Today I was watching some of the Indiana Senate hearing on HJR-3. For those not familiar with HJR-3 (formerly HJR-6) it is a proposed amendment to the Indiana Constitution that would prohibit marriage equality or anything resembling marriage for gay people. Indiana requires any changes to the state constitution to be ratified by two consecutive legislative sessions before going to a voter referendum. Here is the language that was passed in the prior legislature:
HJR-3 Language
“Only a marriage between one (1) man and one (1) woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Indiana.
“A legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized.”
(and here is where I had a whole bunch of dry facts about the legislative process - none of which I wanted to read through so I'm sure no one else did either)
A few weeks ago the Indiana House passed HJR-3 without the second sentence. Today the Senate committee heard testimony and voted to send it to the full Senate also without the second sentence and it will very likely come to a vote later this week. During all the testimony I read the live feed on Facebook and Twitter while trying to hold down the fear of what the passage of HJR-3 will mean to my family. I wonder if people realize that this is more than just legally defining marriage in this state, but is more about how Indiana will view my family. We are a happy little bunch, and I know we are loved by our family and friends here. But to live in the state I grew up in and returned home to so we could raise our daughter would become unthinkable and not possible any longer. There is a limit to what a stack of legal paperwork can do to protect us and it is a large stack.
I'm not sure how things will turn out, but to hear several groups stand on research as to why a mother and a father are necessary for children to have any hopes of growing up well adjusted made we wonder how things got so twisted around. We speak about the legal protections afforded by marriage and they shout "but the bible defines marriage as one man, one woman!" They speak of stable traditional homes as the basis for child rearing and we ask "isn't that what we're doing now?"
Seriously. The picture of values the conservative right is painting is one very similar to what we have with the only difference being there are two guys instead of a guy and a gal under this roof raising a child. We have dinner as a family every night. Robbie is on the school PTO. We both attend our daughters recitals. We wonder if our 50 year old septic system will hold up until the city finally comes through with city services. We vote and pay taxes. We worry if our daughter is doing well enough in school. And now we worry about this piece of legislation.
This is what it boils down to: This is a legal matter not a religious one. Marriage licenses are issued by county clerks not by churches to two consenting adults. Not three or more. Not to an adult and a minor. Or animals. Or toasters. The last three are precluded from signing legal contracts - the first because they aren't old enough, the latter because they are either not a cognizant or sentient being. There is no clause saying you have to procreate or have a religious ceremony when you apply for one - both of which being arguments for denying marriage equality. If your church doesn't support same sex marriage then you can believe that your church won't be forced to perform any. In fact I can personally guarantee that we won't even set foot in your sanctuary.
And here's a question for the conservative religious faction. If you really think that religion should be a reason for enacting laws then which religion should it be? Hebrew, Muslim, Buddhism, Scientology, or any of the other numerous religion? Christians can't even agree on the same interpretation of the Bible whether they be Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, or Episcopalian. There is a very practical reason for separation of church and state - no one has ever been able to find a common ground among all of them. Okay maybe one thing - Love.
2 comments:
To hear, that Indiana isn't about to change that law, is so out of time. So many states of the US moved on over the past years and changed this law or deleted it. Same-sex couples can raise their children as good as any other couple. Everyone who thinks different, has to rethink, in which century we are. Difference is, what makes this world so beautiful. And accepting same-sex marriage is more than omnipresent these days. We have to be open minded and discuss about important things, like war and so on. Equality for every person has to be standard and supported. Everyone can be, who he wants to be.
well said!!
Henry
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