Kids have, of course, been used effectively in the debate on marriage equality, especially since our opponents say they are denying us marriage to protect those kids. There was one young lad, son of a lesbian couple, testifying before the Rhode Island legislature yesterday (and, while cute and heartwarming, not worth digging up the link).
And Gracie testified before the legislature in Minnesota a couple days ago, ending with, "which parent do I not need: my Mom or my Dad?" Of course, she is now the darling of the anti-gay crowd.
That left Rob Tisinai wanting to scream in the streets. His reply: "But Gracie, no one is trying to take one of your parents away." (emphasis in the original) He then tells her the story of two little boys adopted by a gay couple. But the men can't get married. Should the boys be asked to give up Daddy or Papi?
Pam Spaulding reacts to the case in Steubenville, Ohio, where a couple teens were convicted of raping a 16 year old woman. Spaulding wonders why, when the verdict was read, the news reaction was about the ruined lives of the young men and not a word about the trauma of the young woman?
Spaulding then quotes Don McPherson, a former NFL player. He also notes the invisibility of the victim. One part stood out:
We must challenge how we raise boys regarding masculinity, as it is often at the expense of women. I’ve realized that society doesn’t raise boys to be men; we raise them to not be women. The lives of men are inextricably interwoven with the lives of women. Women’s issues of safety and equality directly affect our lives as men. Beyond that, women are humans, with the same rights to safety and freedom as men. (emphasis added)I add: The same emphasis on boys not being women spills over into an emphasis on boys not to be gay. Too many horrible mental games there.
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