A Little Rant

With the flood of red and pink equality images on facebook today, I can't help but think about how proud I can feel about our society at times and alternatively how disappointed I can feel. I have a very hard time understanding how a group of people do not have the same rights as others. I know people who have been together far longer than Mario and I, have been dedicated to each other and have been a family for longer than most couples I know...yet do not have the ability to marry if they would like, and more importantly do not receive the same legal security as many people who are married for just a few minutes. For most people, it's simply not wanting to see a same sex couple get married because they don't think that it's morally right, however, I wonder if they realize how far beyond that it goes. 

The right to marry is merely the tip of the iceberg  It's all those little things that heterosexual couples don't even think about because it's been available to us for so long...I think those very important things are lost on many people. It goes beyond the beautiful weddings to be had, to the partners who aren't allowed in to hospital rooms because they are not married or "family", to the partner who isn't allowed health coverage because they aren't married (yay to companies that allow health coverage to all partners), to the mother or father who don't hold the same rights to their children because they aren't biological or weren't able to legally adopt. Even the inability to for same sex couples who aren't able to file their taxes jointly can mean a loss of money. The list is long with the many legal aspects of life that are affected by the ability and inability to get married. As one of my wonderful uncle's said "It's not about our beliefs, it's basic civil rights...get the hell over it."

I think a lot of people can simplify their decision to deny these rights as a moral belief. Quite often I go back to a conversation I had with a good friend last year. The conversation was an eye opener in so so many ways. Essentially it ended with her telling me that since she had found Jesus in the last few years her decisions were based on what the bible said. Despite her friendship with people in same sex relationships and while she might have agreed that they should have equal rights, the bible states differently. She would go with what the bible says. She said "It's about when I get up to heaven!" I was gutted. It was the selfishness that I heard that was so disappointing. It wasn't that she didn't think same sex couples should have equal rights, it was about getting into heaven. I'm still disgusted by this. I think people need to stop looking at how it effects themselves as much as it effects children and families. As I walked away I couldn't help but picture her getting up to heaven and being told "My teachings were about compassion, love and helping those around you...wow did you miss the fucking point!"