Monday, August 2, 2010

Do it my way so that I'm not on the wrong side of history

That National Organization for Marriage multi-city tour is proceeding with its low turnout. During their stop in Rochester, Minn. NOM head Brian Brown said:

“If we do not stand up for marriage we will be treated under the law as bigots.”

Never mind that they are bigots and that the law doesn't bestow that distinction.

Blogger Timothy Kincaid suggests looking at it this way. When George Wallace, back in 1963, stood in the way of the integration of schools he was supported by the majority of his constituents. Segregation by race was still the standard and those views were well within what was considered normal for the time.

We look back now and shake our heads that racism, built on fear and hatred, was so embedded in the minds of otherwise decent people. We want to turn our backs on such a painful part of our history.

Brian Brown and his NOM colleagues are trying to make sure that heterosexual privilege remains supreme. Because if they don't they share the fate of George Wallace. So they rant that their view is held by the majority of the nation (I hear similar phrases practically every time a GOP politician opens his mouth). They want to come out on the winning side of history.

Alas for them, thankfully for us, we are well beyond the tipping point in public opinion. Our opposition has been in decline since Bush made gay marriage a campaign issue in 2004. More Democrat lawmakers are speaking out for equality and more GOPs don't want to be seen as equality's enemy.

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