A B O U T
Like millions of other gay Americans, I was outraged on November 4th when California passed Proposition 8, and ended a basic human right, the right to love another person, to be accepted by another person, and the law. And like millions of other gay Americans, I was unaware that similar decisions were being made that same day in other states. In Florida, and in Arizona, the right for one man to marry another, or for one woman to marry another, was stolen from us too. Just as unconscionable, in Arkansas, the right of gay couples to adopt was taken away from us.
There are countless reasons why we lost these battles. Perhaps the greatest reason is the one I just stated: “I was unaware”. My ignorance about what was happening to me, a gay man who at long last has someone he wants to marry, and for the first time in his life sees marriage as possible, not only because there is someone I want to marry, but because the populace has become far more “tolerant” of gay marriage, my ignorance was worse than the ignorance of those who don’t understand gay marriage. My ignorance was easily avoidable. My ignorance was a lack of information; I was uninformed.
Ignorance about the concept, the essence of gay marriage by those whom are morally conditioned to be in disagreement with it is in some respects understandable, although by no means acceptable or tolerable: You were told that it goes against the Bible. You have never seen a gay couple. You are intolerant of others. You are ignorant. You need to be educated and learn that there are others in the world who are built differently.
But, in the Information Age, to be ignorant because information is not readily available is inexcusable. Hence, the purpose of “The New Civil Rights Movement: A journal of news and opinion on gay rights and marriage equality.” This website is dedicated to keeping you informed of all the issues in the gay rights arena, especially gay marriage. Because weddings are bliss, ignorance is not.
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
You have stated the situation very well. Many LGBT people are unware & oblivious to their own oppression. The anti-gay movement CAN be defeated but the only way it will be is if we, the LGBT community, are informed & united in defeating the lies, propaganda and myths spread by anti-gay bigots. November 4 certainly was a bolt of lightening to awaken me from my silence & apathy. I am so outraged at what is taking place in this country in regards to the anti-gay marriage lobby and its hideous efforts to maintain oppression of LGBT people. It's sad and sick. We must STAND UP, emerge from silence and STOP this oppression once & for all. We cannot consent to it another day more!
Thanks for this blog. I did a search for "Immigration" and didn't find any relevant posts on bi-national LGBT couples, where one partner is American.
My partner is American and I am Indian and we have had to move to Canada to be together. There are approximately 35000 other couples like us who have to stay in exile because even if we got married in the 3 states that allow gay marriage, DOMA prevents us from having any legal recognition federally.
It absolutely SUCKS!
I came across your blog today while researching the gay-marriage issues myself. I am not someone who is in agreement with it for many of my own personal reasons of which none are that I am ignorant, nor intollerant. I don't believe you will ever get your message across if that is how you approach people. Yes, I very definitely understand that people are different-no 2 of us are exactly alike. Tollerance, to me, is the ability to allow someone else to live their life without it affecting yours. Most people that feel marriage is between a man and woman so and feel is it sacred with their God. That is why they fight you so hard, not because are afraid of you. I feel that the LGBT needs to find another word besides "marriage". Sometimes its all in how you present the package…just my opinion.
I understand your views. I respect your opinion. I agree that if people want to marry each other, they should be allowed to do so, as long as they are of legal age to marry. I hope your families are more supportive of you than the law. Best of luck.
I appreciate the attention you are giving to the gay rights movement, however as a gay man in the South, I believe this blog is a bit heavy-handed and tactless, beginning with the very name.
You're open about your lack of awareness about our movement beyond California, and it seems like you just woke up one morning and declared our movement "The New Civil Rights Movement." Do you have any familiarity with "the old" civil rights movement, and were aware that that movement is far from over? Calling ourselves THE new civil rights movement as opposed to A new civil rights movement typifies the arrogance that so many gay people are tarnished by, especially those who freely admit that they were completely oblivious to injustice until they experienced it directly.
Again, you are providing a valuable service and I appreciate it. I just hope that as you continue with your civil rights activism that you gain a holistic appreciation for the tone and context of civil rights discussions.
Ryan,
I took the liberty of responding to your comments, here:
http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/a-reader-wri…
Regarding the National Day of Prayer and religion: WHY is any gay person, or any woman for that matter, still a Christian? or a Muslim? Aren't these religions at the very root of our opression? If they are wrong – then they cannot be true. We must liberate ourselves from these oppressive mentalities, theistic world views, Freedom FROM religion should be our next Civil Right cause.
A religion is formed around those who practice it. Because some groups of Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, and Hindus have problems with same sex marriage and homosexual couples doesn't mean that everyone who practices those religions does. If they didn't have religion they would cook up some morality imperative or pseudo-science to base their discrimination on. One section of the Old Testament, Leviticus 18, speaks out against it, but others sections say we should eat pork or shell fish. They don't apply anymore. My church has gay members of the clergy and we perform sacramental wedding masses for same sex couples which includes the eucharist. It's not the fault of the religion, it is what people choose to do with the teachings. The question becomes why a church who bestows the sacrament of marriage to a man & woman is recognized by the state, yet when the same religious sacrament is bestowed to a same sex couple the state says its invalid, doesn't that violate the First Amendment?
You refer to certain verses in the official Christian Bible: "They don't apply anymore. " Who determines which verses apply any more? Any one? You? Is there agreement on this? Different practicing Christians seems to choose different passages which apply and others which don't. Who decides? What is christianity? If a Christian uses the bible to justify a position or make an arguement it seems they must accept all of the Bible – the bad or wrong parts as well, otherwise you appear to be a hypocrite. Is the Bible true or not? is it the word of God or not? You can't have it both ways. Until Christians come clean and edit the bible – like Jefferson did- and remove the parts that "don't apply anymore" you will be seen an disingenneous, hypocritical, and oppoutunistic, picking and choosing the parts you like or agree with and conveniently rejecting others – based on you own opinion. .
part 2: Own up to the fact that the bible and the religiions which follow it are inventions of man and need to be seriously revisited for it's value in the modern world. Until you produce a modern, redacted, edited version of the bible comprised of only the parts that "apply today" I cannot take any Christian religion seriously.
I do agree, I have a copy of the Jefferson Bible. But even early "primitive " Christian sects like the Marcionites had a Bible that had no Old Testament, and the New Testament had one Gospel and ten letters of Paul. The Bible in use today is the formate set down by the Roman Catholic Church around 1600 years ago. Books have been removed from both the New and Old Testament over time. The trouble comes from trying to to take it literally rather then poetically and not allowing it to grow and change with the culture. I wish I could publish a 21st century bible, but that wouldn't change the hearts and minds of those who wrap themselves in Old Testament passages to support their views while ignoring the words of Christ. If they didn't have the Bible they would find some Pseudo-science or the like to justify their discrimination. I made up the name "Nazistian" form them because they do not follow the words of Christ, they just use Christianity to try and justify their discrimination.
I am shocked and appalled that any human in America has to fight for the rights that all humans regardless of race, religion, gender or sexual preference should have. This is an issue not of homosexuality but of "rights". The right to have the same rights as every other human in America even though you are different. To even label yourselves as "homosexual" is taking away the right to be different but still like everyone else. You should be able to marry without the term "homosexual marriage" or to adopt without the term "homosexual adoption". I cannot believe that this is 2012 and a group of humans in the United States of America have to fight for the right to be human-not different just human. Whatever happened to the motto from the Statue of Liberty? "Give me your tired your poor your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free, I lift my lamp beside the golden door." This isn't about homosexuality it is about rights under the 1st amendment. I am sorry if I offend but quit labeling yourselves as "different" and fight under your 1st amendment rights to have the same rights as everyone else. You are a homosexual and that is a statement apart from the fact that you should have the same rights under the law, in the constitution, and in America as every other human does. How can we, the people, whether homosexual or heterosexual, not understand the real issue has to be the separation of church and state because that is the only way to protect all human rights. The real truth is I have the right to be … whether anyone else agrees with my beliefs or not. That is my 1st amendment rights.
The biggest myth I hear is that gay people are born that way.
I am the mother of a 16 year old gay son and I know he was "born that way!" As far as rights to marry I pray things change and he has the same opportunity my straight son has. The government has no right to govern this. Separation of church and state should be enough to end this battle, but unfortunately, because of closed minded people, it isn't.
I wish you the best and I will be following along on Twitter (It'sWhoIAmMag) and on Facebook (tinatolerkeel) and look forward to hearing much more from you. As I work to help young adults who are just coming to age and to understanding, I will be passing many of your posts and comments along, so keep them coming please! There are so many haters out there, we really need people like you offering understanding, support, and knowledge of what is going on in the world outside of high schools.
Marriage is a civil contractual relationship. Even the Mayflower colony performed no marriages until they established a CIVIL government able to perform marriage contracts (See William Bradford's journal of the Mayflower Colony). This contractual relationship, much like other legal contracts should be open to every citizen of the nation. It is a civil, not a religious relationship and carries a number of legal obligations to the participants. I see no reason why such contracts can not be between multiple participants whatever their gender or number. As to the silly accusation that it would lead to animal fornication, contracts can only be made between persons emotionally and intellectually capable of understanding the contract.
As a monogamous, heterosexual, I find it abominable that my fellow citizens have been discriminated against and believe it time for that discrimination to cease. If you are a legal and law abiding citizen of the United States, you are entitled to every one of the rights provided directly and inferentially in our constitution. There is not room for compromise nor negotiation in this access to rights.
Marriage as defined as a legal contract is a right not a privilege. The GLBT "leadership" is wise in making this argument because it has the greatest possibility of being upheld by a right wing Supreme Court. It also should be made clear that in a pluralistic society that accepts freedom of and or from religion such a right is guaranteed by the state and it is the state that grants the legal recognition not any religious authority. In Europe you are not legally married until you register with the state and this is how it should be in the US. If you want to dance around a fire and pee on the ashes under a full moon and call it a marriage you can or if you believe that marriage is only for one gender and not the other you can do that too but know that your views religious or not cannot and will not prevent any one else from registering their marriage.
You must log in to post a comment.
{ 2 trackbacks }