A NYtimes/CBS poll that just
came out (nyuck nyuck) shows that a majority of Americans favor a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.
And it's all about fear.
People who actually have homosexual acquintences are vastly less likely to back a theoretical amendment. The quotes from supporter reek of the fear of the unknown:
"I still believe that marriage should be between a man and woman," she said. "If I knew that we had a neighbor who was gay, I would not let my nieces and nephews go close by there. I don't want to accept their lifestyle. It can be acquired and it is not right."
So what are we going to do about this?
I have two concerns. One is that the Democratic establishment will look at this poll and roll over on this issue, which would be a major bummer.
The other concern has to do with whether or not we're going to make it as an integrated society. What this poll shows more than anything else is that there are many communities which are cut off from actual contact with real homosexuals. I've spent the last 6 years living in New York City (and now I'm in San Francisco), so this is pretty different from my experience.
Having many gay friends, I look at this as a human-rights issue, plain and simple. People fall in love -- they want to get married. That's human nature, and we aught to be able to understand and respect that. It boggles my mind that people cannot see the common humanity they share, regardless of who they fall in love with.