Gay marriage bans keep Americans divided

By Annie Piekarczyk

While many of my fellow Republicans are still feeling bitter and letdown by the outcome of Tuesday’s presidential election, they should look on the bright side. Although they didn’t have much to celebrate after McCain’s loss, as well as the failure of many proposed anti-abortion amendments, they did have some constitutional success, to my dislike.

In several states, including those with an overwhelming amount of Democratic supporters, conservative laws banning same-sex marriages passed. Margins as slim as 3 percent go to show how heated of an issue equality for same-sex couples has become.

On Tuesday, California’s Proposition 8, which establishes marriage as a union between a man and a woman, passed with 52.5% of the vote. This came only six months after the California Supreme Court recognized that same-sex marriage as a constitutionally protected right.

Even more shocking than this highly democratic state passing a conservative amendment is that the success of this amendment has been primarily accredited towards the democratic, minority voters who supported Obama. Many believe that minority voters were compelled to vote because of Obama’s candidacy, and simply voted ‘yes’ on banning same-sex marriage because Obama made it clear that he does not believe in same sex marriage.

I have to admit, I thought minority voters would want equality for same-sex couples because they would be more understanding of still-existing prejudice. Apparently I was wrong, which makes me question humanity. People should fight for equality for all Americans. You should not just want equality for yourself, for people of your same sex, gender, or religion – but for everyone.

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With Obama as our president-elect, I would think this has become clearer – especially now.

I expected more out of the voters; not for them to deny marital rights to couples who love each other, but to accept the differences among their peers.

According to the New York Times, the mayor of San Francisco said the city would no longer marry same-sex couples, but the state attorney general, Jerry Brown, said he believed the marriages performed during the time when they were constitutionally legal would remain valid.

I can only hope so.

For California to abruptly enforce this amendment is literally letting same-sex couples taste freedom and equality, only to take it back in a matter of months. It’s cruel and very disappointing. You cannot let a couple believe they are married for so long, and then tell them that they no longer are, or prohibit other same-sex couples from seeking marriage.

Marriage is a sacred bond, one that cannot and should not be dictated by the government. It’s a personal matter. It’s about love and commitment. People make the argument that allowing same-sex marriage ruins the traditional family and society. Who’s to say that a same-sex marriage is detrimental to society?

What is detrimental to society is inequality and suppression; it’s allowing some percentage of the population to marry, and denying that same right to others.

Much like race and gender, sexual orientation is something that cannot be helped. It’s a trait that you don’t have much, if any, control over. And if race and gender are not legitimate reasons to withhold or deny legal rights, then the same should go for sexual orientation. With such a huge civil rights success in the election of an African American president, I would have thought the equality for same-sex couples would have increased in this election, as opposed to deteriorating.

While California’s Proposition 8 will put an end to same-sex marriage, it will at least still allow room for civil unions, unlike Florida’s Proposition 2, and Arizona’s Proposition 102 which were also passed Tuesday, banning same sex marriage.

I can’t help but lose a little faith in the voters who helped pass these amendments when I see rights being given and then taken away so easily. These may not be life or death matters, but I would have thought Americans had moved past prejudices such as sexual orientation. I thought Americans had become more accepting of one another and of each other’s differences.

Maybe I was wrong.

Annie is a freshman in broadcast journalism and she had one too many cups of coffee today.