A Note on Marriage Equality

By Robyn Harper

When our marriage laws reflect equality, we WILL get out 'gay marriage.' The law will call it marriage but society wont. If we call it 'gay marriage' on our lead to equality, what makes us think that it'll stop being 'gay marriage' after the laws reflect equality?

The right to marry is a basic human right. Using the phrases 'gay rights' and 'gay marriage' do nothing but further the misconception that we're looking for something different, something special, some form of preferential treatment. The simplicity of the matter is that 'gay rights' do not apply to everybody - human rights do. It doesn't help when proponents of equality further the separation for sake of convenient and catchy slogans. 'Gay marriage,' this 'gay marriage' that. We are giving life to distinction and a difference. It's causing a separation. That separation is widening a divide on the basis of sexual orientation, which is exactly the gap we are trying to bridge.

What are the proponents of 'gay marriage' achieving? They are cementing the concept of difference based on sexual orientation. They are cementing the concept of different type of marriage based on gender - 'gay marriage.' Look at the papers, 'gay marriage' is everywhere. The thing is, both proponents and opponents use the phrase. One sees it as a different thing. I'm not saying 'gay marriage' is a bad thing. It's just a different thing. It's not an equal thing. Marriage is. Marriage equality is.