I know most of you don't come here to be exposed to my political views. In fact, I've been reprimanded by the good folks over at Field Gulls about making political references in my posts over there. Since that's someone else's house, I shall abide by that edict.
But this is my domain, and sometimes these things can't be ignored. We are football fans, but as much as we'd like to think otherwise, our sport does not exist in realm completely separate from politics. We fought a political fight to get Qwest Field built a decade or so ago, to just name one example... So we can't turn around and think there is a firewall between issues like gay rights and the team/sport we love, especially when semi-prominent NFL players are spouting homophobic language on Twitter.
As we speak, and through election day next Tuesday, Washington voters have the chance to reaffirm the already existing rights of Gay and Lesbian couples in my home state. The relevant language of R71:
Concise Description: This bill would expand the rights, responsibilities, and obligations accorded state-registered same-sex and senior domestic partners to be equivalent to those of married spouses, except that a domestic partnership is not a marriage.
Should this bill be:
Approved ___
Rejected ___
I would prefer the law to go farther and confer the right to marry on same-sex couples, but these legal protections alone are extremely valuable and desperately needed. It's like I've said for a while: Don't like gay marriage? Don't get one. In my eyes, until gay marriages are mandated by the state (heh... mad-date... get it?), all us breeders should probably keep our noses out of their bidness.
I could take the safe path here and just talk about how I have gay and lesbian friends, including some already in domestic partnerships, and claim that I'm just a straight honkey ally.
But that's not true. Though I am married to a wonderful woman, and I find all y'all ladies quite attractive, I'm far from the "100% straight" end of the spectrum of sexuality. I'm probably a 2 on the Kinsey Scale, and that's complicated by the fact that I've also struggled my whole life with my gender identity. Put another way: I've always wondered if I should have been a girl.
How is this relevant? What if I wanted to transition to being a woman, but that would then nullify my marriage? Or what if I had fallen in love with a man or a transgendered person instead of my wife? We wouldn't have the same legal rights as my wife and I do, and I just can't see how that is just, moral or fair.
Also, I'm not trying to start a holy war with the people of faith out there... I just don't think their interpretation of the Bible should drive public policy.
So there you go... I've laid a lot on you, and I'm sure I've lost some readers. But for those of you still left out there, I hope you'll stick around, and I hope you'll vote yes on Referendum 71.
GO SEAHAWKS!
4 comments:
Well-put, my man. Thanks for standing up.
I appreciate this. I know not all of your readers will agree with you, and that shows a lot of guts. But it needs to be said.
I have multiple close family members that will be deeply affected by this referendum and am therefore passionately in favor of its approval.
Good on you for bringing it up.
Here in Maine, there's a bill allowing same-sex marriage already on the books (it passed this summer) and opponents put a referendum on the ballot next Tuesday to try and nullify the law. If it's overturned, that would be a huge step backwards.
Every poll I've seen has it about 50/50 whether it stands or gets overturned. Now, if Brady or Belichick will just speak out in favor of the law (this being New England after all) it would be upheld by a mile.
Yeah, I know, like that'll happen. The next American professional athlete to speak out publicly in favor of gay rights will be the first. Hey, a person can hope...
I'm with you. Way to stand up for what you feel is fair.
Post a Comment