Today was a historic day here in California. Same sex marriages officially became legal. Phyllis Lion and Del Martin, octogenarians who have been together for 55 years were the first couple married by Mayor Gavin Newsom. And I say, bravo, it's about damn time that a love like that could officially be recognized by our government. Now, as many of you know, there is already a ballot initiative in CA for the November election that would amend our state constitution to define marriage as only between a man and a woman. I would ask that, if you live in CA, you vote against it. More info at Equality California.
Now, I know this is a hot button issue for some, but I just feel like I need to get up on my soapbox for a bit. *Stepping up* I personally do not feel the need to get married. I do not feel like I need my government to validate the worth of my love. However, for those who want to get married, I think everyone should have the right to do just that. And I have yet to hear a convincing argument against it. For instance, I hear all the time that allowing same sex couples to marry will destroy the sanctity of marriage. How, I ask? How can two people who want to publicly declare there love for each other do anything other than strengthen and confirm the validity of couples in the same situation. What destroys the sanctity of marriage are things like adultery or domestic abuse. Things where someone is actually hurt. I don't understand how love between any two people is a bad thing. Love is sacred. Not the title "marriage" and not legislation from our government. And let's be realistic here, we all know some married couple, where there really is no sanctity there. There are married individuals that we all know shouldn't be. That does more harm to the "institution" of marriage I think. Society has always tried to sexualize same sex relationships, characterizing us as promiscuous and self-destructive. And when we want to actually form legally binding committed relationships, that's wrong too. Doesn't make sense to me.
The second point I'd like to make has to do with religion. Like I said, Love is sacred. Government permission to be married or recognition from a church does not make it sacred. Love is sacred. In all it's forms. We here from childhood, "God is love". But now I'm being told, "Not your kind of love." Well, what about the love between a non-Christian, or non-religious man and woman? Is that not valid? Now, admittedly, not all Christians feel this way, and I know that sometimes they get lumped in with super conservative right wing fundamentalists. And this argument will go on for years. What I know is that my God is a benevolent one and He lives inside all of us. I do not see Him as being judgmental. Rather when I rejoice, He rejoices. When I am sad, He hurts too. I don't think God is out to make our lives miserable. He wants us to be truly fulfilled and happy because we create our heaven on earth. And quite honestly, I think God is probably more concerned with wars, poverty, killings, emotional abuse and all the other sins we inflict on each other than he is on two people who are in love. God, in my eyes, is never anti-love.
Finally, from a completely practical perspective, I'm not sure why the government is even in the business of legislating love. I understand that there is a civil contract there. In my eyes, that should be all the government should legislate. Any two people who want to form a civil contract should do so via the government and receive all the rights and privileges associated with that. Then, if they want to get "married" or not, they can do so via the church of their choice. This is really one instance where there is no separation of church and state in our country (that and printing on our money and swearing on the Bible in court). *stepping down*
I know my thoughts aren't groundbreaking. They've all been said before and I could go on and on about this (as could the opposition - and they probably will). But what it boils down to simply is love. We dream of it as children. It fills the lore of our stories, fairytales, and dearth of romantic comedies at the cinema. But we have the hardest time putting it into practice sometimes as human beings. We don't love each other, not only in the romantic way, but in the brotherly way as we should. I think that's what would disappoint God most of all. My hope though is that this is a move in the right direction and one day everyone will be able to love much more freely.
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