In Defense of Marriage

I’ve said it on facebook, but it bears repeating. I’m a heterosexual, unmarried, humanist male. I don’t really plan on getting married anytime soon. Thing is, I don’t think it’s fair that I have a right to get married, but all my LGBTQ friends don’t. I’m not better than them. Why shouldn’t they have the same rights as other, heterosexual married couples?

Oh, what’s that? You’ve got reasons? Let’s see if I haven’t heard them before.

“God/The Bible says…”
No. Let’s just stop right here. I don’t give two flying shits about what your god or holy book has to say on the matter, because it’s irrelevant. We can get into a massive theological discussion about all the heinous stuff your god does allow, but most theists conveniently ignore when it doesn’t suit their agenda.

In America, especially, we have this fantastic thing called the Separation of Church and State. Not only does it mean freedom of religion, it means freedom from religion. It means that the government must remain neutral in affairs that have anything to do with religious belief. So if you’re against same-sex marriage because “God says it’s wrong", then so far you haven’t much of a leg to stand on in this country. God also says that eating shellfish is wrong, but that probably doesn’t stop your trips to Red Lobster.

“Marriage is supposed to be between a man and a woman. It’s a religious institution. This country was founded on Christian principles.”
Really? I guess you fell asleep in 4th grade history class, then. Marriage is really supposed to be a business transaction between landowners, given that young women, in the time where the practice originated, were viewed as property as well. Religion simply assimilated this tradition (like it has done for so many others) and redefined it to be about the commitment between a man and a woman. Governments decided that it would be a good idea to legally recognize these commitments and bring with them all sorts of benefits. And when you start getting into government, you start having to think about civil rights issues.

“Gay marriage will destroy the sanctity of marriage.”
What “sanctity”? Where is the sanctity of marriage in a country where the majority of them end in divorce? What’s so sacred about Kim Kardashian’s $10 million wedding that ended in divorce only 72 days later?

There are plenty more arguments out there that I’ve heard, but all of them, even the ones that are probably being thrown around in the SCOTUS right now, are as ridiculous as these three.

If you don’t agree with me, and you’re against same-sex marriage, then there’s probably nothing I can say that will convince you to change your mind.

Not that I need to. You’re just plain wrong. Just be wrong quietly. Same-sex marriage does not affect you. At all.