Years ago, it used to be common to hear me ask, "How's it hurting you?"
It was my go-to response whenever anyone was complaining about a situation. I would say, "Seriously ... HOW is it hurting you?" If it's not actively harming you or affecting your life? Shut up about it.
Today, I'm reading all the responses on Facebook about the Supreme Court's ruling on gay marriage and I can't help wanting to open my window and shout to the world, "HOW IS IT HURTING YOU?"
As far as I know, George Takei isn't advocating the creation of a task force made of gay people whose only job is to go door to door and force you to marry someone your own sex.
Seriously ... don't agree with gay marriage? Don't marry someone your own sex.
Problem solved!
To any men upset with this ruling: The Supreme Court didn't make it mandatory for you to suck a dick.
To any women upset with this ruling: No one will force you to eat anyone out ... I promise.
All today's ruling means is that gay people will now get to do what you, as a citizen, have always been able to do. See how ridiculous that sounds?
Think back to when it was illegal to marry outside your race. Could you imagine someone telling you, "You're not allowed to marry her ... she's black!" Of course not ... that sounds barbaric. Hopefully fifty years from now, this will seem just as ludicrous.
"Wait ... Adam is marrying Steve? Big fucking deal."
I don't know if I'm ever going to get married again ... but you know what? That's an option for us. No one will judge us whether we get married or whether we don't. That choice is completely up to us. But what makes me elated is that there's a couple ... somewhere out there tonight ... who is overjoyed because they can now make a choice ... a choice that I take for granted.
Sometimes we do something right. Today, we ... as a people ... did something right. There are historic records of people saying that interracial marriage was a sign of the downfall of our nation. Do you want to be that person? The person our grandchildren and great grandchildren look back at with shame?
I deeply love someone ... and I would never deny someone else the happiness I feel.
So ask yourself ... how is this hurting you?
I actually know a couple--a minister from Hawaii and his fiance from somewhere in the south--who had to drive to another state to get married because interracial marriages were illegal in the state he served in. It's a very conservative denomination he represented (my high school has a whole campus named after him), but he has always been the model of love and grace. One of his daughters is gay, and another followed him in the ministry, where she has been a vocal supporter of gay marriage in this state. When gay marriage was finally legalized here a year and a half ago, she was right there at the capitol in support of the people she spoke out for.
ReplyDeleteThere's room for us all. I'm sharing this just so you know we religious types aren't all unreasonable. :)