Post a Comment On: Internal Monologue

The New York Court of Appeals upholds gay marriage ban. Sullivan of course talks about it here and here. From what I’ve read, I found the majority opinion a bit convoluted. The ability of heterosexual couples to have children as a justification for denying marriage to homosexuals is absurd. Should infertile hetero couples be denied marriage? Should hetero couples who are too old or choose not to have children be denied marriage? By this logic, shouldn’t homosexuals who do have children, via procreation or adoption, be allowed to marry?

On this topic, I agree with Sullivan that it may be better tactically to try to win this battle in the court of public opinion (which is already coming around quickly to our side, and all indications are that it will continue to do so) and then go to state legislatures. This would put gay marriage on a stronger footing, and defuse the wingnut argument that gay marriage has been “forced” on people by “unelected Liberal judges”. (Though I would hasten to point out that interracial marriage and the end of American apartheid were “forced” on people in a similar manner.) We do have to make sure the US Constitution doesn’t get amended, but if we can hold that off things will swing around soon enough. The arguments on our side are too good.

It is frustrating to see something so obvious, reasonable, and even conservative as gay marriage opposed by so many. Who exactly does gay marriage hurt? Yes, I know the answer about how counterexamples mess with the puritanical worldview, etc. I’ve offered explanations for the puritans’ inability to leave others alone myself. But sometimes it does strike me as hard to believe that people are so upset about other people getting married.

The dream of gay marriage happening with one fall of the gavel is a beautiful one. The desire to ram fairness down people’s throats is pretty reasonable. But boy, do people resent it. No one is more resentful than the beneficiary of an injustice when that injustice is removed. Of course, it’s hard to see how heterosexuals benefit from this injustice. I certainly don’t get any benefit from it. If there is some benefit to this injustice that I am unaware of, I want my fair share of it! Give me my pork! I promise to donate it to pro-gay marriage activists.