Words and the shade of meaning

Not long ago someone noted that the phrase "gay marriage" implied that the love between two gay people way quite different from the love a straight couple had. Thus marriage for gays was a different type of marriage. And laws for gay marriage could be quite different from laws for straight marriage.

Several groups stressed the use of "marriage equality" instead. I began to use it myself.

Timothy Kincaid of Box Turtle Bulletin says even that phrase is too confining. We want equality, not just in marriage. We don't stress racial equality, just equality. Kincaid wrote, "Equality is equality and it should not be presumed to come with asterisks, qualifiers, exceptions, and omissions." So the question should be "Do you support equality?"

Commenters were not entirely convinced. Simply stressing equality is too vague. People have to be shown that the pursuit of equality includes marriage, parenting, adoption, holding a job, attending church, feeling safe at school, and a whole host of other things. I am too aware of churches who proclaim "We welcome all people," and are quick to say, "But not you."

Even so, Kincaid says the dialog can go this way:

Q: Do you support equality?
A: Yes, of course I support equality!
Q: Equality for gay people?
(believe me, there isn’t anyone who doesn’t know what that question is asking)
A: Well… I believe that blah blah blah family, special, history, church blah blah blah
Q: So then you don’t support equality?

Keep the focus on equality and the many ways gays are denied it.



Kincaid has been looking at all the stupid and crazy things (not just related to gays) Rick Santorum has been saying on the campaign trail. A Box of Rocks is looking so much smarter. It even appears Box of Rocks is exploring a run.

This category has several posts in it and will surely only grow until Rocky, uh, Ricky drops out of the race.