Gay culture seems to be ever present these days. There are a myriad of television shows: Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Boy Meets Boy, Will and Grace, Queer as Folk. Madonna and Britney practice a little lesbian action on the VMAs. Interior designers are the new rock stars, and gay is the new straight. But there is a co-opting of the culture here, as the mainstream society robs the jewels of queer community, like better window treatments and the importance of a multi-step skincare regimen, but there is still an egregious lack of equality. It seems like gays and lesbians can do all the things that straight people can do, society is saying “You are ok just as you are, just don’t try to get married or anything!” It’s like when whites stole rock and roll from blacks in the 50’s and the kids were all dancing to Little Richard. We love your music, but please don’t use that drinking fountain.
You can go to Las Vegas, get married by an Elvis impersonator, in a drive thru, and be driven in a hearse to have a reception in a graveyard. But you have to be straight in order to do so. That is why I don’t buy the argument that marriage is a sacred act between a man and a woman. Sacred? Carmen Electra and Dennis Rodman got married. Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley. Liza Minelli and David Gest. Liza Minelli and Peter Allen. Actually, Liza seems to be marrying all the gays.
The disparity of rights between heterosexual married couples and domestic ‘partners’ is no small number. 1049 federal rights are denied gay and lesbian couples because of their second class status in the area of holy matrimony. These range from the outrageous, like limitations in adopting children, even the tragedy of orphaned children being taken from foster care because the parents were gay, to the idiotic, like no family discounts for gays in national parks. They don’t care how many times you play “We are Family” by Sister Sledge. You are still paying full price.
Yet at the same time, gays and lesbians are required to pay the same taxes as every other citizen. There is not any type of compensation given, for the lack of freedoms that keep the queer community at a loss. If the amendment banning gay marriage is actually passed, then it would be the first time that the constitution would be amended specifically to deny the rights of a specific minority, which frankly is downright unconstitutional. The argument is ludicrous. Same sex couples should have the ability to get married by Elvis, just like everyone else.