Why Prop 8 Matters

A U.S. representative from Georgia declared that allowing gay marriages "necessarily involves (the) degradation" of conventional marriage, an institution that "deserves admiration rather than execration."

These are indeed the words of a Georgia representative, but this was from several decades ago and it was regarding interracial marriage, not gay marriage. In 1996, Eric Zorn of the Chicago Tribune laid out twelve quotes of a similar nature against interracial marriage, and simply changed the subject to gay marriage. Today, when we're on the verge of electing a man of mixed race, if we were to read such statements in the original context we wouldn't hesitate to shake our heads in disapproving fashion. But it was only four decades ago that this country finally rid itself of legal race-based discrimination of marriage. And it could conceivably be another four decades from now before gay marriage is as widely accepted as interracial marriage is now.

I've heard just about every reason in support of prop 8. Oftentimes people invoke religion, but that's easy to rebuke, what with the First Amendment to the US Constitution regarding the separating of church and state. Sometimes people talk about how homosexuality is a choice, and that civil rights only apply to unchangeable human traits. I've never understood this debate. I'm pretty sure I'm heterosexual because I am not and have never been sexually attracted to men. When someone suggests that homosexuality is a choice, does that mean that that person is actually attracted to people of both the same and opposite sex, and that he or she simply makes the correct choice of being actively heterosexual? Regardless, whether or not homosexuality is a choice or not is irrelevant. My understanding is that civil rights are rights to protect a wide variety of people from discrimination. The one thing all these people do have in common is that they're all presumably peaceful and non-violent. The underlying sentiment regarding the debate around proposition 8 is that of fear and resentment towards homosexuals, and towards homosexuality in itself. This is at the heart of the debate. And the one question proponents of prop 8 need to be asking themselves is: what logical reason do I have for denying my gay brothers, sisters, cousins, and neighbors one of the most beautiful and important things a human being can experience in life - marriage? Is it because gay people should not be given the benefit of the doubt regarding their peaceful and non-violent nature? Is that what it is? Gay people are dangerous? How so? By promoting other people to be gay? If that's the logic, then we heterosexuals are way better at that, what with the way we reproduce and all. Is it because two gay people can't conceive a child, and you're worried about the disappearance of the human race? Is that a concern that really needs to be addressed? Homosexuals have been in existence for as long as heterosexuals, and homosexuals probably only comprise about 3% of the population today. So what is it? If you can't think of a good answer, then it's time to stand up against discrimination and vote no on 8. If it wasn't for people standing up against discrimination, we quite simply wouldn't be the country we are today, about to elect the first black man as President in all of our history.