I went and stood in line for over two hours yesterday to vote at the early voting site in my town. While I was waiting in line, I was listening to the people around me discuss some of the issues and some of the amendments that were up for a vote. Every person that I heard was telling everyone around them to vote “yes” on Amendment 2. I already mentioned that I planned on voting “no” on Amendment 2.
What the amendment would do is not only define marriage as a union between one man and one woman, but it would it also prohibit the recognition of any union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent to marriage. This means that not only same-sex couples are affected by this; all unmarried couples will lose their benefits and will not have their relationships recognized in the state. Even though I am for legalizing same-sex marriage, that amendment would NOT make same-sex marriage legal if it passed. But people don’t seem to understand that they are not voting for the legalization of same-sex marriage; they are voting for unmarried couples to have rights and be recognized in the state. This includes couples cohabitating for 10+ years, unmarried couples with children, and lots of other heterosexual couples (not JUST gay couples).
What pisses me off the most, though, is that these amendments are making hatred and discrimination legal. You don’t have to agree with same-sex marriage. You don’t have to want to be in a same-sex marriage. But you should not have (or think that you have) the right to make decisions for other people. If they want to be or are in a same-sex relationship, so be it. It doesn’t affect your life. People should be allowed to marry and be with who they want to be with, and should be able to live the life that they want to live. It shouldn’t be up to other people to decide that for them. No one got to vote on your marriage, so why should you get to vote on other people’s? How offended would you be if you were told that you couldn’t get married until there was a vote taken to decide if you were allowed to marry the person that you wanted?
So, even if you don’t agree with it, that doesn’t give you the right to decide for someone else. YOUR marriage can still be between one man and one woman. But SOMEONE ELSE’S shouldn’t have to be. Making same-sex marriages illegal is on the same level as saying that interracial marriage should be illegal, that black people shouldn’t be allowed to vote, that women shouldn’t be allowed to vote. It’s an archaic notion and in this day and age, we should be able to open our minds and give everyone the same rights. The Declaration of Independence said that “every man is created equal” and that is what this country was founded on. That says it all to me.
Not everyone wants to have a same-sex marriage. But not everyone wants a heterosexual marriage either. And not everyone wants any marriage, period. But at least people who want one of the last two options have that option. Everyone deserves the option to love who they want and it isn’t up to our citizens or our government to control or dictate what is and isn’t okay in our personal lives. We’ve already (supposedly) separated church and state. The next step should be to keep the state out of people’s homes, relationships, and bedrooms.
Just because you don’t want to do something or don’t agree with something doesn’t mean that other people shouldn’t be allowed to do it. It doesn’t make it right or wrong, it just makes it different. Different is not bad. To each their own. Period. Don’t make hatred part of the fabric of this nation.
Okay, this is the last I will say on this topic. I swear. It just makes me so mad.
I'm Britni, a snarky bitch and generally awesome person. I write about sex, love, and bullshit. If sex-positivity, discussions about BDSM and kink, queer issues, and topics that are completely inappropriate by society's standards make you uncomfortable, then this blog is not for you.
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Michigan passed a similar law (after I moved) by using scare tactics, and now places that used to offer domestic partner benefits can't. Thanks a lot, voters.