Baby steps for gay marriage destined to get stronger

Gay marriages have been allowed in San Francisco by Mayor Gavin Newsom for the last six days, and all attempts to block marriage licenses to gay couples have failed miserably. Say hello to America's newest civil rights hero:

Some may laugh at the thought of Newsom being a civil rights hero, but an action like Newsom's is a monumental step towards making gay marriage legal. President George W. Bush doesn't like gay marriage, the Republicans who hold majority in the House and Senate don't like gay marriage, and even many Americans don't like gay marriage. With all that opposition clawing at his back and breathing cold air on the back of his neck, Newsom's fearless act should be commended.

The lack of support for gay marriage among politicians and some Americans is to be expected. But as much as people against gay marriage would like you to believe it, the sizable opposition doesn't mean the movement is wrong. When women got the right to vote, it was not a popular idea. When blacks got the right to vote, and to use the same bathrooms and drink from the same drinking fountains as whites, it was also not a popular idea.

Civil rights issues are funny that way. People don't like change, and civil rights issues involve massive change. Often, when a group of people - regular people like you or I who happen to be different in some small way - are denied basic rights, logic is thrown out the window for tradition.

I don't care if the law says gay marriage is illegal. The law is wrong, just as it was before 1920, when women weren't allowed to vote, and before 1965, when racial discrimination in voting was allowed. If you want to see how silly some of the quotes coming from anti-gay groups are now, just look at the similarities to quotes from earlier times.

Here's one from President Grover Cleveland in 1905, on the prospect of women voting: "Sensible and responsible women do not want to vote. The relative positions to be assumed by man and woman in the working out of our civilization were assigned long ago by a higher intelligence than ours."

A lot of this quote sounds familiar, doesn't it? The ignorance of thinking women don't want to vote, and questionable interpretation of religion are the exact same tactics used today by those who oppose gay marriage. People have said it doesn't really matter whether gays can marry because it's just a piece of paper, completely ignoring the importance of this equality to people who just want to be treated like human beings. People have also said gay marriage goes against the wishes of God, though most quotes from the Bible on gays are vague and open to multiple interpretations. Regardless, there is no official religion in this country, and our laws are not controlled by the Bible, no matter how much some Christians want them to be.

Lately, many opponents of gay marriage have realized their pleas have no effect on law or the minds of many people in this country, and have turned their efforts off the main topic. This is a sign that the rationality of gay rights is spreading, and people against it are becoming desperate. Anti-gay-rights rants like this one don't even touch the topic of whether gay marriage should be legal. It just briefly mentions that it's currently illegal, and people who oppose it aren't necessarily homophobic. Such discussions are off the main subject facing this country, which is "Should gay marriage be legal?"

I have yet to see a convincing argument that says it shouldn't. If anyone has one, I'd encourage you to write me and tell me about it. Just remember that religious beliefs and the urge to keep marriage traditional are not rational arguments in this debate. They're just diversions from the main topic.

Somehow, I doubt I'll get many responses to my challenge.

Newsom took the first step last week in making gay marriage legal, and I hope other brave individuals take additional steps. Leaders are needed in this movement, and not just heterosexuals like myself. This country needs gay leaders to step up and start the next wave of the movement. In the meantime, Newsom's act has made him a temporary leader, and most importantly, a hero. What he did may have been illegal, but so was Rosa Park's decision to keep her seat on that bus in 1955. In order for laws to change, they sometimes have to be broken first. When it comes to gay marriage, I see nothing wrong with breaking every barrier standing in the way, law be damned.

Here's a drink from Kate called Laidback Limeade. This drink will be especially good if your area is warming up after weeks of below zero weather. 1.5 shots of Jack Daniels 1/2 shot of triple sec 1 shot lime juice 6 oz. lemon lime soda Put the Jack Daniels and triple sec in a large glass before adding ice and the lime juice. Fill the rest with lemon lime soda. Add sugar if you want. Drink archives

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Reader Comments

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Dec 31, 1969 • 4:00pm   jdavis313@comcast.net      Dec 31, 1969 • 4:00pm   chery vale      Dec 31, 1969 • 4:00pm   good job!!!!!! Awesome, I like your column you should write more to wake the people who are anti-gay marriage. rock on paul and for Newsom, the new hero for equal civil rights. cherry      Dec 31, 1969 • 4:00pm   Excellent column. I like the guy who became a gays hero because he legalized the gay marriage. \"Nothings wrong to marry the same gender, as long as they love each other, isn\'t that\'s what marriage is about, LOVE. Cuz      Dec 31, 1969 • 4:00pm   Yay Paul! I read your column yesterday and decided to come back and see if you had garnered any negative comments. I was ready with both barrells loaded for bear to refute any misguided Bible thumpers out there.I have a BA in B.S. (biblical studies)and love a challenge. To my joy, what I see is not only all positive comments, but a wonderful affirmation by my cousin Jonathan. WTG Jon! Paul,you make me proud to be related to you. Love, Cousin Liz mindwalker      Dec 31, 1969 • 4:00pm   Another victory for San Francisco...the Superior Court judge denied a request to order a stay to the issuing of marriage licenses saying that the people asking for it failed to show how allowing gay people to marry had ill effects on the community. He will revisit the issue March 29th. The Flash      Dec 31, 1969 • 4:00pm   I\'m impressed. Thanks for the great column, Paul. Jonathan D. Davis      Dec 31, 1969 • 4:00pm   Thank you Paul. As you may know this is an Important issue for me personally and I have heard few people say in such clear term what this issue is truly about. I hope thousands of people read this and understand the discussion is about Civil Rights. You really make me Proud! Thanks Again!! Katers      Dec 31, 1969 • 4:00pm   Absolutely wonderful! Hopefully more people will use their talent (be it writing or something else) to get this important message out! Well said! Aaron J. Brown      Dec 31, 1969 • 4:00pm   Excellent column. Well reasoned and a thoughtful addition to the debate.

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