Gay Marriage Amendment in Ohio
Bigotry is dead... or at least it should be
As if the Defense of Marriage Act is not shameful enough, now there are those who would write discrimination into our very state constitution.
Distraction from Bush's shameful war include a petition drive in Ohio that would write directly into the state's constitution anti-gay laws. The zealots have seen the defense of marriage acts successfully challenged throughout the country and want to make sure Ohio's is not considered unconstitutional. This would, as written, also deny the rights now afforded by some opposite sex life partners who are not legally married. Insurance, next of kin for hospitals, and worker benefits would all go away for those who would dare co-habitate without that piece of paper from the state. Writing this in makes it OK to discriminate against gay marriage?
Bigotry has no place in Ohio. It sickens me that there is such self-righteousness and intolerance for people who love someone of the same sex.
And don't give me that religious or biblical argument. I am a woman who is married to a man and this is both of our second marriages. We have been together for 20 years. According to the King James Version of the Bible, my husband and I committ adultry each time we lie together, because each has been divorced. Where is the outrage? Where is the constitutional amendment banning re-marriage? What about people who wear garments of two different fabrics? Women who wear pants? According to the biblical book of Deuteronomy, these are also an abomination to god. So lose the bible argument. It doesn't wash. If you are serious about your bible, you will remember Jesus said there are two laws......love your god and love your neighbor as yourself. Think of the rights and benefits you enjoy and don't deny them to your neighbor.
Religion has no place in our state laws. Neither does intolerance. The religious right wants the big W elected so badly, and they are spreading fear and hatred to distract and divide Ohioans. I notice that John Kerry, like George W, does not condone gay marriage. The difference is, he would not support legislation outlawing it. It is OK to have faith based beliefs for one's self, but it seems Kerry is the candidate who knows that those beliefs are not to be carried into office with him.
There are those who have told me that I am playing into the hands of the distracters. If W were to be re-selected, we could kiss more freedoms and common sense goodbye. And it is true. I do not want this intolerant war-crazed bigot to be president. Yes, I am spending energy to fight a distraction, but this one has serious consequences. What is a person to do? Ignore the lethal smoke screen? Because it is life or death, here. The freedom to marry is not to be denied because it is wrong to deny it, period.
Ohioans Protecting the Constitution, a gay-lesbian alliance opposing what is now called Issue 1, filed a lawsuit in the Franklin County Court of Appeals, arguing the entire issue should be thrown out because backers did not include the required summary on the petition it circulated statewide. The court rejected the request to throw out petitions. The two-sentence judgment from a three-judge panel in Franklin County said opponents of the proposal did not "demonstrate their right" to get a court order rejecting the petitions.
As I see it, the Republicans are trying to get the anti-gays to the polls on November 2 because they are much more likely to vote in favor of the Bush regime.
This fear of gay love and blatant discrimination of their families must go the way of the old, horrible laws that forbade interracial marriage, forbade women to vote, and kept bigotry alive as an institution. There is no place for this in Ohio.
by Cat Givens
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