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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (April 21, 2011)
living out BY SALLY SHEKLOW Forever Hold Your Peace The big bogus bridge to nowhere I THIS WEEK’S and big food fo ood a nd drink specials tuesday burger & brew any burger, any brew $8 HOTEL EUGENE E wednesday wrap & well any wrap, any well $8 thursday wine & dine 205 Coburg Road, Eugene ene 541-342-5201 any glass of wine, any menu item $10 f anyone present has any reason why these two women should not be joined in matrimony speak now. Nobody? Amazing! The bad news is that while 53 percent of Americans now support legalizing marriage for gay and lesbian couples, 44 percent remain uber- opposed. I’m not talking about YOU, of course. You’re cool and you get it, and I thank you sincerely. Meanwhile, in all but six U.S. states, it’s still illegal for two men or two women to wed. In Indiana, for example, they’re pursuing a constitutional ban, even though it’s already against the law there, so they can install one more padlock on equality’s door. Can’t be too safe when it comes to protecting us from … what was it again? Oh, right. “Redefi ning traditional marriage.” Which defi nition and which tradition, do they mean, exactly? The Biblical tradition of a man marrying multiple wives? Keeping concubines? Owning slaves? Laws prohibiting interracial marriage? Or denying that rape can occur within a marriage? Requiring a wife to obtain her husband’s written permission to borrow money? Thank God(dess) we’ve evolved. The defi nition of marriage has always been evolving. It’s traditional for our traditions to evolve. The 44 percenters are irrational, but they have their reasons. Let me count the ways. We must exclude lesbian couples from marriage because — and you’ll remember this from Anita Bryant’s “Save Our Children” campaign — They are out to get our kids! (Same old scare tactic that worked wonders for the Klan, the Nazis, and the Spanish Inquisitors — talk about reuse-repurpose-recycle!) Naturally, they’re not talking about saving children who already have two moms or two dads. Truth is — and study upon study backs this up — on average, offspring of married parents tend to be healthier, better adjusted, and more secure than offspring of non-marrieds, whether the parents are gay or straight. No lie. Wanna save the children? Let their parents marry. Besides, heterosexual couples aren’t required to reproduce to qualify for a marriage license. Lots of married people don’t have kids. Basing the freedom to marry on how it might affect children is one big bogus bridge to nowhere. Even so, by the way, studies also show that children with two dads or two moms actually exhibit better problem-solving skills, more compassion, and greater acceptance of differences than children of straight parents. Not that anyone’s advocating only same-sex parents be allowed to have kids. I’m just sayin’. The one-man/ one-woman-only thugs claim that gay and lesbian weddings somehow would take away religious freedom. Please. The whole idea is to ensure everyone’s freedom. Religions get to choose which couples they marry within their churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, covens, faerie circles or wherever. No law would change that. Only faiths supporting marriages for gay and lesbian couples will perform them. The rest are free to practice their narrow-minded, backward, chauvinistic, misogynistic, spiritual terrorism to their shriveled hardened heart’s content. Not that I’m biased. So, what does that leave. Anything? I mean it. If anybody has one single solitary valid reason for denying me and my mate of 23 years — or any loving couple — the freedom to marry, I’d like to hear it. Well? I’m waiting … Award-winning writer, Sally Sheklow’s legal Canadian marriage is not recognized by the U.S. government or the state of Oregon. Treat Yourself Right: Shop at Eugene’s World-Class Neighborhood Grocery Store LOC AL NATURAL ORGANIC GOURMET SPECIALTY VARIETY 25th & WILLAMETTE • EUGENE • 541-345-1014 OPEN DAILY 8AM-10PM • www.capellamarket.com 6 APRIL 21, 2011 EUGENE WEEKLY WWW.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM • BLOGS.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM
