SHOULD WE LEAVE IT TO THE STATES? Barry Deutsch

[Barry Deutsch is a cartoonist and wedding coordinator in Portland, Oregon. He blogs on "Alas, a Blog," which focuses on gender and feminist issues.]

As a matter of short-term strategy, it might be for the best if marriage equality is left to states to decide for a while. After a few years of same-sex marriage in places like Oregon and Massachusetts fails to cause the sky to fall (or straight marriages to break up, or a surge in single-mother families, etc etc), the case for marriage equality will be that much stronger.

I also have faith in the reflexive fairness of most Americans. Give the marriage equality movement several years of showing that marriage equality is about real human families loving each other, and many Americans now in the anti-equality majority will overcome their fears. The idea of equal treatment under the law has a basic appeal to fairness which I think will win out over the horror stories of the fearmongers.

However, as a matter of principle, the 14th amendment should protect all Americans, not just heterosexual Americans. Same-sex couples therefore should have equal marriage rights in every one of the fifty states. In the long run, if the states won't recognize equality on their own, I hope the Supreme Court forces them to.

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posted by Eve at 6:02 PM VOTE

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