A couple months ago, I wrote a diary about the possible stimulative effects full marriage equality for LGBT citizens might have on the economy and jobs. Today, I am so proud of President Obama's actions, that I feel it appropriate to 1) thank him publicly and 2) shamelessly pimp out my diary again. I hope some of the economic arguments can be used to sway other voters who are still evolving on this issue. With that said....
President Obama has done a great job of keeping the fire on the feet of obstructionists in Congress over efforts to lower the unemployment rate over the last 6-8 months. He's had some minor successes, mostly done by executive order rather than through Congress. Congress hasn't exactly been cooperative.
But that hasn't stopped Mr. Obama from asking them again and again to pass job creation measures, well crafted bills that get the congresscritters on the record... if they can even get the bills up for a vote. But in the House, sadly, that's like trying to get a woman to testify on a panel about women's health care needs.
One of the president's biggest successes has been the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell, the ban on servicemembers openly expressing their homosexuality. And now, the military can stay focused on doing what it does best, fighting for and protecting the nation, without having to witch-hunt out and waste investments in highly trained servicemembers, fighter pilots, infantrymen and women, nurses, translators... you know the deal, you've read the stories. An argument can easily be made that this will be a net positive on the operational costs of the military.
Why do I bring this up in connection with Obama's recent jobs, jobs, jobs focus? Because there is another area of LGBT civil rights where the President has been "evolving" that could also have a nice operational improvement on the American economy: Marriage equality for LGBT citizens.
If there were universal acceptance of same sex marriage, gay couples will have weddings. Big, lavish, fabulous weddings. And that means spending, contractors, and events, and bands, and food, and gifts, and travel. Some gay couples are sitting on large nest eggs, but our society doesn't legitimize the idea of them building a nest together. Rather than keeping those funds tied up, marriage equality could unleash the economic power of that population. Even if overall it is small, even a percent or fraction of a percent, is worth trying to keep the economy moving in the right direction.
But weddings are not the only reason why marriage equality could help the economy. There are much more mundane reasons why same sex marriage and the corresponding rights and responsibilities should be extended to gays and lesbians.
How about health care coverage for spouses who might not have been covered? Two people taking care of each other could mean less of a burden on society, and thus government spending?
Pensions and military benefits taking care of spouses, who otherwise might be left relying (barely) on the social safety net.
How about real estate? Gays and lesbians pooling their resources and purchasing property together, within the security of an established, recognized relationship? Couldn't that help home prices?
How about gay families adopting? Fewer children as wards of the state, instead having loving families who spend whatever is necessary to keep those kids healthy and get them an education. Wouldn't that help state budgets too? LGBT families, reassured by protections afforded by marriage may even choose to have children of their own, and would also be investing in the next generation.
Families doing what families do in American society, taking care of each other, investing in the next generation and in their communities. I find it impossible to believe these new freedoms would do anything but help the economy as a whole.
But no, we as a nation seem destined to have a very long, hard-fought evolution on this topic. Instead of reaping the rewards of this efficiency, we continue discrimination against gays and lesbians because, well, um... what was the reason again? Oh yeah, because the boys don't want to be in the trenches next to someone who is gay, it might hurt unit cohesion. And letting the gays into the military will infringe on the religious freedom of others to not like them.
Ooops, sorry, those were the reasons why it took almost 2 decades to repeal DADT. Let's try that again... because we don't want our neighbors to be a gay or lesbian couple because it might ruffle our feathers at the neighborhood block watch or at the PTA meeting. And we certainly don't want their marriages to undermine our faiths and our own perfectly straight, non-kinky, non-contraception using, open-to-procreation marriages. Because of course, seeing the happy gay couple with their well-kept yards and their families and their pets and their love makes us feel icky.
So we want to keep discriminating against them, even if that lesbian might be an amazing educator perfect for the local school board. And even if that big butch gay couple might chase out the vandals who were trashing the church next door late at night. Even if gay families start showing up in the pews next to us at church, helping with the bake sales. Or they are fixing our cars, delivering our mail, cutting our hair, writing our software. Even if the idea of having a happily-ever-after future with the person they loved might have kept that teenager from taking their own life.
No, we want to keep sticking our heads in the sand about who our neighbors really are. Because it's easy to keep our prejudices that way, and confronting prejudices is hard.
Well, President Obama, here's your chance. You said you'd do whatever it takes, anything you can to help the economy and create jobs. If you aren't ready to evolve on marriage equality because you want equality and fairness for all, you should do it for 3 other reasons: jobs, jobs, jobs.