tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700650966752563435.post8106429522544574110..comments2010-03-23T18:35:19.855-07:00Comments on PolyAnna: A thread so good it's now a post..PolyAnnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15909116174279055179noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700650966752563435.post-17175830956935059062009-07-23T15:19:17.028-07:002009-07-23T15:19:17.028-07:00To Thom:
This is absolutely a human rights issue....To Thom:<br /><br />This is absolutely a human rights issue. To occasionally discuss it in terms of marriage equality doesn't conflict with the idea of the greater human rights issue. It's just an easily graspable way of thinking about it.<br /><br />Whether or not the institution of marriage as it exists right now is a waning institution, it's still what's legally in place at this moment. And being granted the legal right to marry is actually about much more than marriage itself. Once that right is granted, it will begin to change society's idea about that group. It's an important step to erasing prejudice. <br /><br />Think about interracial relationships. At one point in pretty recent history there was a lot of prejudice surrounding interracial relationships in the US. It was illegal to marry outside one's own race. In fact, it wasn't until 1967 that the Supreme Court passed legislation deeming anti-miscegenation laws unconstitutional. But now American culture doesn't even bat an eye at interracial marriage. <br /><br />That's what equal marriage rights are about. It's about affecting social change through a very specific legal means. And, as history shows us, it works.PolyAnnahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15909116174279055179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700650966752563435.post-65099318971964542132009-07-22T16:22:35.917-07:002009-07-22T16:22:35.917-07:00I'm with Poly here. Harvey Milk's greatest...I'm with Poly here. Harvey Milk's greatest contribution to the civil rights movement was the concept of being out, in a political sense. When people are closeted, its easy for the mainstream to let their imaginations fly with what those 'degenerates' and 'perverts' might be up. It's much harder when a community recognizes that part of its back bone might not have the same concept long term relationships than they do. And in turn, discover that these people might also share some of the same core values, like family and community.Bats for Blogshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10438929795932122480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700650966752563435.post-18873378841373933062009-07-21T13:59:43.652-07:002009-07-21T13:59:43.652-07:00Just thought about the marriage certificate and wh...Just thought about the marriage certificate and what it might look like.<br />Do we ever consider that it's a legacy item from a cultural paradigm thats perhaps waining? What rights do we really want? The "sanctity of marriage" often prevents sensible discussion of it as an institution. Perhaps it would be better to treat this as a human rights issue?<br />That approach is more inclusive, even of those who already have the protections of marriage, and could help to steer the debate in a more constructive direction.Thom B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07194341668984255964noreply@blogger.com