What'sinGay&CivilRightsforMe?What if the tables were turned? What if gays were in power and decided that heterosexual couples could not be married? In the past it has been inter-racial couples. In other countries it remains inter-faith couples, or inter-caste couples. So what if it were you whose rights were denied, because of a belief that government has the authority to determine matters whose arguments emanate from theology rather than legal principle, or simply from traditional divisions between people that are arbitrary, or based on a belief or bias that certain categories of people are superior to others? You are unable to obtain legal protection or equal status for your relationship with people in certain other demographic categories. How would you feel?
But I'm part of the traditional marriage class, you argue. And we say, thank God, or the stars, or blind luck for that. And we go on to say, what happens if the balance of power shifts in your lifetime, or that of your children or grandchildren and suddenly some other group becomes dominant and defines you or your children out of the marriage class?
"But my church teaches that marriage is defined as always being between a man and a woman," you argue. And that's fine, we say. So why wouldn't you want the government out of it and leave it up to your church to decide for you and your faith community, and let my church or synagogue, or mosque, or spiritual community decide for me.
Under our plan, we'd go to the city hall to get a certificate of civil union, and then we'd get married in our house of worship according to the spiritual criteria that comes from that tradition. Isn't that fair?