Gay Marriage

It's about time I got on my soapbox about something, and what better issue is there than gay marriage?

Our politicians and other big-wigs in the last week have been voting, quoting and carrying on about the ACT's decision to allow gay civil unions, which of course was defeated, but we won't go there.

The thing that bothers me the most about this whole debate, is the "open minded" people who are not "homophobic in the slightest" but yet they pull out quotes like:

"I'm all for gay civil unions, but I don't think they should be allowed to get married."

"Civil unions are fine, but marriage is for men and women only."

I am very sorry, but that just doesn't wash with me. Why is a civil union acceptable between two men or two women, but when it comes to using the word "married" it's back to the 1950's way of thinking? Some might say it's got something to do with religion, and maybe that's true. But the people who have quoted the above lines have not once mentioned that religion was the reason behind that opinion.

It seems that all too often people claim to be "open minded" but when it comes to the crunch, they're just as narrow minded half the members of our parliament.

This little fiasco hits a little close to home for me. In the last few months my dear friend Gede has moved in with his boyfriend, as they plan to get married. Actually, knowing Gede they may already be married as he seems to do these things without letting people know! Now, when I say "married", I of course don't mean some big legal binding document, but instead a Pagan "handfasting" ceremony. Now, I can guess pretty much say for certain that this ceremony will mean more to him than any legal document ever could - and that would be no different to a Catholic heterosexual couple valuing their actual wedding ceremony more than the piece of paper - but what I don't understand, is that why, in 2006, is it good enough for a man and a woman to have a stingy, rotten piece of paper declaring to the world that they're married, but two men who love each other can't?

Look I know you can all say "but a civil union is as good as a marriage in legal affairs", but I really don't believe that's the issue here. Wikipeida says "A civil union is a legal agreement between two people". Nothing about love, nothing about relationships. It's just not good enough.

I need to go back to Naomi Robson here - "And let's hope that common sense prevails"

Amen to that.

PS. Maybe not Amen, unless you're from the Uniting Church...