There Are No Angels in America, There's Only the Political

I noticed that today was national coming out day and it made me think of something I wrote many years ago. It was in 2004, shortly after the election and I was outraged that so many states had voted against gay marriage. That was five years ago, and it's depressing how little has changed. Anyway, this is my journal entry from November 3rd, 2004:

"The white cracker who wrote the national anthem knew what he was doing. He set the word "free" to a note so high nobody can reach it" - Angels in America

Eleven states were asked if gay marriage should be permitted and all of them answered with a loud resounding no. I read a girl’s away message this morning that applauded the decision of these states, claiming that moral rights have been upheld. Perhaps an ethics course would do her some good. One major point of morals is that you are to behave in a way that at the same time you can will your behavior to become a universal law. So let me come take your parent’s marriage license and your grandparent’s. Let me tell you that you have no right to marry, that your kind of love is not accepted here. You have none of the benefits, must jump through hoops to get power of attorney and other such things, not to mention that your lifestyle must be compromised because people who have never met you decided you’re not good enough to be unified in the eyes of God. Ever read Maurice Ogden? Do you remember little things like the Holocaust, civil rights and women’s suffrage? America should not be about taking rights away. Our ancestors came here to avoid persecution, and centuries later we’re persecuting our own.

It does not come down to just believing in right or wrong so much as tolerance. Just because you do not understand another person’s lifestyle it doesn’t mean you should condemn it. Read The Laramie Project, read some Kushner. Hell, read Dr. Seuss for crapsake. Look into the lessons we teach our children when they are young...To Kill a Mockingbird, Charlotte’s Web, even Horton Hears a Who. We teach our children that they should be who they feel they are inside, but now we show them that not everything is protected under “being yourself”. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? Only you if you fit the criteria.

As for the people who support civil unions, it is a step in the right direction, but I have a feeling it’s more about staying in the middle than handing out rights. If you support gay rights then stand up and give it all, do not cower in the corner with your bible and tell me about right and wrong. Want to uphold your moral standards? Then build a country whose divorce rate is under fifty percent. Don’t allow people to drunkenly get married one day and annul it the next. Here is what you do: You take two people, any two people who have built a relationship on trust, love, and respect and tell them they are doing right. Do not deny them their wishes just because they share the same gender.

I believe in the bible and in some of its words. But I also believe that God is a pretty understanding person and when he sees two people in love, he wants them to be together. Whenever I hear people bringing up Leviticus as evidence against humanity, it always makes me think of this scene from The West Wing:

"I don't say homosexuality is an abomination, Mr. President. The Bible does."

"Yes it does. Leviticus."

"18:22."

"Chapter and verse. I wanted to ask you a couple of questions while I have you here. I'm interested in selling my youngest daughter into slavery as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. She's a Georgetown sophomore, speaks fluent Italian, always cleared the table when it was her turn. What would a good price for her be? While thinking about that, can I ask another? My Chief of Staff Leo McGarry insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly says he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself or is it okay to call the police? Here's one that's really important because we've got a lot of sports fans in this town: touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean. Leviticus 11:7. If they promise to wear gloves, can the Washington Redskins still play football? Can Notre Dame? Can West Point? Does the whole town really have to be together to stone my brother John for planting different crops side by side? Can I burn my mother in a small family gathering for wearing garments made from two different threads? Think about those questions, would you?"

I know that I'm quoting a television show, but it's making the exact point I want to and far more eloquently and accurately than I could, so we're going to go with it. Love thy neighbor, don't tell him what he is doing is wrong. And furthermore, keep it the hell out of legislature. America is not a society of merely Christians and Catholics, we are a mix. That mix includes Muslims and Jews and Hindus and yes, homosexuals. Isn't America supposed to be the land where you can take what you are and what you have and make it work? Isn't it a place where you should be accepted for what you are from the start?

America is a great idea, but the execution has not been going very well lately. I love the land, for the most part, the beauty of the cities and the country. I am grateful that I don't have to worry about being arrested on the street for crimes I did not commit or stoned to death for writing such a thing as I just did. I am happy that I have the ability to vote and have even the tiniest say in what goes on here. I love these things, but I hate the ignorance and cruelty this country is displaying. I learned to love and respect people because I was taught it as a child. What are we teaching our children now? What lessons will mine learn here? It is sad when a country you love disappoints you so.