There is a problem with the world. Lack of Equality. In many places I see it, from thoughts raised by friends and coworkers mostly raising the topic of gay marriage is the classic entryway to begin a dialogue regarding equality, to outright questions about what I think about the entire issue.
I believe in human equality.
It’s not a country thing, it’s not a state thing, it’s a species thing. What makes me different from my female peers who earn less than I do because of their gender? What makes my relationship with my partner different than my straight peers relationships? Why can they apply for a marriage contract while I cannot? Is it a matter of dedication and monogamy? Both my partner and I have been building a life for 13 years, we’ve outlasted many marriages just based on our togetherness. I think it’s a power thing.
Those who have power, or any of it’s analogues, such as rights, control, ability, or benefits obviously understand that being special, being gifted, having power is far better than being downtrodden and left without power, or even worse, having power taken away from you. Those that have power in our culture are determined to maintain their grip on such power for as long as they can. There is a central question that they cannot rationally answer – “What is it to you?” when posed with the concept of homosexual union. These people aren’t really interested in what is right or wrong, they are simply greedy for power. This greed blinds them and makes them hypocrites, and they earn my pity.
It is true that I cannot marry my partner of 13 years, at least here in Michigan and I accept that. There are a majority of people in my state who do not like all of me, just the part of me that works and pays taxes in a timely fashion. To offer someone like me equality requires that they relinquish some power. This is the core stumbling block to the progress of equality in our culture. Those that have power wish to retain it and deny others access. When you realize this, you stop feeling so put upon by others and discover that they are the simplest of monsters, greedy trolls collecting their tolls and regarding their squalor under the bridge as kingdoms of infinite space.
It then falls to other routes for my kind to tear power out of the hands of the greedy trolls. We approach the courts for a redress of grievances, citing phrases such as “All men are created equal” and “Equal protection under the law” and then the response is “Activist Judges”. We try popular appeal via referenda and end up in the same place by the opposition, wether it be lawsuits to stop us or Governors devoted to veto our rights each time they come up. This isn’t a war that will be won with one single decisive battle, this is guerilla attrition. We win by endurance.
Endurance. We outlive the elements in our culture, the trolls, that spend an inordinate time having serious problems with my kind and apparently have answers for “What is it to you?” when it comes to letting my kind marry. The solution is to simply outlive the pigheaded. The children of today will eventually grow up in a world more equal, and they’ll be more accepting. It won’t happen for about 20 years, it won’t really have any forward momentum until the Baby Boomers begin to die. When the young rush in to replace them in the voting booths, then we’ll see a reduction in bullshit and people shaking their heads when asked “What is it to you?”
This is all very well and good, but Equality just for homosexuals is one aspect of the larger societal problem. Real equality would help all the treaded-upon, not just the gays – but also gender inequality, race inequality, and even citizen’ly inequality. Women should earn the same as men, for example. It’s not just our group we should be fighting for, but for everyone who finds themselves on the short end of the stick when it comes to power.
Funny that the spirit of a lot of what we all seek is already in the founding texts of our great country. It’s just going to take some generational turnover before everyone gets to be equal.