Prop 8

This isn't any new writing of mine or a commentary on the recent election results. This was posted as a rebuttal to a friend's post which got deleted, so I wanted to post it here to keep it:

Issue: Teaching Children about Marriage
The definition of “equal opportunity” suggests that it does not favor any specific group. You say that gay marriage should not be taught as the same as a traditional marriage, especially to those who don’t believe that. Well, how about the years of oppressed homosexual students that had to live with the teachings that their lifestyle is inferior or not acceptable? They have had to live through this for CENTURIES. It is hypocritical to say that homosexuals must be taught that traditional marriage is the only way but heterosexuals cannot be taught that gay marriage is acceptable. This attitude is pure elitism.

Secondly, Prop 8 does not state AT ALL that it will teach gay marriage in schools, so this is a non-issue in talking about equal rights for all people. If people want to ensure that their children are taught what their parents want them to learn, this is a separate issue that should be dealt with the school system or on another initiative.

Issue: Marriage versus Domestic Partnerships
The fact of the matter is that civil unions and domestic partnerships do NOT offer the same federal and state benefits across the nation. Again, Prop 8 would perpetuate inequality, considering homosexuals inferior to obtaining the same benefits. With civil unions and domestic partnerships determined at the state level, they would never reach the same benefits that marriage receives since marriage is honored the same way everywhere no matter where you get married. The differences are briefly outlined here: http://lesbianlife.about.com/cs/wedding/a/unionvmarriage.htm

Issue: Equality
Equality does not imply “do whatever you want” but it is defined as the same treatment for each individual. It implies that everyone has the same opportunities. From all of the examples (bestiality, incest, murder), NO ONE is allowed to perform those acts. But under Prop 8, a certain group will be allowed to marry and another group will not. That is the exact definition of inequality. This attitude is exactly what has fueled racism and personal beliefs should never supersede equality, and these personal beliefs include religion.

Issue: Separation of Church and State
The fact that the religion has institutionalized marriage and making it a national standard has allowed the state to take ownership of the word and allowed it to define it for itself. There are state and federal benefits that come with marriage, making it a government property. For that reason, while religion can have free reign over how it wants to define marriage, the government should have the power to define marriages which are recognized by the state for itself. And the law should always be based on equality and equal opportunity, stomping on laws that perpetuate discrimination and oppression.

Issue: Happy Families and Divorce
The idea that a heterosexual family is the key to a happy family is a broad generalization. Studies show that children who grow up with a heterosexual family and homosexual family experience no changes in their development. The fact of the matter is that the prosperity of a family is determined by the child development skills of the parents. There are thousands of families in which a heterosexual people who have poorly raised a family due to their unpreparedness, weak parenting skills, among other characteristics. Heterosexuality is not the root of strong families, but competent parent(s) is/are.

While studies show divorce tends to affect children dramatically, divorce is a high statistic across the board and has little to do with sexuality but more to do with the institution of marriage and why it is failing. But the fact that divorce rates are high is not a strong enough justification for why no one should get married and it is even worse to that this is a reason to prevent a specific group from marrying. This would be along the same lines of saying, hypothetically, that Filipino-Americans should not marry because their divorce rates are higher and they don’t take marriage as seriously. Now that would be preposterous. Everyone should have the equal opportunity at an attempt to make marriage work no matter who they are.