賛成
I don’t agree with Michael about marriage policy, but I think he’s dead right about this:
[We’re part of everyday life.] And it�s our job as gay people to let people know we exist, that we live and work with them, and that we�re family members. You don�t do yourself or anyone else any good when you cry �unfair� from your closet.
You either stay closeted or get to complain that people aren’t doing enough to make your gay life easier, but not both. It’s perfectly honorable to believe that your sexual orientation is a private matter and live by it. You might (in fact, you almost inevitably would) think gay activists are idiots, but you wouldn’t bitch that society is standing in your way. I’m also not referring to what people do on-line–there are lots of reasons people don’t use their own names that have nothing to do with embarrassment at being known as gay.
What I mean are the types like this guy a few months ago–I thought I’d drop my drink right there–who thought that he’d have an easier time coming out to his parents if gay marriage were legal, ’cause, see, then he could go with his new spouse and simultaneously come out and reassure his parents that he had someone to take care of him. He had obviously given this some thought and, in the manner of all thoroughly insane people, presented it in the even tones of one who knows he’s being perfectly rational. I’m afraid I myself may have reacted like a raving lunatic: “You think the folks are going to take it better if you present your entrance into what they consider a degradation of a sacred institution as a fait accompli? That that’s going to mitigate their anger at having been lied to for your entire adult life that work kept you too busy to socialize and you just hadn’t found the right girl?” The hardships involved in being gay make integrity more, not less, necessary.
Sean,
I didn’t realize we had differing views on marriage policy. Do you have a representative post I can read that sets out your views?
You are in luck, sir: under the heading Representative Posts at left, there’s an entry called “The Gay Marriage Post.”
Now that I think about it, I’m not sure it’s accurate to say that we differ on gay marriage “policy,” since (unless I’ve read you wrong) you believe in going through the legislatures, too. The major difference I see (again, unless I’ve misinterpreted what you’ve said) is that I don’t see it as a strict civil rights issue.
Oh good lord. It’s not bad enough that I asked for a representative post – but there’s a whole sections ENTITLED Representative posts.
Canadian gays are lazy. Did you know that?
For your boyfriend’s sake, I just hope you’re not lazy in the Canadian-gay way I’m acquainted with.
Um, wait–that didn’t quite come out right.
What I meant to say is: It’s not your job to have read my entire sidebar. Your wording did make me wonder for a second whether you were joking around, though.