It's great news that President Obama has declared his support for gay marriage, particularly after North Carolina has just passed a law to ban it. Before this happened, I had a very interesting/upsetting discussion about gay marriage earlier in the week...
I volunteer at a National Trust property near Winchester, something which I enjoy despite the fact that there are NO PEOPLE MY OWN AGE. (OK that gets tiresome occasionally). At lunch, the subject of gay marriage was touched on - OK I brought it up. I was talking about politicians, and then I dropped the subject of gay marriage into conversation, as I was trying to say I have no respect for politicians who say they are in favour of one thing and then completely reverse their position because of internal, or external, pressures. Before I could carry on I was attacked left, right and centre. To be fair, I should have known not to mention it - I was sat around a table of old and retired people who are set in their ways. Maybe a small part of me hoped they would break the mould - after all, I know several of my older, religious neighbours couldn't give a crap who you marry. But alas. So after they laughed in my face (literally) when I tried to explain gay marriage in the context of civil rights, they protested that marriage was between a man and a woman and it defied everything Christian.
It really pisses me off when people try to invoke religion - if it says somewhere in the bible that homosexuality is a sin, it also says you can't eat shrimp, wear mixed fibre clothing and grow beards. Unfortunately, mainly because of religious reasons, more states in the US allow you to marry your cousin rather than your same-sex partner. And as for the argument that gay people will undermine the 'sanctity' of marriage, sorry but Kim Kardashian anyone?
Being gay is a personal decision that shouldn't have to be debated over. Religion and politics shouldn't mix, but it's unlikely this will change. As Martin Sheen in The West Wing said, "there may be a separation between church and state but that doesn't mean a separation between church and politics."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX3gMDJCZ-4
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