I had to write an essay for school, this is part of my closing page(s) that asked for personal opinion. It is completely UNEDITED, but I wanted to share.
As I wrote this I kept asking myself, how I would put this into words, I think I?ve go it now. The banning of Same Sex Marriage effects every aspect of my life, as a ?married? lesbian woman I have very few rights that entitle me as married, it?s infuriating. Under the State of Oregon I have been granted 50, of a possible 1500 rights! I feel as those this discrimination says enough in it?s self, I worry that as the bans continue to pass, and discriminate upon my life more and more if their will be a limit? At what point will I be able to love my wife, and not have to carry my Domestic Partnership Form in my wallet everyday, just incase I had to go the hospital. It is so important that the United States practices it?s founding principles of ?All Men are Created Equal?, because right now numerous citizens are being treated like second class citizens. It?s hurtful, and alarming to know that my marriage isn?t recognized. I genuinely fear that everything my wife and I have together could be ripped away from us, because we don? t have the protection of other couples. On a personal level, I feel as though I am helping overturn the bans, by remaining open about my sexuality. For me this is the biggest contribution I could possibly make. This allow others to recognize that my sexuality does not in anyway inhibit me from acting, feeling, being, or seeing any differently than my counterparts. Being out of the closet forces other to recognize the homosexual community, and the more they see us, the more I hope they realize that our rights count just as much as theirs do. I mean what would the straight community say, if we started calling their marriages unlawful, it wouldn't fly. I guess what hurts the most is when people say that homosexuals are ruining the sancitity of marriage, I however happen to disagree, what is sacred about the thousands of shot gun weddings in Vegas, the get anulled the next morning, or the divorce rate of about 75%?
Re: Essay
I totally agree with this and it IS alarming at where we still are in regards to rights. Here's something tha put it into perspective for me..I watched a DVD of Margaret Cho called Assassin and it was from several years ago and yet we have make NO REAL PROGRESS and the SAME problems she addresses in her stand up are STILL HERE!! WTF???
But the U.S. was founded by religious people from a variety of sects and indeed we STILL continue to be overall..a very closed-minded and sanctimonious bunch. The "sanctity" of marriage between a man and a woman being damaged by same sex marriages is just a huge load of CR@P!! As you said above, the divorce rate is out of control. Statistically, same sex couples stay together longer and have a far lower rate of spousal abuse and other problems that seem to plague hetero couples. So it would seem that the real hold up here is what is happening in the bedroom. People get hung up on this one aspect and seem to completely forget that we are loving couples just as they are. Working towards common goals, building our families and our lives together. Paying taxes, being good citizens. But none of this matters because of the sexuality part.
One day we hope to live in Europe where people are much more open-minded and accepting. The puritan and prudish attitudes here are just out of hand.
If they want to ban certain marriages..how about banning marriage for people who have ever had someone get a restraining order against them...or have abused kids and their spouse. It's perfect ok to let hetero a$$holes get married...but two women or two men...HECK no!! What infuriating garbage!!
So there's my vent...
KnS