I was shocked to hear that Chairman Howard Dean had said that the phrase, "marriage is between a man and a woman," is present the 2004 Democratic Platform, and that he advocated this position while being interviewed on Pat Robertson's The 700 Club. But according to The Associated Press, "the platform does not define marriage that way." The leaders of the Democratic Party must not pander to the far right, and must take a moral stand by defending the rights of all human beings.
Even though Chairman Howard Dean is for civil unions and giving gay people the same benefits as married couples (at least that is what he claims before an election year), I would argue that it is still a case of separate but equal if a gay partnership is not called marriage. By not granting gay citizens the right of marriage, Chairman Dean and others who take his position are minimizing them. Many Americans are are saying that they can have equal rights, but this does not elevate gay people to the status of straight couples. They are still inferior according to the law. It is time that we as Americans recognize that marriage is a human right, a right that should be granted to people of any sexual orientation.
It is not the government's right to restrict human rights, or for that matter ignore them. Just because gay people are a minority in this country does not mean that they do not deserve the same rights as any other citizen. Even when they are granted equal rights, they are still kept at a lower status than straight people when given a lesser title. This does not sound like equality to me.
People might ask "what is in a name?" Well, everything really. The reason why Americans should advocate for gay marriage instead of for civil unions is because that is what it is: marriage. Gay people deserve equal rights under the law because they are human beings, not second class citizens. This is why they deserve to be given the equal status and rights of straight citizens.
Chairman Dean: The Democratic Party, as a party dedicated to preserving and defending human rights, must stand up for the equal treatment of gay people in American society. It is not the time to pander to the far right: it is time to stand up for what is right.