May 18, 2014 7:46 AM

Time to live and let live, don'tchathink?

Same-sex marriages in Oregon could begin as early as Monday, depending on how a U.S. District Court judge in Eugene rules on a lawsuit challenging the state’s voter-approved ban.

The picture above is the tifo unveiled in the Timbers Army section prior to last night’s Portland Timbers- Columbus Crew soccer match. Oregon is on the verge of finally coming down on the right side of history, and last night’s display was an impressive show of support for marriage equality.

U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. McShane announced on Friday that he’ll issue a ruling at noon tomorrow on a lawsuit challenging Oregon’s ban on same-sex marriage. McShane on Wednesday ruled the National Organization for Marriage had no standing to intervene in the lawsuit. Since Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum has declined to defend the ban, there are no longer any parties with legal standing to argue for its continuation.

Oregon, which unfortunately tends to lag behind Washington state when it comes to important social issues, looks as if it’s poised to become the next domino to fall in the struggle for marriage equality. It should have happened long ago, but I’ll settle for being happy that it looks as if it’s about to happen now.

I’m not gay, nor do I have any interest in marrying another man…but that’s my choice, one that every person should be free to make. If you want to get rid of Big Government, then how about starting with getting government out of deciding who can marry? Neither the State nor any individual should have standing to determine who someone can or cannot marry. Society has a vested interest in encouraging stable long-term relationships; what it shouldn’t be doing is determining what flavor of relationships are valid.

It’s a pretty simple proposition: you don’t get to deny another person the right to make a binding commitment to the person they love. If your marriage is threatened by the idea of same-sex marriage, you have bigger problems than you know. Love is love; it may not take the form you prefer or approve of, but guess what? It’s not your choice to make. Live your life as you see fit and love whom you choose…but it’s time to stop thinking your religious beliefs give you the right to deny the same to others. That’s not Christianity; that’s self-righteous bigotry and intolerance of what should be a basic human right.

Love. Respect. Equality. These should be guaranteed to all- not just those who fit a narrow definition of what’s “right.” Love isn’t “wrong;” it just is. It’s about time we stopped thinking we can regulate it, and I hope Judge McShane will do the right thing tomorrow by ruling in favor of marriage equality.

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This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on May 18, 2014 7:46 AM.

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