Marriage Equality

I have been very conflicted about where to stand on the issue of homosexual marriage.

Several of those near and dear to me, people otherwise very open and loving toward others, are horribly offended by the very idea. I've never understood that.

I have long been sure that everyone should have the legal right to the associations that they wish so long as they harm no one. But I have not been sure about whether we should call those special unions "marriage". I also have had several students who had "two mothers". At least in society as it exists today those kids have generally had lots of problems. Of course children of divorce inevitably also have major problems -- some claim not, after 30 years of teaching ten-year-olds I don't believe them -- and we don't have any problem approving the 50% of marriages that end in divorce.

Actually, I think I prefer that the government get out of the business of taking sides in this controversy at all. Instead the government should license the civil unions that people choose and let individuals and religious groups call the unions what they wish.

I count among my dear friends several "gay" men. I think of one right now who is an inspiring teacher, an active layman in his church, and a dedicated spouse of another man for a dozen years or so. I can see no benefit to society in preventing him from making his loving, committed, stable union legal. Why not issue these fine, contributing citizens their civil union license and let their church marry them. No Southern Baptist would be forced to approve it. No Roman Catholic (who definitely has more important issues in his church about which to be concerned) need attend the ceremony against his will. And we Methodists can just continue to fight each other over it. Let these guys live their lives as they believe they should.

My daughter recently posted on her Facebook wall a wonderful speech of Sen. Diane Savino from the floor of the New York Senate. Savino comes close to convincing me to take the next step and just go ahead and approve legal marriage equality. I know nothing else about Sen. Savino, but judging from this one impassioned, articulate, sincere, but also funny speech, this young woman has a future beyond the state senate.

Speech by Senator Diane Savino