The Reign in Spain

Some organized religious groups -- especially the Roman Catholic and Mormon Churches-- have been very active in trying to block LGBT people from marrying.  It's hard to argue with someone's religious beliefs, because that's just what they are -- beliefs.  Those possessing these beliefs often don't see them that way; their beliefs are truth.  Yet some churches -- the Unitarian Universalist Church is just one -- have supported same-sex marriage for years.  So who decides?  Do the beliefs of one religious faith become the law of the land?  And if our government acts on the belief of some churches to forbid same-sex marriage, isn't that inherently un-American?  Aren't we a country that was founded on -- among many other things -- independence from a monarchy as well as a state religion?

It might be helpful to look to Spain for guidance.  I lived there in 1980-1981.  Franco's death still hovered over the country.  Divorce had just become legal in this country that was overwhelmingly Catholic.  I couldn't imagine any recognition of gay people back then.  So how did Spain come to be one of the first country to make same-sex marriage legal?  Gay couples have been marrying there since 2005.

I wonder if decades of dictatorship made Spaniards more sensitive to the rights of everyone, not just the majority.  Sure, many Spaniards may not agree with same-sex marriage, but they recognize that they don't have to agree in order to support the right for everyone.  The Catholic Church, once so powerful in Spain, had little influence on the vote in Parliament that made same-sex marriage legal.  I wonder if having a history of authoritarian rule has made Spaniards hesitant to follow any authority, including the church.

It is no coincidence that South Africa, another country that for decades denied basic freedoms to some of its people, was also one of the first to legalize same-sex marriage.  In fact, the post-apartheid constitution was the first in history to ensure basic freedoms for gays and lesbians.

The far right in the United States is trying to take over one of our two major political parties.  When in power, they define patriotism as agreement; when out of power, they define it as rebellion.  How much power they are allowed to amass will have implications for the freedoms of many more people than LGBT folks.  I'd hate to believe that only then will people realize that denying the right to marry was the first step towards a right wing victory. Maybe then -- after women lose the right choose, after more laws like the Patriot Act are enacted -- will the voters of Maine and California regret that they didn't question religious authority when voting on the civil rights of US citizens at the ballot box.  Referenda on civil rights is more than un-American.  It is the slipperiest of a very dangerous slope.