Still more news you won't read at Andrewsullivan.com
This item (link via Drudge).
In Canada, a country that is obviously far, far more gay-friendly than the US, only about 1% of the population will admit to being gay. Another 0.7% admit to being bisexual. This similar to data from US surveys I've seen on the subject. The bottom line is gays are a far smaller minority than either they or their hetero supporters are willing to admit.
So why is this significant? Because we are currently debating a radical change in the definition of marriage, one that is opposed by a solid majority of the population. For such an idea to be politically acceptable, there needs to be a general level of support by the majority. To put it simply, there are millions more "conservative Christians" than gays in the US, and if gays simply resort to forcing the issue via the courts before the population is ready for it, there will be a backlash.
I suspect that deep down inside, Sullivan knows this. But admitting he knows it is another thing.
posted by Captain Holly @ 16:21
2 comments
2 Comments:
Yeah, I saw that also. I thought about blogging it, but since you read Fancy Andy more than me, I thought I'd let you do it. So, eventhough in real terms, they are a smaller minority, they make up for it by the sheer amount of yelling and screaming they do.
So a small minority's rights are unimportant? You know, back in the day, there were less african/asian/latin americans so I guess it was okay to tell them they couldn't vote, own property, etc. I guess that goes for women as well. There aren't as many as them so screw 'em. The majority (which isn't as large in the states as you'd like to think) don't get to trample on the minority. Here's something from ABCnews.com:
"In this ABCNEWS/Washington Post survey, 38 percent of Americans favor amending the U.S. Constitution to make it illegal for homosexual couples to marry, but 58 percent say, instead, that each state should make its own laws on gay marriage.
That's not an endorsement of same-sex marriages — indeed most, 55 percent, say such marriages should be illegal. Instead it suggests a public judgment that the issue doesn't merit pre-empting the states and amending the U.S. Constitution.
Compared to same-sex marriage, this poll finds a closer division in public views on gay civil unions — 51 percent opposed, but 46 percent in favor."
So 58% want to let States decide? Fair enough. But...what's this? Only 55% of the country believes gay marriages should be illegal all together?! Wow! That's not quite the vast majority you make it out to be.
I've been married to my wife for 6 years now and I won't feel slighted in the least when a gay couple is allowed to get married. We weren't married in a church, being the evil heretics we are. We were married by a close friend (a judge). By your standards nonreligious people or nonChristians more likely, would also not be allowed to get married.
But you're neglecting to remember that a marriage in this country is a contract. For some is is a contract between two (or in Utah, more) people and God. Others it's just between two people. That is what the States recognize. And any details about those people like race or gender should not hinder the fact that they are making this commitment.
Don't worry about their marriage. If you focus on your own relationships as much as theirs we wouldn't have such a high divorce rate. Judging is reserved for God anway, right? Not you.
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