Gay Marriage or Marriage Equality?

Hey people!

There's been a lot in the news about "gay marriage" and I thought I would share a few of my thoughts on it.

Here in the UK "civil partnerships" were introduced not long ago to seek to address the unfairness in the legal system against us gays. It is true that civil partners have many of the same rights as married spouses, however the creation of a separate insitution for gays seemed to set them aside (as if we havn't been marginalised enough) from the rest of society - and I do believe the label of marriage is an important one. Some opponents say equality of substance is what matters and not the form it takes, but I'm not convinced.

Also, I do prefer people campaigning for "marriage equality" instead of "gay marriage" - the use of language is often underestimated and gay rights activists have done the right thing in changing the terminology of their cause from the latter to the former. "Gay marriage" alludes to a homosexual alignment to an institution made (apparently) for heterosexuals, whereas "marriage equality" pertains to a notion where marriage is an institution which should be open to all and not discriminate against those who happened to love members of their own sex. It is a fine distinction but I feel an important one.

(FYI - I love pictures of happy gay guys, it gives me hope that I will be one of them one day so thought I would share the one above!)



Furthermore I really don't get calls to put the issue up for a vote which has been the case in some places, since when should human RIGHTS be put to a vote? Rights exist to protect everyone and especially the minority against the majority - which is why it makes no sense to vote on them in my opinion.

Most of the arguments against gay marriage just don't make sense. I hear several ones over and over again:

1 - Allowing gay couples ot get married will devalue the institution
Hmmm, no not really. How so? How would me being married to another man change any heterosexual couple's marriage? It won't at all. Often people accompany this argument with "marriage is a union between a man and a woman" - this often is said by the far-right religious and religion is another matter all together lol - but basically civil law should not, and cannot, revolve around religious doctrines for obvious reasons.

2 - If that gets legalised, whatever next? polygamy? etc
Eh? Where did that come from? Not from any reasoned or rational place that's for sure...fyi people were saying the same thing when  interracial marriage was "contraversial" - grow up and form a proper argument

3 - There is no purpose for gays to get "married" - they can't procreate
So??? Just because in most marriages children are conceieved it does not make them necessary to make it valid...if it did then I guess we should be banning old people from getting married...and test the fertility of all straight couples before they sign the marriage certificate....

I don't know if I would ever get married to a guy, but I would like the option and I would like to know that gays are not discriminated against by not being part of such a mainstream institution. Here in the UK the conservatives (weirdly enough) have said that they wanted to introduce it but some bigots in the house of commons have sought to undermine this and slow down, or halt altogether, its progression. I'm happy to hear however that Scotland will be introducing it soon and that more and more US states are legalising it - although I think if we are talking of human rights that should really be done at federal level, not state level - but hey I guess its progress of a kind. There are also many campaigns out there right now which are going strong and which I hope will make a difference, bit by bit we can fight for equality and let society know that us gays are just like everyone else and just want to be happy and free to share our lives with the ones we love.

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GayLadForLife