that is the major threat.

In the episcopal church, while the huge complaints are about ordaining gene robinson, in reality it was after a woman was elected as the.. uh head honcho... or whatever they call it. Primate, I think, for the US Churches that many parishes actually began to withdraw.

The right cannot get much public sympathy for keeping women in their place, thus more effort is spent on the "gay agenda".

Ok, that was all stated as fact when really I meant.. in my humble opinion .

[keito_f]

What I also find interesting is that you have Dignity USA a Catholic group promoting acceptance of GLBT men and women who also are working to allow the ordination of women.

[anarchys_savior]

That was very interesting, thank you. I never thought of the connection between women's rights and gay rights, but it does make more sense than making a connection between racial minorities and sexual minorities. I still believe that I do have something in common with black people (that we are both discriminated against, etc), but I can see how the connection is more clear with women's rights.

[star_cabaret]

You're welcome.

A lot of people look at the ties that the GLBT civil rights movements have with second- and third-wave feminism, if you want to read more on the subject.