Good thing I'm not a politician, because I would definitely be accused of waffling and flip-flopping.
Earlier on this blog, I have made statements about backing off the gay marriage issue... its not the right time... we'll lose the election and then gay rights will suffer a setback... the Repubs will turn the swing voters against us, etc. etc. etc. I sounded a lot like Diane Feinstein.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/02/20/GAYPOLL.TMP
So I've changed my mind. What a wimp I was. What a wimp Diane sounds like in this article.
Its not that I have not always wanted equal rights for gays and lesbians. There were two problems.
1) I did not get, really GET, how important actual MARRIAGE is to gay couples. Part of this is that I'm not at all religious, and I associated marraige with religion. I was pushing a solution of civil unions for ALL people, then marraige in a church for whomever wanted it. This seemed fine with me, after all I was married in a meadow by a JP, in a completely secular event.
Now I understand the word MARRIAGE has important symbolic meanings for people. Having the right to marry is the only way to be EQUAL (not separate and sort of equal)
2) The other big problem was I was allowing the RETHUGS to intimidate me. The events in San Francisco and Mass in the last few weeks has woken me up. We CAN and MUST make a stand on this issue now. An opening has been created, and a crisis point has developed. If we don't make a stand NOW against discrimination, we could experience a huge set back in our quest for equal rights. People who are speaking boldly on this issue, I think are making an impact.
Thank you to all of you who have helped to enlighten me better on this issue. This blog is a great place to be. I feel like you all are part of my community, and I am grateful to you for all the ways in which you enrich my life and help me grow.
