Heresy

Every once in a while, someone just comes right out and asks me "So why aren't you in favor of same-sex marriage?"

Did I say that? Where did they get the idea that I was not in favor of same-sex marriage? Oh. Maybe from me. I mighta said something that they could have construed in that way. But that isn't quite what I meant.

Before you go and get your panties in a bunch (one way or the other), let me say, right here and right now, that I am in favor of marriage equality. No ifs, ands, or buts (what a strange expression). I am in favor of all types of equality, and that's one of 'em, so I'm all for it. What could be bad about equality?

Okay, here goes: I see no valid reason why gay and lesbian people should be excluded from civil marriage, which has nothing, and I repeat NOTHING, to do with religion (unless you want it to, which is your own business, not mine, and not anyone else's, which is kinda the whole point). And I can see lots of valid reasons why gay and lesbian people should have the right to marry. So now we're clear, right? No? Okay, okay. I'll explain.

I'm a big--and I mean BIG--believer in persuasive argument, in using all relevant facts to argue a point. Ask anyone who knows me. They'll tell you it's true. I'm also, by default, a big believer in the converse (not the sneakers, though I like those too), that being that argument based on faulty premise is faulty in itself. That's been my number one problem--I have found many of the arguments..well...let's just say, "not too compelling". They seem to me to have the same kind of "feeling" as the "we-can't-help-it-we-were-born-this-way" argument for gay and lesbian rights in general, as if the only reason we deserve equal rights is because we just "can't help it", poor us. I don't buy that one. But forget about me. It just doesn't make any sense at all to recognize and accept that religion is a protected class (when there is no doubt from anyone that religion is not heritable and is a matter of choice), while feeling the need to insist that homosexuality must be proven biological in order to merit similar status. That's one.

...to be continued