Hey, humans.
Guess what. Gays can get married now. Legally. And that’s worth celebrating. If for no other reason than the fact that the rights given freely to one group of humans has been extended to include another group of humans. Because all human rights should apply to all humans. It’s simple math.
Now, here’s where the math is somehow getting tricky for some. Just because this group of people have been granted a right that they should have legally had already anyway, doesn’t mean that their fight is over. Nowhere in the decision does it say society has to be nice to them. Nowhere does it say “you will now never be discriminated against”. It doesn’t grant every gay person a golden ticket to easy living. What it does do is say that every gay person that wants to get married can do so legally and enjoy the same marital privileges as all other married humans. Period.
Why is this breakdown important? Because somehow there are people who have become so aggravated with this “win” that they feel the need to point out how and where others are still losing. I’ve heard and seen some pretty interesting comparisons – “now make being black legal”, “can we make it legal to not be killed while being black in America”, “the civil rights movement is different/bigger/better”. Not only are these (and thoughts like it) far from fair comparisons, they’re divisive and destructive. Having the legal right to love who you want to love doesn’t magically make the LGBTQ community exempt from persecution, harassment, disrespect, or discrimination. It doesn’t all of sudden form a cocoon of safety around every member of the LGBTQ community or ignorance-repellant. Their fight for equality doesn’t end here.
So what you don’t agree with their lifestyle. So what you won’t attend a gay wedding or support their right to be married. Who cares? You have that right. But instead of belittling and casting a shadow over this victory, you should be celebrating the fact that society (for better or worse) is continuing to move in the direction of love and logic. Why logic, you ask? Because its only logical that humans, regardless of sexual orientation or preference, have the same legal rights. Whether those rights are respected by other humans is a completely different discussion. The fact is the rights are yours…and theirs. Ours.
No one group of people has the monopoly on struggle. No group has the market cornered on being kicked in the ass. Why are we competing in the Hard Times Olympics? America is a melting pot of ugly and there’s enough ignorance and hatred to go around. You can bet your last couple bucks on that. While it’s refreshing to see you humans out there have an allegiance to your fight and you’re standing firm on your convictions and you’re keeping all the relevant hashtags trending, you can let your guard down enough to appreciate the fact that another group of humans (most of whom also shares allegiance to your cause) is able to celebrate being granted rights that you’ve had for quite some time already. Keep your allegiance, but don’t kill their vibe.
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