Pucker Up Untying the Knot

[seemslikeadream]

Pucker Up
by Tristan Taormino
Untying the Knot
Giving marriage a queer-eye makeover just might loosen up mom and pop
June 28th, 2004 4:00 PM

ast week, the Equality Campaign and dontamend.com launched a series of Internet ads (dearmary.com) targeting Vice President Dick Cheney's lesbian daughter, Mary Cheney, with the tagline "Dick's daughter sold out to help Dick run again." With simple stick figure images, the animated ads tell the story of how Mary Cheney came out, recruited gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender voters for George W. and her father in 2000, and continues to be a key, paid figure in their re-election campaign—all this despite the fact that her dad and his buddy want to make her and her partner second-class citizens. If you're queer, chances are you've got a complicated relationship with your parents, or at least it was temporarily complicated when you came out. Some gays are estranged from their parents, others are tolerated but not embraced, and still others have wonderful relationships. But what if your parents had the power to effect real change on a national level that touched you personally? That's why many of us cannot imagine how a daughter not only stands by her dad but actually supports him when his party and his administration want to deny her basic rights simply because of who she is and who she loves.

"Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution, nor the constitution of any state, shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon any union other than the union of a man and a woman," says the text of the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment." The week of July 12, there will be a full vote by the Senate on the FMA. It's a testament to the LGBT civil rights movement that we continue to be a prime target of the right wing; our visibility, activism, and progress have made us a true threat. The fact that they're freaking out at all is a small victory, but the war is far from over. Oh, and speaking of war, isn't it convenient that Republicans are whipping Americans into a frenzy over same-sex marriage, making it the hot-button issue of the election, so they can avoid addressing the economy, education, Medicare, and oh, that nasty little disaster called the war in Iraq?

Once again right-wingers are better organized than their lefty counterparts, mobilizing anti-LGBT groups to bombard senators with e-mails, phone calls, and letters encouraging them to vote for the FMA. (Pick up the phone or log on, people.) In another "you don't even want our money?" moment, a study by the Congressional Budget Office concluded that gay marriage would be worth $1 billion a year to the United States economy, but Republicans could care less. The right has swung into action, but what it has not done is make any compelling argument against same-sex marriage. Like a traditional yet out-of-touch mother of the bride, the conservative agenda has given us:

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http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0426/taormino.php

[findyouranswers]

1. I just do not know....

How she can go home at night and be with her partner after a day's work of sabotaging their relationship by promoting those two nutcases all day long. I feel bad for her and am incensed by her at the same time.

[newyawker99]

4. Hi findyouranswers!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[SheilaT]

2. I understand that

someone may well have a strong personal or religious belief that marriage is the union of one man and one woman. But it's not necessary to have a constitutional amendment concerning that. Like abortion (if you don't believe in it, don't have one) if you don't believe in same-sex marriage, don't do it.

What makes me so effing crazy is that THESE people claim to want less government interference in our lives.

[clydefrand]

3. Your message is so simple

and one I agree with fully. Why can't other people see it our way? If you don't like it, don't do it!! But an amendment is stupid and I think even the repugs are seeing that an amendment will never fly even through the congress. Give it up, people.