The Harry Potter Alliance

By Tita

October 29, 2008

Fight for Equality – Part 2

You can still be in a civil union in CA with the same rights as marriage. We just don’t want you to indocrinate our kids into your sexual deviations, that’s all.

 This was one of the responses I got to the video I uploaded on YouTube earlier this month.

 To be honest, I’m a little confused by this person’s logic. First of all, if civil unions were the same as a marriage, then why do we have to call it something different? Secondly, civil unions and domestic partnerships are NOT the same thing as a marriage, nor do they provide the same rights—some states provide almost all the rights of a marriage while others only provide a handful of them.  Thirdly, civil unions and domestic partnership laws (no matter how comprehensive) are only valid in the state they were issued, whereas a marriage is valid anywhere in the country.  And lastly, not all states have domestic partnership/civil union laws.

This person also provided another argument that seems to be used by many of the people that oppose same-sex marriage: The Children.  I don’t understand how what I do with my personal life is going to affect children or their gender identity/sexual orientation, least of all children I have absolutely NO contact with.

I guess I can understand how my nieces and nephew or my future kids will be touched by my marriage to my partner. They will grow up seeing a couple that is full of love for each other, and did not let other people dictate how to live their lives, a couple that is not bound by society’s expectations of men and women, or what society sees as a ‘normal man and woman.’ They will grow up with an aunt and uncle, with a mom and dad that will love them very much. Frankly, I don’t see how that is a bad thing.

Making marriage legal for every one is not going to indoctrinate kids into anything. If gay, lesbian, transgender or intersex couples get married somewhere, it’s not going to make anyone turn queer. Falling in love with another person is not something that is affected by the actions of people you probably haven’t even met. However, it might affect how someone feels about their own sexuality or gender identity if they know they will not be treated unequally by the law due to something so personal.

Right behind the “think of the children” excuse, is the religious aspect. I have driven by several churches of all denominations full of signs that advise visitors and passer-bys to vote yes on Prop 8. It hurts me (and offends me as well) every time I see one of those. I grew up in a catholic home—I also went to an evangelical school from 7^th to 9^th grade.  All those years, I grew up with the view that God was love, and that as such he loved all of us, that he was forgiving, and that all you had to do was be a good person in order to go to heaven in the afterlife. Not once did I stop to think that God wouldn’t love me just because I saw myself as a person who could fall in love with people regardless of their genitalia.  Not once did I stop to think that I might go to hell or be punished because I didn’t see myself as a straight girl. As a matter of fact, I did not see myself as a girl at all, or a lesbian or bisexual. I have always thought of myself as a person who fell in love with people.

I’m not saying that a church MUST allow same-sex marriages to take place inside, but I also don’t want religion affecting the decisions of the government. Nowadays, marriage is not just a religious rite, it is also a way to make sure the person you love and your relationship is protected by the law.

I think that providing the LGBT community with the same rights that the heterosexual community will help make the world a better place; it will teach kids that EVERY ONE is the same under the law no matter what their sexual orientation, gender identity or race is. I cannot find the downside to the legalization of same-sex marriage, but then again, I might be a bit biased.  After all, I do believe in equality for all.

Tita