GAY MARRIAGE? THE WRONG QUESTION A Heathen Middle Commentary by Staff Writer Fritz Alvarez

Should gay persons be allowed to marry their partners? The question has been stirring controversy in states all across the country. It is even the subject of voting for constitutional amendments in various states. This is a new twist on democracy, being able to cast a popular vote on the extension of civil rights to a minority. If Blacks in America had depended on a popular vote to grant them civil rights, they would still be picking cotton. Instead, it was “ activist judges” who extended many of the civil rights to ethnic minorities.

Gay/lesbian marriage could not possibly damage the institute of marriage more than heterosexuals already have.The real question that needs to be asked is: “What does society think it wants gay and lesbian persons to do?” For the Christian Right the answer is probably, “to accept Jesus and be healed of their homosexuality.” For other conservatives it would, perhaps, be acceptable if gay/lesbian persons simply disappeared.

For the Christian Right we could say that if a couple hundred years of burning gay people at the stake didn’t manage to make them all change, your harassment on radio and television is probably not going to do it either. For the other conservative factions it should be known that gay/lesbian people are a part of the American family. They are our sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, doctors, lawyers, priests, and more. They will never just disappear.

For many years one of the criticisms of gay men was that they were promiscuous. In previous decades in America the gay bar was one of the very few places where gay/lesbian persons could find community. In the 50’s to the 80’s these bars probably could not have existed without some kind of local police payoff. Why would society be surprised that drinking and promiscuity could take place at a bar?

Sometimes we may forget that the gay community has experienced the devastating blows of AIDS before (and since) there was treatment. Lots of friends of gay/lesbian Americans are gone. The crisis brought a new focus on monogamy. Considering the potential for AIDS, why wouldn’t all Americans want to encourage monogamy in comparison to promiscuity in any community? ? Science has convincingly shown that there is no solid line between gay and straight. There is constant, and sometimes surprising, crossover in the grey area. Recent revelations about prominent “straight” politicians could be a good example.

The real questions are:
•Shouldn’t we accept the fundamental reality that we will always have gay/lesbian persons with us?
•Do we believe a Christian Right concept that all the gays will come to Jesus and be “healed?”
•Why would it not be to the benefit of society to encourage monogamy?

Another series of questions must be asked of persons on the left. Liberal America has allowed gay/lesbian issues to be the cutting edge that takes the heat on the front lines of Liberalism in the country. The left has allowed gay/lesbian persons to occupy that front line and take that heat all alone. No minority which attempts to declare an end to discrimination can succeed without help and intervention by some in the majority. The liberal leadership in the country knows this and refuses to step up to the plate to defend the concepts of gay/lesbian issues which they quietly support.

Many liberal theologians believe the Bible is not the inerrant, word for word, transcription of the thoughts of God. Many are willing to tell gay/lesbian persons that the Evangelicals are wrong about scriptural indictment of homosexuality.  Most, then, occupy their cushy church offices, and push the gays out to take the everyday political and religious harassment from Evangelicals.

The middle in America is caught (how shall we say?) in the middle. Where is the voice of those who would like to cool it on the religious rhetoric? Where is the voice of those who believe the courts probably do have a role in balance of power and interpretation of the Constitution in the country? Where are those who believe it is not the role of a popular vote to deny or extend civil rights?

The marriage “defense” issue is a proven right-wing, panic-ridden fund raiser, and a proven left wing “let the gays take the heat” wimp out. It will not go away with some constitutional amendment votes. We must begin to ask the right questions.