Everyone, Even the Homos

Today in the New York State Assembly a pivotal bill is trying to be passed by the Democrats. It's a bill that the governor has faith will pass in the State Senate. It's a bill that will bring equality to a minority group. It is a bill far too late in the making. It's a gay marriage bill. And it must pass. It absolutely must. It is a step that must be taken in order to create a truly free America.

When Proposition 8 failed in California I couldn't believe it. I just can't fathom how an entire population can vote to deny other human beings a basic right. It's infuriating really. As long as people aren't being forced to marry against their will and all parties involved are consenting adults, who cares who marries whom? Who CARES!? Whatever happened to live and let live? Live free or die? Do unto others?

This isn't an issue of the "sanctity of marriage," this is an issue of people forcing their beliefs on others. If marriage was so sacred and people feel they need the government to enforce this sacredness, then these same people need to lobby to make a divorce so difficult obtain that the divorce rate decreases dramatically. Isn't that what the government did with bankruptcies- they made them harder to declare because so many people were doing it? Shouldn't they do that with divorce? I bet you one MILLION dollars that if the government were to make divorce illegal or something very difficult to obtain, those very religious assholes would be the first to fight to bring it back. I guarantee those same people would declare, how dare you take away my right!

I say to them, how dare you keep this right from others? This is not an issue of religiosity. This is an issue of equality. An issue of civil rights. Modern marriage has nothing to do with religion. It has everything to do with combining two people's lives to create a family and a home filled with love. The point is, religion has nothing to do with making gay marriage legal. It has everything to do with gaining equal, legal rights for a population of Americans.

Can you fathom trying to visit your partner/spouse/lover in the hospital but you can't because you have no way to legally prove you are related to your partner/spouse/lover? You can't claim their pension plan if they die. You can't adopt a child who needs a home because your partner/spouse/lover is of the same gender as you. So on and so forth. It is unacceptable that our legal system makes these troubles a reality in thousands of people's lives. The denial of these rights is outright un-American, unconstitutional and unacceptable. Everyone deserves to marry whomever they love.

This bill needs to pass in New York State. I need it to pass in New York State. That way I can really mean it when I say I'm proud to be a New Yorker. That here in New York we're trying to create a better America. An America where equality is a given. The America that I believe in.