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Same Sex MarriageAn Open Letter to Every Politician in the United StatesBy Gary Konecky
The issue of same sex marriage is a simple issue. Same sex marriage is about; fairness, justice, human dignity and respect for that dignity. It is about standing before friends,family and loved ones and publicly stating your commitment to: love, honor, care for another human being. It is about having that person, who you love with all your heart;make that same commitment to you.It is also about civil rights and legal rights, such as the right to inherit property, the rightto make funeral arrangements for a loved one. It is about the right to visit someone in ahospital. It is about the right to help make medical decisions about the only person in theworld whose life matters more than your own life.We have a word for that commitment, the word is marriage, not civil union, not domestic partnership; only one word means all this and that word is marriage. We have only oneword for that one special person in our lives and that word is spouse. No other wordcomes close, not domestic partner, not significant other, not any other term.Our laws are written using the terms marriage and spouse. The many contracts we enter into during our lives, including but not limited to employment contracts, are written usingthe terms marriage and spouse. Our relationships are defined using the terms marriageand spouse.Civil union is not the same as marriage. Civil union is well intentioned, but despite itsintentions, it is an insult. Civil union and domestic partnership say that the state does notrecognize our same sex loving relations as being equal to those of heterosexuals.Because our relationships are not equal, we are not equal. This is an insult to every gayman and lesbian in this state.For you the issue is moral courage, the challenge to do the right thing in the face of uncertain consequences. Organized religion cannot help guide you. The UnitarianChurch, the United Church of Christ, the Episcopal Church, the Reform andReconstructist branches of Judaism, and many other religions and religious leaderssupport same sex marriage. On the other side, there are vocal religions leaders whooppose same sex civil marriage. Therefore, religion does not have an unequivocalviewpoint that can guide you.The proposed law allowing all loving adult couples to marry does not require anyreligion, and does not require any religious leader, to act against his or her or their understanding of G-d’s will. It merely grants the option of marrying to all those adultcouples who wish to do so. Nobody is being forced to do anything.
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