Gay Marriage until...a break up. Why Gays need to walk the walk.

[TenderKnight]

Originally Posted by Converse

I have no knowledge of the Etheridge situation (I only recently discovered that Ellen and Heche broke up, and that Madonna and Sean Penn are no longer an item), so I’m not the person to go to for commentary on celebratory happenings, but I do have very strong views on same-sex marriage.

I’m one of the fortunate ones whose marriage is legally recognized. I live in Canada. And for every one of those who has ever argued that the fight to have this happen is not important- I will be the most vocal in saying that they are wrong. Every form we fill in- the spouse column is always completed, a recent trip to the hospital meant that my voice was heard when seeking treatment for my wife who was too sick to speak for herself; my opinion is not disregarded by third parties when they only have her name as a contact and she’s not available. Because the law recognizes our relationship- regardless of any internal phobias, everyone who deals with us must also recognize it. Those who once used “Special friend” or any other words to describe our relationship can no longer do so without the embarrassment of being factually corrected.

To be able to enjoy all that is associated with being legally married, one has to understand that with that comes responsibility, including any consequences that are associated with divorce. The situation that SuperFemme is talking about seems like yet another sad example of why the fight for recognition of same sex marriages must be fought.

Separate to that I can not comment on the ethical way that Etheridge appears to have handled the break-up, but at face value this behaviour seems like a comment on her character- and something I hope any one considering a future with her pays special attention to. Something about a leopard not being able to change their spots…

Converse, thank you for this input.. You know, the legal right to be recognized IS important and I will fight fucking tooth and nail for it, I guess the word "marriage" triggers me on a lot of levels.. Will have to think on that one..