A Gay Old Time
May. 15th, 2008 03:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pasitheaSo... By now, I'm sure everyone has heard the news about the California court ruling the ban on gay marriage unconstitutional and the proposition that will probably be on the ballot this fall to make a constitutional ban against gay marriage.
I've heard the noise about it rallying right-wing groups to vote just to attack gays but I've been thinking about it and I don't think that is quite the case. On the contrary, I think the timing is excellent, and here's why.
60 years ago, in 1948, California became the first state in the country to cast off the laws that forbade interracial couples to marry. At that time, the religious right made lots of claims about blacks and whites marrying: That it was a perversion of the sanctity of marriage and would bring God's wrath. That it would destroy families. That it would put children in jeopardy. That these marriages couldn't result in children or would produce mules (I'm not kidding) and weaken the strength of America. All of this, I imagine sounds quite familiar doesn't it? Same shit whether it's racism or homophobia. In 50 years, people will look back and shake their heads at how selfish, hateful, and ignorant those people were.
In the here and now though, the timing couldn't be better. The right wing is going to fail this year. They've got their noise-machines running at 11 trying to deny away their incompetence but between a sickeningly expensive war, a failing economy, and gas prices skyrocketing, it's going to be practically impossible for them to sell it. At the same time, for the first time ever in this country, there's a black man running for president. A man whom, if we look no further than his skintone, would have been born a bastard 60 years ago. He's a living reminder of how far we've come in this country and those who speak with hate against homosexuals are going to have it right in front of them, the connection between their ignorance and racism. They're going to have to face it in a way they really haven't before and I think that's wonderful, because you know what? Despite all the pessimism I usually express about this country, I know racists are a diseased and dying minority and because it's in the front of everyone's mind, the connection is inescapable. If the mainstream doesn't consider itself racist, it will now have to take a hard look at its homophobia too and that can only be good.
So. I'm pleased and you know, in my own petty way, quite happy because I know the last 8 years have given some of my friends ulcers, but the tide has turned and it'll be good for the haters to have a few ulcers of their own now. They've earned them.
I've heard the noise about it rallying right-wing groups to vote just to attack gays but I've been thinking about it and I don't think that is quite the case. On the contrary, I think the timing is excellent, and here's why.
60 years ago, in 1948, California became the first state in the country to cast off the laws that forbade interracial couples to marry. At that time, the religious right made lots of claims about blacks and whites marrying: That it was a perversion of the sanctity of marriage and would bring God's wrath. That it would destroy families. That it would put children in jeopardy. That these marriages couldn't result in children or would produce mules (I'm not kidding) and weaken the strength of America. All of this, I imagine sounds quite familiar doesn't it? Same shit whether it's racism or homophobia. In 50 years, people will look back and shake their heads at how selfish, hateful, and ignorant those people were.
In the here and now though, the timing couldn't be better. The right wing is going to fail this year. They've got their noise-machines running at 11 trying to deny away their incompetence but between a sickeningly expensive war, a failing economy, and gas prices skyrocketing, it's going to be practically impossible for them to sell it. At the same time, for the first time ever in this country, there's a black man running for president. A man whom, if we look no further than his skintone, would have been born a bastard 60 years ago. He's a living reminder of how far we've come in this country and those who speak with hate against homosexuals are going to have it right in front of them, the connection between their ignorance and racism. They're going to have to face it in a way they really haven't before and I think that's wonderful, because you know what? Despite all the pessimism I usually express about this country, I know racists are a diseased and dying minority and because it's in the front of everyone's mind, the connection is inescapable. If the mainstream doesn't consider itself racist, it will now have to take a hard look at its homophobia too and that can only be good.
So. I'm pleased and you know, in my own petty way, quite happy because I know the last 8 years have given some of my friends ulcers, but the tide has turned and it'll be good for the haters to have a few ulcers of their own now. They've earned them.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-15 11:09 pm (UTC)D00D. Mules?
(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-15 11:26 pm (UTC)Mulatto is the spanish word for Mule, point of fact.
Here. I found a link to race laws. They'll make you sick. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-miscegenation_laws
(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-17 04:26 am (UTC)Blurg. Fuckin' a.
Thanks for the link. That's insane. Blows me away the amount of stupidity of which people are capable especially when it comes to forcing other people who are minding their beeswax or even - gasp - loving each other... to do the will of the stoopid.
This kinda hits home too. I'm dating a Jewish guy and his fam is *not* going to like that I am teh dreaded shikse. Sucks. If they didn't like me cuz I'm a bitch... that's one thing. But to be so narrow-minded as to not approve of our scene because of something so arbitrary and so completely outside of hey! you're cute and sweet and hot let's date is shocking and disappointing to be on the receiving end of. And the don't hate us because we're Jewish, but don't like us enough to want to go out with us does *cough* not make sense.
*fume*
(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-16 01:51 am (UTC)Ultimately it makes sense that religion is the ultimate card the right wing can play - unlike with climate change or the economy, it's the only place where by definition you're going to take everything on faith.