Marriage isn’t the real issue. Not long after U.S. District Judge, Vaughn R. Walker, ruled Proposition 8 unconstitutional on Aug. 4, a federal appeals court issued a stay on gay marriages until Dec. 6. It’s as if opponents of gay marriage can’t catch a break and that the battle for equality is being prolonged. I am sure that many of us are tired of this debate, no matter which side we support, but as an opponent of the proposition I feel that the campaign for Prop. 8 is losing steam fast. All human beings, whether gay or straight, have the right to be treated equally and the right to indulge in all civil liberties afforded to them.
Proponents of Prop. 8 need to understand that allowing gay marriage does not hurt them and does not directly concern them. In the battle over Prop. 8, marriage is not the issue being grappled with; it is the issue of possible institutionalized discrimination against homosexuals.
If marriage is the issue, then supporters of Prop. 8 are attempting to bar gay couples from benefiting from the same tax breaks as heterosexual couples. To reiterate, gay couples do not want more rights, they simply want to be afforded the same rights as heterosexual couples. Under the 14th Amendment, which protects citizens’ rights, supporting the ban on same-sex marriage is obviously unconstitutional. With that being said, let us look at the real issue at stake.
The concept of marriage is being misused to conceal the fact that some individuals do not want homosexuals to be treated as human beings. Religion is also internalizing the beliefs of supporters, making a popular argument against gay marriages, or even gays in general, “The Bible says that God hates homosexuals” or “Homosexuality is a sin and those who are homosexual are going to hell.” Arguments along those lines could not be any more infuriating, because individuals are putting religion into their line of reasoning, pretending that referencing a higher being is somehow a trump card in winning this argument. Separation of church and state should be well known by now, so why are individuals disregarding secularism and continuing to foist their views onto others in the battle over gay marriage?
The gay marriage debate is not about religion or politics, but rather the lack of social acceptance. There is so much to be gained from allowing same-sex marriage, such as the chance to enrich our culture, expand our viewpoints and ultimately lead to the understanding of homosexuals not as “others” but as fellow human beings who deserve to enjoy the same rights as everyone else.
Originally published in the Daily Titan on August 23, 2010.
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