Tomorrow, three states- Washington, Minnesota, and Maryland- vote on referenda that would, if passed, legalize same-sex marriage. After going oh-for-33 (give or take) over past years, this election marks the first time that a referendum on this issue has a chance to pass. Perhaps voters in at least three states are ready to acknowledge that civil rights should not be a matter to be voted upon by the majority.
Once upon a time, African-Americans were slaves. When their worth was considered at all, they were legally valued as 3/5 of a person. Eventually, Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves, and over a long period of time the struggles of African-Americans led them to gaining a full and equal share (at least in a legal sense) in American society.
Time was when women were denied the vote by men who felt ordained by God to exercise dominion over the distaff half of the population. Slowly but surely, the struggle to gain the vote bore fruit, and women now have a voice in public affairs. They still only earn on average roughly 75 cents to a man’s dollar…which only proves that some struggles never really end.
Interracial marriage was considered not only immoral but illegal for most of our history. It wasn’t, and in many cases still isn’t, easy for interracial couples, but at least they have the legal right to marry whom they love and enjoy the benefits that accrue to married couples.
I raise the aforementioned struggles in order to add some context to the debate over same-sex marriage. All those struggles were resolved positively, and while matters may not be ideal or equality absolute, it shows that Americans have the capacity to change and adapt. We have the ability to recognize when doing the right thing is the right thing to do. I would submit that this election is the right time to begin the process of granting the LGBT the right to love, commit to, and marry whom they choose. There’s no longer (as if there ever was) a compelling reason to continue discriminating against Gays and Lesbians because of the “ick” factor. These are people who deserve to be able to love whom they choose and enjoy the same rights and benefits heterosexuals do.
There’s no real need to revisit the moral, political, and/or theological arguments that have been used for so long to justify consigning the LGBT community to second-class status, other than to make it claer that those arguments are outdated, ridiculous, and immoral. Regardless of a person’s individual morality and theology, there’s no longer a convincing reason to treat a class of people as “less than” simply because of whom they love and how they wish to live. Nor is there a sound argument that can be used to justify denying a minority class rights the majority take for granted.
It comes down to one thing, and one thing alone: the civil rights of a minority should not be decided by popular vote. Period. End of story.
It’s far too easy to demonize the LGBT community and paint them as evil, immoral, sinful, and wholly unworthy of having what the heterosexual majority enjoy. A referendum makes it far too easy for a majority to use the cover of the voting booth to deny a minority class the same civil rights the majority takes for granted.
Heterosexuality is not a lifestyle I’ve chosen to embrace. That said, I harbor no illusions that my membership in the majority that identifies as heterosexual confers upon me the right to determine what rights the LGBT community should be allowed to have. I believe that we in the majority need to recognize and understand that we will never be completely free until we allow all to access the rights and responsibilities that are part and parcel of being an American.
It’s time to do the right thing for the right reasons. It’s time to recognize that the right and moral thing to do is to stop denying rights to a minority class simply because we disapprove of their lifestyle.
It’s time to live and let live. Vote for marriage equality. If you oppose the concept of same-sex marriage, no worries. There’s a very simple solution available to you: don’t marry someone of the same gender…but don’t deny others that right because of your prejudice. It’s time to move beyond that.
WE DESERVE BETTER.
