Utter disrespect of families

Many anti-gay leaders who are black resent our comparison of our civil rights battles to theirs. That noise was loud a few years ago at the 40th anniversary of the Loving v. Virginia case was decided by the Supremes saying it was unconstitutional to deny a black person from marrying a white person. Gay couples want the same right to marry that was given to interracial couples.

Ta-Nehisi Coates of The Atlantic is no longer satisfied with the comparison between interracial and gay marriage. Before the Supremes acted blacks could not marry outside their race. However, in most states gays cannot marry any compatible partner. A better comparison is with black slaves of 1810, who were not permitted to marry at all.

All aspects of slavery are bad. Perhaps the worst, though, is its utter disrespect for black families. Owners could sever parent from child for a good price. Today, the inability of gay couples to legally marry disrespects their families.

Of course, a gay man in 2010 has a lot more rights than a slave in 1810. There is still one thing in common -- society and law disrespects their families.