Joyce, a reader, writes to ask, “I don’t understand what [you are trying to say when you talk about outlawing divorce]. What does it have to do with only men and women being married?”
Hi, Joyce. I will try to express my point with less irony and more clarity.
I find it interesting that so many of the high-profile Republicans clamoring for a defense of marriage have, themselves, often been divorced. After shredding their own marriages, these people now wish to present themselves as staunch and passionate defenders of that institution.
Which led me to wonder which would be the better defense of marriage:
– outlawing marriage for gay people (which seeks to limit the number of possible marriages), or
– outlawing divorce for everyone (which would put an end to )?
Of course, none of these self-styled conservatives would support such a proposal. They would find such a law to be an unwelcome and unbearable intrustion on their own right to be married to the person of their choice…
… which is exactly gay people feel when the law tells them who they can and cannot marry.
I appreciate your perspective. My partner and I have been together for over 9 years and have registered as domestic partners in Washington DC (no, that doesn’t give you much other than a nice certificate). I was alarmed to see that in my home state of Wisconsin the legislature passed a measure defining marriage (which is now defined as a union between a husband and wife) as a union between a man and a woman. Thankfully the Governor vetoed the legislation and derided the legislature for wasting their time on foolish things. The debate is starting to get ugly and I just wait for the day that same sex couples can get married!!