The Marriage Amendment -- A Lose, Lose Proposition
Polls are favoring passage of Virginia’s proposed marriage amendment. The approximate 250,000 strong gay population have been too timid to come out of the closet on this issue or to part with enough of their mocha latte money to effect realistic media campaigns against this spiteful legislation.
On the heels on this throwback to good ole boy politics, and red neck ignorance and prejudice, the state will accrue little if any benefit, and the gay community will exist at least for some more decades in the dark ages of Virginia’s religious right fascism. Expect hate crimes to increase as fringe elements see this as permission.
The conservative community that is pushing this amendment has yet to rationally explain why this amendment is needed. And more importantly, apart from the amendment, they have not been willing to state what specific benefits, normally the rights of a straight couple, would they give or deny to a gay couple?
These people can only cite simplistic clichés such as “God created Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve”, and that they are protecting marriage. They cannot and will not accept that they are forcing their religious beliefs on others. And they refuse to have a Socratic debate or accept the scientific fact that being gay is NOT a moral choice but is a state of being.
Unfortunately, this amendment is destined to pass. And it’s particularly tragic in that a constitutional amendment, once passed, is extremely hard to repeal – it will be a generation at least until this matter can again come before the voters.
The gay community and their empathetic liberal supporters, who normally are creative, innovation, and leading edge – and who normally have a wonderful network in the creative arts, media, and entertainment – have floundered in rallying these resources to this important cause.
With the adjacent states of West Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina staving off this religious right onslaught, Virginia could have been pivotal nationwide in tipping the nation’s drift away from the right. And Virginia will suffer for a long time, as creative individuals and innovative industries will avoid the state in favor of more open-minded, progressive, and liberal geographies.
Comments
I'm one of those that are doing something..making calls, going door-to-door in NOVA areas. Have to say I am actually surprised at the positive responses we are getting in neighborhoods that are decidedly mixed politically. I also find that when I throw away the "script' and just talk from the heart, people respond. Just this morning in walking a neighborhood in Langley area my canvass partner and I identified 34 NO votes, often from people I would not have assumed were for it. So you just never know for sure.
Point is, while the odds are stacked heavily against us, there is always hope. And for the next few weeks at least, a chance to make a difference one voter at a time. Even a close loss, say under 55% for the amendment is a victory for us in Virginia.