Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley just sued the US Federal Government challenging the euphemistically named Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), claiming that it is unconstitutional because it denies insurance, health care, and other rights to gay and lesbian couples in same sex marriages. She is correct. It is unconstitutional, and beyond unconstitutional it is an abhorrent stain of injustice, inequality, and hatred born of fear and ignorance. This isn’t a Democratic or Republican issue (though if it was up to most Republican politicians, blacks still wouldn’t be able to marry whites or vote, but THAT was okay for it’s time too). It’s a human issue, and as the AG of the first state to legalize same sex marriage, Coakley is absolutely correct in suing the federal government.
Imagine if DOMA had been passed in the 1940’s – it would have
legislated against interracial marriage. Any and all government
imposed/sanctioned prejudice, racism, and sexual-phobia makes us look
like a nation where the majority of us are scared penis-and-vagina obsessed
three year old rednecks with the right to vote (we’re not, are we?).
Hopefully this is the first step towards a middle way, eliminating
marriage from the government entirely and putting it back in churches
& temples where it belongs, and giving government nothing but the
right to extend certain benefits to any two consenting adults.
Anything less is Bible/Koran/Torah-thumping and should be called out at
every possible opportunity. It’s ego madness given the power of law, and that’s simply not what our country was meant to be about.
Bravo Coakley for perhaps forcing Pres. Obama to finally address the
a better place thanks to your efforts You can’t have faith in the
power of love and simultaneously fail to support the right of two human
beings to express their love in a public union and get the same benefits as anyone
else.
On the other hand, if you think gays and lesbians don’t deserve all the
same benefits (i.e. second tier of rights) maybe we should be figuring
out how they can also pay a lesser percentage of taxes until they enjoy
the same participation in society as heterosexuals. Seems like that
would be a fair transition?
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