…and not the earlybird.
It seems that in light of the new Prop 8 drama in California has really highlighted the old adage, “The early bird catches the worm.” The California Supreme Court upheld Prop 8 (not a good thing…same sex marriage is unconstitutional), but the marriages performed prior to Prop 8 will be honored. The moral? Do it when its legal.
There are so many things wrong with this that I am not sure where to begin. First, how can you say that something is unconstitutional BUT only after we said it was. Before we figured it out it was fine. Doesn’t that just sound…dumb. I can agree that this is a good thing that they are honoring the marriages prior to Prop 8. I am sure that those people are ecstatic, but it is bitter sweet. Because I planned, scheduled, and waited I am being penalized.
Another point I was to make is that same sex marriages must not be as volatile and civilization destroying as they are being portrayed. All of this anti-marriage rhetoric about how marriage equality being the decline of our Judeo-Christian society is weakened by the allowance of some gay marriages. The opposition argues that gay marriage is like a cancer that will spread and destroy our world. Gay marriage first then who knows? I am not an oncologist, but I thought that leaving any cancer is bad. It weakens their arguments to leave some gay marriages, but forbid others from being created. I am sure that the opposition was not thrilled that past marriages was upheld, but I hope that we can use this as ammunition to show them that my marriage will not destroy their utopia of heterosexuality.
So when my state finally legalizes gay marriage (and it will) my fiance and I will be married that very second. I was never a person to rush these things or to do something like that, but I want to ensure that I get it in before it becomes impossible. I grew up in a family that waited for the next Windows program to be out before we got the next version and we waited on new technology until it was “safe”. My learned behavior is to wait to have the kinks ironed out. If California and this Prop 8 debacle teaches us anything it teaches us that we cannot wait. Victories in this battle for human rights and equality may be fleeting. Every step forward we take someone is trying to push us back two.
Thanks for sticking with me during a job transition, a move, and jest general life happenings. Please comment. Talk to you soon!
June 4, 2009 at 9:22 am
Wait I thought we were waiting till January or February! Nice way to inform me we are eloping if the law passes!
June 6, 2009 at 6:09 am
lol… the way you two bicker, I thought you were married already!
June 19, 2009 at 12:32 pm
my students actually came up with an interesting idea…. they said if we are supposed to have separation of church and state and marriage is continually being defined in judeo-christian terms then let the churches keep the marriage title but the state should allow and perform the legal union between all couples. Does the state try to step in and say who can be confirmed or receive communion? no! then why are they letting antiquated ideas stop equality?
I often set a few of the naysayers back when I tell them that interracial marriage used to be illegal and remind them that gay rights is really civil rights. (this point always works in my classroom since i’m in newark and our school is about 80-90% african american/hispanic/west indian mixtures)