My nephew is gay. He's a good kid, just graduated from UT in December, looking like he's about to land his first real job in his profession. I don't like constantly worrying about him because some in this country feel the need to hate and fear what is different. I want him to be happy in his life. If that includes marriage, I want him to have that. I don't feel it's right for the vocal majority to enslave people who don't share their ideals.
People can say "the Bible says..." all they want, but I know the Bible says a lot that is looked over or just out and out ignored. At the end of the day, none of us are God. If being gay is a sin, then they will be judged by the Lord on Judgement Day. It is not our place to act as judge now.
All the gay community wants is equality. What's wrong with that? What's wrong with wanting to be treated like any other couple in America? The idea may sound radical to some, but when this nation was founded, the ideas our forefathers set forth were considered radical. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, what happenned to these self-evident truths? These are our inalienable right as endowed upon us by our Creator. For so many who espouse "God" in government, I always thought it funny that the founders chose the word "Creator", not "God". Most Christians have forgotten that Christianity is not the law of the land. The law of the land allows them to practice Christianity. They are given that freedom. Yet they now deny freedom to those who wish to choose differently. We accept Muslims, Hindi, Buddhists, and any other form of religion, but we can't accept homosexuality? What is this great fear?
Once upon a time, I feared gay people. Then I met some. I was ignorant. The image I had in my mind was not accurate. These were not sick people spreading a disease. They were just people trying to live their lives. They were good people, mocked by others for being different. Shunned for being brave enough to say this is who I am. They were bullied. And once again, America is bullying them by denying them their rights of equality. You would think in this time now, when anti-bullying campaigns have been ramped up the way they have, that people would see this. But they don't. Bullying isn't just about violence, it's about making people seem less than what they are. By turning gays into second class citizens, we have denigrated them and made them seem to be lesser beings. They are not. They are people with hopes and dreams and families that love them. And all they want, all their families want, is for the country to acknowledge that they are no different from the rest of us.
Pass or not, I'm not even sure this NC law has any true meaning. What we need is a change at the national level. Maybe even an amendment to the Constitution. "All men are created equal." The things we forget. The things we take for granted. I'm not sure how the forefathers felt about homosexuality, but I do know the treatment gays are subject to now spits in the face of the ideals they set forth. It saddens me.
To those who are against gay marriage, I ask of you one thing. Take a step back and imagine government legislating your life in such a way. Imagine if their was a law prohibiting you from marrying your wife. How would you feel? You don't have to face that because this is a predominantly Christian country, but try imagining the government telling you you can't marry the person you love. Voting for people to have rights does not have to mean you condone their way of life. You are entitled to your opinions, but they are entitled to their rights. Let them have them. One of the first things I remember learning is the Golden Rule. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. So how would you want to be treated?
