I seethe NOT because my son is gay. I seethe because he lives in a country in which some elected officials find it politically advantageous to deny him dignity, basic rights, and protections. I seethe because there are people who preach hatred and discrimination towards gays yet claim to be "good" and "loving" Christians. I seethe because there are groups who claim to be "advocates" for the family but who work to do great harm to any family that doesn’t fit their narrow template for “normal”.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Hey Arizona, Look What Wisconsin Is Doing
Voters will be deciding on whether they want a state constitutional ban on gay marriage in a number of states this November, including my own state of Arizona. Thus far the record on outcomes in states that have already voted on this initiative has been dismal. But there is a new and I think persuasive ad that has begun airing in Wisconsin, another state whose voters will find this initiative on their ballot come November. This ad does a good job of appealing to “voters' compassion and sense of fair play” and in my opinion is very powerful. It exposes how discrimination hurts couples when one gets cancer or some other terminal illness by telling the story of a real family who has already lived the nightmare. I believe this ad will give voters some pretty profound things to think about before they “pull the trigger” for or against this amendment.
I believe Americans are, by and large, compassionate and fair people. I wish my own state would air an ad like this. People need to see and hear this side of the story before they make a decision. They need to know there will be very real repercussions to very real families. And Lord only knows they won’t hear it from the pulpits of most of their churches even though that is where they should be hearing it.
It truly urks the holy hell out of me that we even have to appeal to the voters’ compassion and sense of fair play. Damn it, no one should be handed the power to deny their fellow citizens rights that they themselves already enjoy! It is just plain un-American and un-Christian. But in a very real sense that is what is happening here and it goes against every principle that has made this country great. It simply galls me that Americans are being asked to enshrine discrimination into a document that is usually used to protect minority rights. It sends the very clear message to a whole segment of our society: you are not as worthy as me and the constitution was written to protect everyone but you.
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