Gay Marriage/Civil Rights?

This past election (11/4/08) California passed proposition 8, which amended  the State Constitution to define marriage as a union between a woman and man. This has been controversial and outraged the gay community, considering how this decision overrode the California Supreme Court's decision to recognize gay marriage. Now that same-sex marriages are not recognized under California law, this is an issue that I am sure the United States Supreme Court will eventually have to address.

*DISCLAIMER* This blog takes no position, nor holds any moral judgement in favor or against either position. It does attempt to look at this issue from a civil rights, and constitutional perspective.

First of all, to deny consenting, adult, same-sex couples the same legal rights as heterosexual couples is a civil rights issue. The issue at hand is, what defines marriage? I wonder that myself. In this day and age we do live in a society that holds a rather high divorce rate, and it does not appear to be culturally  as "sacred" as tradition has portrayed it. Perhaps "marriage" has a religious connotation and we need to re-evaluation the separation of church and state, in regards to this issue.

PROPOSAL...

I propose that the government gets rid of marriage all together, and deems civil union the only contractual agreements recognized by the government for ALL consenting adult couples choosing to build a life together. This would eliminate any "religious" or "moral" debate between the two opposing positions and keep it to a civil rights issue. Then, allow the individual faith based institutions to define what a marriage is. 

The religious institutions should not feel a threat or worry of loosing their non-profit status, they can keep their individual interpretations this way. And, same-sex couples would have the option of having the same legal rights and protections as heterosexual couples in society.

Both positions need to acknowledge that not everyone will see "eye to eye" regarding this controversial issue. So, lets look for solutions. From a spiritual perspective, ALL are called to NOT judge, and we are called to love our brother; God himself does not violate man's free will, and society needs to respect free will amongst consenting adults whose behavior is not harming anyone. The only option is to look for justice and peace regarding this issue, and I don't think that will happen unless this is truly acknowledged as a civil rights issue. 

People don't like to discuss this issue, because it is so controversial. I don't even feel comfortable discussing it, for fear of offending someone. But...WE need to talk about it. I encourage people to create and open dialogue, and look for a solution.

A Huge Barrier Broken, the Glass Ceiling Next

It was announced last night that our 44th President elect is Barack Obama. Though Obama did not have 100% of the votes, most who voted for McCain acknowledge this election was absolutely historic. Even though some may disagree with Obama's approach to policies, this election has proved to go beyond politics and hit the core of cultural issues in America. This is the first African-American President of the United States. A major shift in society.

Many McCain supporters, including myself, were saddened that our candidate did not win; yet, were so happy that a major barrier was broken for the African-American community. This win embodies hope, and the dream that Martin Luther King Jr. had. It's hard not to feel the joy that comes with a new level of liberty achieved culturally. It is a huge milestone not only for minorities, but it is a huge milestone for everyone...not only Americans but a realization of the "Dream" around the world. Truly inspirational.

Now, we need to go a step further and shatter the glass ceiling that Hilary Clinton spoke of. In order to do this, we need accountability of the treatment of women portrayed in the media. Women in position of power are typically portrayed as mean/unapproachable, or in contrast, sexy/stupid. We need to stop this. I need to thank Campbell Brown for calling out the sexism that was happening, as the media was going after Palin; Brown urged people to "get back to the issues."

The treatment of Palin was reprehensible, and clearly feeding into very bad stereotypes about women. My question, where were the Gloria Steinems and other powerful female voices calling out the ill treatment of Palin? Women will break that glass ceiling when women learn how to truly support each other, and stop choosing to only represent one type of female personality. Women need to empower each other by respecting a women's right to choose working, staying home, being liberal, being conservative, or anything in between. 

In an earlier post, I mentioned that black men had the right to vote several decades before women. I pray that we don't have to wait so long to see a woman in the white house. I am truly happy for Mr. Obama's accomplishments with this campaign, and the message of hope and inspiration that comes from having a dream. This is a major break through.

So now I call out to the ladies in the media, and anyone that has the power of a voice to continue to press forward and stop perpetuating social stereo-types in the media. And, lets help change the negative ones. 

IN CONCLUSION

Thank you democracy for breaking a huge barrier this election; let's get the glass ceiling next.