Common Sense	Common Sense Archive

The sublime wit of the Canadians is often underappreciated. The Province of Ontario court ruling on June 10-- knocking down gender restrictions on marriage-- has very quickly led to the proposal to recognize same-sex unions all across the dominion. I think the Canadians are well aware that if there is one issue which drives a good many of the good folks of the USA bonkers, it's the rainbow banner of "Gay Marriage." So I suspect that this is their payback for the US being so mean to them for their not signing up in "The Coalition Of The Willing" to march into Iraq. (There was that image of bitter pill Paul Cellucci, formerly Gov. of Mass., who quit his day job to become Ambassador at Ottawa, excoriating an auditorium of our Kanadian Kousins for their faithlessness or whatever.) So chalk one up for Chretien, a clever lob over the net, just inside.

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Why is the US lagging so far behind some European countries and the Canadians on this issue of legal equity for same sex couples? Once the Canadian policy goes national, it will have instant legal impact in the 50 states-- lots of lawsuits demanding states recognize unions transacted in Canada. (As I write this, the Supreme Judicial Court in my state of Massachusetts is working on its opinion in a case where same-sex couples sued various towns to recognize their unions and extend to them the protections given two-sex couples.) One analysis blames the block of right-wing religious crazies in this country. European culture is now often referred to as post-Christian or "de-Christianized." Is this true? What is true is that the USA-- with its insane concept of freedom of religion, which of course is never "free"-- has spawned more "new" religions per capita than any other modern society-- most other modern societies seem to be getting rid of them. And our politicians seem to be, in many instances, part of this religious culture-- i.e., one must be a religious to gain office, even though our constitutional structures bar a religious test at the ballot box. It was our Congress which passed the silly Defense Of Marriage Act (DOMA) back in the mid-90s. Many states followed up by amending their state constitutions to define "marriage" as the legal union of one man and one woman. Well, you know the battle's lost when those so panicked resort to these measures. "Congress Defends Marriage"-- there's a headline and a gutsy thing to run for re-election on, the most disgusting display of majoritarianism.

What do I think about all this? Well, back over 30 years ago, when the famous Gay Agenda was being formulated, what were the Big Issues? Gays-In-The-Military, Gay Marriage, Workplace Security, and so on. Which makes the first Gay Agenda pretty much what it is today, though there has been some progress. Maybe it takes more than two generations to gain equity-- it certainly has in the past, women's franchise, equal legal status for racial minorities, what an indictment!

I am the same age as John Waters, the celebrated film director and personality. Waters was once asked his opinion on Gays-In-The-Military and "Gay Marriage." Waters: "When I was growing up, once of the nice things about being gay was that you didn't have to go into the military and you didn't have to get married." And he didn't and he hasn't. And neither have I-- I tend to take the Waters position, though, of course, as a loyal cadre in the struggle, I want social equity in all these matters.

Legal benefits should apply to all. Employment opportunities should be open to all. People should not be fired because of sexual identity profiling. These all seem like such simple and modest goals, until you recall the beast we're up against-- tax-deferred (and in some cases taxpayer-funded) bastions of hate, a vast right-wing conspiracy-- why is there so much psychopathology among the right-wingers? And I mean a real frothing crazy/screaming kinda thing-- and a culture of aggressive conformity completely empowered by the Bush-Krowd-dementia (dum-dum has been "normalized") and add in those apparatchiks at the Fox-nazi-nation.

I noticed that, a few weeks back, our local stand-in Bishop in the Roman Catholic Church-- he's temping for the big guy's prospective replacement; the big guy resigned in scandal-- asked all priests in the state to read from their pulpits on a Sunday morn some rag tearing into "Gay Marriage." My, my, judge not, my lady, lest ye be judged.

Or if that doesn't work for you, how about that old religious tear: pick on the Fags! It's a sad-sack strategy, which seems to work in these pathetic times, amongst, especially, the truly most pathetic, and I write this in the most generous of moods.

Where's Cardinal Spellman, my most favorite American Roman Catholic prelate? He didn't have a "Gay Marriage," unless he did and no one told me. Where's J. Edgar Hoover and Clyde Tolson? Weren't they a married couple? When Hoover crapped out, didn't he leave everything to Clyde? At the public tribute, as Hoover's caisson was schlepped up one of DC's finer avenues, there was Clyde, sitting, a la Jackie Kennedy, as the widow. All Washington knew-- and enjoyed! When the stamp is issued by the Postal Service to "Gay Marriage," shall it be J. Edgar and Clyde or Rita Mae and Martina? Gertrude and Alice? Name your pair. I'm a 60s child; let's make it Marriage-A-Go-Go, all invited.

Author Profile:  Mitzel
	Mitzel was a founding member of the Fag Rag collective, and has been a Guide columnist since 1986. He manages Calamus Books near Boston's South Station.
	Email:	mitzel@calamusbooks.com
	Website:	calamusbooks.com