Today's New York Times had this headline: Gay Marriage Ban Fails in Senate Vote
The first two 'graphs read as follows:
"WASHINGTON, June 7 — The Senate today soundly rejected a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, dismissing arguments by social conservatives that federal intervention is needed to preserve the traditional tie between a man and woman.
After two days of sometimes emotional argument, the Senate voted 49-to-48 against shutting off debate on the issue, well short of the 60 votes needed to move ahead with formally considering the amendment, let alone the 67 votes required by the Constitution to approve it."
Same gender marriage is one of those things that's supposed to make me scared that my heterosexual marriage is "under attack." I'm supposed to have "night sweats" because if a man and a man, or a woman and a woman are legally bound by the same laws J and I are, that we're doomed as a country.
From my perspective as a politically liberal, but somewhat socially conservative individual living in the Bay Area, the fear of same gender marriage seems rather stupid. Why shouldn't two people who are committed to each other (but happen to be of the same gender) have the same legal rights as every other married couple? And I am talking about legal rights here. I'm not talking about federal laws designed to force religious organizations to alter their practices so they have to marry people of the same gender (In a very basic manner, that's why we have religious freedom).
Okay, on to the shameless plug…
I had a chance to interview the author of the book (pictured below). So, I you'd like to hear me doing some radio stuff (in a public affairs kind of way), just click the picture of Evan's book cover!
–PK