Dear Readers: Discussion on Gay Marriage

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Title

Dear Readers: Discussion on Gay Marriage

Description

An opinion piece on the topic of marriage equality.

Creator

Aaron Moyer

Source

University of Tennessee Daily Beacon

Publisher

Knoxville, Tenn.: University of Tennessee

Date

2011-10-10

Language

English

Coverage

University of Tennessee, Knoxville (Campus)

Text Item Type Metadata

Text

Today, Monday the 10th, the Issues Committee is having a “civil debate” on this very topic. Is there anything to debate, though? The Anti-Equality side is merely creating unsubstantiated facts based off of their own homophobia and insecurity. They love to claim that gays marrying will destroy the sanctity of marriage, but then choose to ignore the incredible divorce rates and single parents. They claim it’s for the good of the children but there is no evidence suggesting this. This debate will be nothing more than bigots arguing for bigotry.

This is indeed another thought-provoking column on the self-evident evils of homosexuality and how it will destroy the ’50s era vision of America, with the happy white housewife cooking with a smile on her face and that cute little apron around her perfectly round figure. If we allow gays to marry, obviously meteors will rain down from the heavens, Cthulhu will awaken, and marriages will be destroyed. As we all know, allowing gays to marry will simply make heterosexual marriages seem plain and boring. The very souls of marriages will be destroyed and all that will remain is an empty husk of a family, being mocked by the flamboyant displays of rainbows emanating from the new gay couple’s house.

In reality, none of these obviously exaggerated examples are what homophobes use to discriminate against gays, but if I were to put their actual reasons, it would not be nearly as entertaining to write. The claims against gay marriage boil down to either “Gays are icky!” or just plain ignorant homophobia. It is essentially the same rhetoric that was used to argue against desegregation and interracial marriage, just replace black with gay or homosexual. It is simply just bigots refusing to allow others equal rights, nothing else. There is a video going around YouTube of 19-year-old Zach Wahls speaking in front of the Iowa House of Representatives about the proposal to ban gay marriage in that state. He is an eloquent speaker, an eagle scout, a great student at the University of Iowa and is the son of two moms. He is not a demon, nor does he seem to be morally corrupt. As a matter of fact, he seem s like a normal American college student. here is absolutely no way to tell he was raised by a gay couple. The one and only way for you to find out is if he told/showed you.

I wish I could use this heart-wrenching example of Zach Wahls to show that the Iowa legislatures’ hearts all grew three sizes larger and they truly began to understand the meaning of equality, but that would be a lie. Iowa’s House of Representatives voted 62-37 in favor of illegalizing homosexual marriages. Despite passionate speeches given by several supporters, the stone-cold hearts of Iowa declared that homosexuals are not worthy of the sanctity of marriage. The bigotry doesn’t stop there, for the Iowa GOP is not content merely with denying the right of marriage; they wish to eliminate any and all protection for homosexuals. They also declared that all men are created equal, but only man-woman marriages are allowed, no transsexuals or homosexuals.

Yes, that’s right, Iowa believes in equality (unless you’re not a straight, probably white, male or female). I may be exaggerating a little bit on the race aspect of it, however their position and proposed laws can ban interracial marriage as well. That’s not the only stop on this crazy train. They want to dispose of the Department of Education, so that only affluent citizens can obtain a basic education. They w ant to get rid of the minimum wage so that we can properly compete with China by creating sweatshops of our own. Do not move to Iowa, dear readers. I fear for the stability and safety of those within its borders.

Are gays really demonic beings bent on destroying the morals of this great Christian nation? Do they truly bleed rainbows and lollipops depending on their level of gay? Is my excessive exaggerating and mocking helping my case? The answer to all of these is a simple and resounding, “No.” Gays are human beings who deserve equal rights and that right is to live happily with the ones they love and receive the same rights and equality that everyone else has. I could have sworn we were about equality in America. I suppose I could be wrong.

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