Union

Years ago, when the whole issue of gay marriage began to enter the public discourse, I read an article by a minister who disliked being in a position required to legally document what he considered a church sacrament. He preferred the idea that the legality be separate and unrelated to the religious ceremony, and saw this as a way to defuse the fury of the argument. A model already in place in parts of Europe.

And that is what we need to do with the irrational religious nutjobs. Take our ball and go home, refuse to play. Fine, marriage only between a man and a woman is the sole duty and responsibility of churches. With no legal status whatsoever. Civil Unions are the only legally recognized agreement between any two consenting adults, conferring the legal benefits and responsibilities previously given to married couples.

Of course, the idea will go down like the Equal Rights Amendment. A bit of legislation that might well have defused this before it got very far, through some nifty little loophole that those with twisty "legal" minds could use. Even having it so deeply buried did not stop the progress of women's rights. Stopping gay marriage isn't going to stop gay sex.

I was raised knowing the bible, not chapter and verse because Catholics don't tend to do that. And I never had a head for memorizing. But I know the stories and lessons, understood them. And there is that parable of the workers in the vineyard. If we choose to give the rights of marriage to anyone who wants them, that is not taking anything away from anyone else. If we, as a society, choose to be generous with liberty, it's small and evil to object.

Mustn't get my hopes too high that reason and intelligence will hold sway in this country. Especially since the California prop 8 slap in the face. Still, having a constitutional law professor leading the way, there is a chance.

If you've never seen Henry Rollins in full rant, it's an awesome experience. He's difficult and nuts and profoundly compassionate, a punk bodhisattva, who looks at anything and everything with a full, enraged and engaged heart. He talked about how he could not get in to see George W. Bush, despite many attempts. Somehow the idea of a White House Command Performance, for the new president, seems both possible, and rather inevitable. (Barak Obama apparently is a comic book fan, follows Conan the Barbarian & Spiderman. D is afraid the world really isn't ready for a president who reads Conan, but here we are anyway.)