Interlude: Some Observations about Gay Marriage and Its Opponents, by John Kusch.
I strongly encourage you to read it all as John expounds nicely on each of his “thinking points.” Here’s a much abbreviated version to start with:
I’ve been spending a lot of time arguing the gay marriage issue on moderate-to-conservative websites, trying to figure out what is so threatening about the legal recognition of same-sex relationships. I will attempt to pass on what I’ve learned, with the hope that it will make our work easier during the difficult years that are surely ahead of us.
- People who oppose gay marriage generally think of themselves and their peers as good people.
- People who oppose gay marriage don’t think of themselves or their peers as homophobic.
- People who oppose gay marriage see it as a religious sacrament and a social tradition that, by its very definition, excludes homosexuals. They cannot and will not distinguish between civil marriage and the marriage sacrament.
- People who oppose gay marriage see homosexuality as a private matter that should stay private, while they see marriage as a public matter — except when it’s private.
- People who oppose gay marriage tend to believe, to varying degress, that same-sex relationsips are about the validation of specific sexual acts, while heterosexual relationships are about love, family, commitment and children.
- People who oppose gay marriage usually don’t know many gay people and generally don’t witness many gay relationships.
- People who oppose gay marriage want to feel that they have a choice in the matter, even if it’s at a subconscious level.
- People who oppose same-sex marriage tend to favor the idea of civil unions because they maintain the status quo.
