Gay Marriage in the Garden State

I don't know if I can live through this again. The New Jersey State Senate will take up the gay marriage debate and vote on it by the end of this week or early next week. I'll be in Europe then so I won't be thinking about it, but it's really rattling me that my value as a member of society is being decided. Well, maybe that's an exaggeration. The thing is they are bringing this to a vote before governor Corzine leaves office because he said he would sign it into law and his Republican sucessor Christie (not to confused with Florida's closeted Republican Christ) would veto it without hestitation. What a fat pig! (I said it and I'm glad!)

I was trolling the internet and came across a story about a rabbi who was speaking out against this gay marriage bill, I presume to the NJ senate or a committee that was voting on the bill. The rabbi said he pitied a poor lonely orphaned child who would be forced to be adopted by a gay couple. That didn't bother me as much as David Link, a gay blogger at Independent Gay Forum.com who said we shouldn't think of this well-intentioned man as a bigot. That we should be careful in labelling those who speak against us as bigots. Link goes on to say we should be generous and give the rabbi the benefit of the doubt.

"That is a blindness, but I don’t think it is necessarily blameworthy. To my mind, it not as condemnable as the actions of those who can (and do) see us in our ordinary lives, yet intentionally exploit the bias against us for political advantage. The harm to our equality is the same in either case, but there is a moral difference that we should acknowledge. (HA!)

It is possible this learned man falls into the latter category. But until we know for sure, I don’t think we can call him a bigot. We can, though, wish him to see us more generously."

I'm sorry, but this man IS a bigot. He is making judgments about people he doesn't even know based on their sexuality. He's presuming a gay couple will automatically be a harmful influence and can in no way be fit parents. That is the same as saying something sweeping about all Jews, blacks, or Latinos, etc. When will people wake up. Call things by their proper name--it's bigotry and I have no respect for those who spout it or those who excuse it.

I'm afraid we'll lose again in New Jersey. The economy's to blame, apologists say. People aren't concerned about gay rights when they can't put twinkies on the table. Horse Hockey!, as Colonel Potter used to say on MASH. It's not like we're going to stop legisilation to get married. If anything, gay marriage helps a state's economy. All those New Yorkers deprived of getting married will cross the border into Weehawken where enterprising preachers will join them and they can return to the Empire State where their union will be recognized.

No Gay Marriage in NY Thanks to Hiram the Hypocrite

(Pictured: A loving couple unable to be married)Today I went from elation to depression. The day started with the news the NY State Senate would debate and vote on Governor Patterson's gay marriage bill. There was talk it might actually pass. I watched live streaming of the debate and only heard those in favor deliver passionate and moving arguments. I had to go into a meeting and when I emerged I heard the measure was defeated. To make matters worse, my state senator voted no. Guess who he is? Hiram Monseratte, the shining example of healthy heterosexual relationships who slashed his girlfriend Karla Giraldo and was almost jailed for it. The only reason he got off was because the stupid woman refused to testify against him and claimed it was accident. Not coincidentally, he agreed to marry her. Her silence or rather compliance was bought for a ring on her finger--excellent way to help stabilize the institution of marriage.

I called Monseratte's office in Albany and unloaded on an innocent office aide. "I know you only work there and have no influence on the senator, but I'm going to say this anyway. Who the hell is he with his personal history to pass judgement on anyone else's relationship? Slashing your girlfriend's face is not going to bolster the sagging sacred institute of marriage." The worker thanked me for not getting mad at him personally and said he would tell Monseratte my feelings. I also said I would remember this vote at election time.

Obviously the popular vote against us in Maine and California has moderate Democrats scared and Republicans emboldened. Do they really think they would be voted out if they favored gay marriage? But I am confident time is on my side. Younger people are fine with gay marriage. The day will come when our great-great grandchildren will say to each other "Can you believe those bigoted old pigs, voting to deny marriage equality?" Just as we now say to each other "I can't believe people used to actually believe slavery was perfectly okay."