Gay Marriage as the "New Abolition"
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A must-read post by Jason Kuznicki of Positive Liberty countering the offensive "you asked for too much too soon" meme regarding the gay marriage "backlash" this election year. Money quote:
Indeed. I've seen gay-friendly conservatives (heck, even gay-gay conservatives) echoing this same drivel -- "just wait a generation or two until attitudes change." News flash: I don't have a generation or two (of course, I don't have a boyfriend either, but that's another matter...).
And besides, exactly what "backlash" are we talking about? I don't want to sound like the gay libertarian version of James Carville, but we are in fact talking about only eleven states (twelve including Louisiana). And does anyone really believe the states involved, with the possible exception of Oregon, would have liberalized their policies toward gays any time soon but for Massachusetts? Why not force the bigots to show their hands and say openly what until now has often only been whispered?
Gradualism does have its place, to be sure -- our entire precedential system of jurisprudence is built upon it. Brown v. Board of Ed. was the result not of a sudden burst of loud civil rights activism, but rather the culmination of a long, slow, methodical string of well-calculated lawsuits masterminded by Thurgood Marshall (before his appointment to the Supreme Court). But the Supreme Court has had many opportunities to declare sexual orientation a suspect class, the same as race, gender or national origin, and has refused at every turn. The victories of Romer v. Evans and Lawrence v. Texas notwithstanding, there is no clear, slow path to success regarding gay marriage the way there was from Plessy to Brown -- it's either yes, no or "sorta kinda" (i.e., civil unions).
Also, the "take it slowly" crowd ignores the immediate impact of the interstate competition that will result from different gay marriage and civil union policies, as gays (and, perhaps more importantly, businesses) decide to seek out gay-friendly states in which to live and do business. Just as people such as my parents flee oppressive taxation in favor of low-tax states, so too will gays flee oppressive marriage bans, taking their skills and their money (and their taxes) to friendlier states. Eventually that's going to leave a mark, economically speaking. Need a case study -- look at Cincinnati, or this.
In any case, I will not apologize for demanding my equal rights, and demanding them now. I will not apologize for calling a bigot a bigot. I will not go quietly into that good night, or as I prefer to say, into that good fight.
POST SCRIPT: Speaking of slavery, who'd have thought I'd ever agree with Jerry Falwell about anything?
Even a broken clock is correct twice a day.
Related Posts:
Naked Bigotry Update
Damn Right They're Bigots
Vox Populi, Vox Nihilum
A "Tide"-al Wave of Bigotry
I have never believed that in a matter of justice it is permitted to ask for less than a full measure. If you were alive in the 1850s, would you support a plan for gradual emancipation of the slaves? Would you argue, perhaps, that current slaves must remain as slaves, but that all children would be born free after a certain date--to be negotiated, no doubt, by the masters?
Indeed. I've seen gay-friendly conservatives (heck, even gay-gay conservatives) echoing this same drivel -- "just wait a generation or two until attitudes change." News flash: I don't have a generation or two (of course, I don't have a boyfriend either, but that's another matter...).
And besides, exactly what "backlash" are we talking about? I don't want to sound like the gay libertarian version of James Carville, but we are in fact talking about only eleven states (twelve including Louisiana). And does anyone really believe the states involved, with the possible exception of Oregon, would have liberalized their policies toward gays any time soon but for Massachusetts? Why not force the bigots to show their hands and say openly what until now has often only been whispered?
Gradualism does have its place, to be sure -- our entire precedential system of jurisprudence is built upon it. Brown v. Board of Ed. was the result not of a sudden burst of loud civil rights activism, but rather the culmination of a long, slow, methodical string of well-calculated lawsuits masterminded by Thurgood Marshall (before his appointment to the Supreme Court). But the Supreme Court has had many opportunities to declare sexual orientation a suspect class, the same as race, gender or national origin, and has refused at every turn. The victories of Romer v. Evans and Lawrence v. Texas notwithstanding, there is no clear, slow path to success regarding gay marriage the way there was from Plessy to Brown -- it's either yes, no or "sorta kinda" (i.e., civil unions).
Also, the "take it slowly" crowd ignores the immediate impact of the interstate competition that will result from different gay marriage and civil union policies, as gays (and, perhaps more importantly, businesses) decide to seek out gay-friendly states in which to live and do business. Just as people such as my parents flee oppressive taxation in favor of low-tax states, so too will gays flee oppressive marriage bans, taking their skills and their money (and their taxes) to friendlier states. Eventually that's going to leave a mark, economically speaking. Need a case study -- look at Cincinnati, or this.
In any case, I will not apologize for demanding my equal rights, and demanding them now. I will not apologize for calling a bigot a bigot. I will not go quietly into that good night, or as I prefer to say, into that good fight.
POST SCRIPT: Speaking of slavery, who'd have thought I'd ever agree with Jerry Falwell about anything?
[T]he fact that [Kerry] would not support a federal marriage amendment, it equates in our minds as someone 150 years ago saying I'm personally opposed to slavery, but if my neighbor wants to own one or two that's OK. We don't buy that.
Even a broken clock is correct twice a day.
Related Posts:
Naked Bigotry Update
Damn Right They're Bigots
Vox Populi, Vox Nihilum
A "Tide"-al Wave of Bigotry
Posted by KipEsquire on
5 November 2004
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