Friday semi-rant

[ellenscult]

This afternoon, thanks to Whatever, I read this article. Although it's very sad, it reminds me yet again how glad I am that we have civil unions in the UK, how glad I am that one by one countries are making same-sex marriage legal, that states in the US (despite California's Proposition 8) are moving in the right direction.

It shouldn't even be an issue. If both parties are adult and want to marry, sex and gender should be the least of our issues. Why should I have the right (and incredible good fortune) to be married to the love of my life just because he's male and I'm female, but not if we're both men, both women? I'm bi; I could have easily fallen in love with another woman and that wouldn't have been an issue for me, my family or (I'm pretty sure just about all of) my friends.

Marriage is where you combine your heart and your community and all the legal stuff into one declaration:

This is other half of my soul, the person who is most important to me, the person I want to spend my life with.

So I don't see how so many people can regard this as the collapse-of-civilization zombiepocalypse. It's not. With death a certainty, why put the survivor through such extra trouble? To deny people the right to marry their loved one is cruel. It's inhumane.

I do have a problem with places that allow (with parental consent) young teenagers to marry. This is right, but same-sex marriage is wrong? My mind boggles. Looking at you, Alabama, looking at you.

Other stuff:

Gakked from rhube, Uncomfortable Plot Summaries - very funny indeed.

From jaylake's link salad, vintage sexist ads.

ETA: spindr and anyone else in Sheffield who uses cash machines on Fargate and The Moor - there's a new cash machine scam going on, so be careful. Verified by staff at HSBC and a press release by South Yorkshire Police today, so probably not a hoax.

Comments

[rhube.livejournal.com]

I couldn't agree more. I just don't get what the big fuss is about sex and gender. But then, most people tend to not understand my not getting it, so the fact that some of them apply it to love and sexual relations shouldn't be a surprise. I just... love is love is love, nay? As it happens, I'm only attracted to men. I happen to think that this has more to do with various psychological issues, and that being bi might be a lot healthier, but this is a matter we cannot prove. I happen to find the boys hot and the girls not. I don't agree with marriage, either (although I'm very happy with however my friends want to express their love, and have been deeply warmed and honoured when they've included me in their ceremonies of public devotion) but I wouldn't for a second wish to take away the happiness I have seen that making a promise of love in such a way obviously brings them. That some of my friends should get to do it because their loved one happens to be of the opposite gender, whilst others should be forever forbidden... it seems unbearably cruel, and I just don't get it.


Glas you liked the Uncomfortable Plot Summeries, though.

[jaxotea.livejournal.com]

This, So this.

I would just want to ask them how they can be so cruel and nasty and still look at themselves in the mirror.

(Though obviously I do agree with marriage, on my terms, minus the old fashioned mysogony. :-) ellencult hit the nail on the head on how I think, plus the fact that I would have legally bound myself to hubbie even if he could not, it was about me giving myself to him. But that's just me)

Love the link to the plot summaries, nice find :-)

[rhube.livejournal.com]

*is not going to get into the marriage debate (my objections are not really about mysogeny, although it sure is an interesting history on that front)* As said above, if it makes you happy, I wouldn't want to deny you it - it's mutually consensual (in this culture... hopefully... certainly in your case) after all.

Glad you liked the plot summaries, though. And yay! Someone 'This'd' me - this had never happened outside of fandom before, and that only happened like, once or twice :D

[rhube.livejournal.com]

I'm Rosie, by the way - I believe you're the Olivia I know, but sadly hardly see, these days - just in case you were wondering why I friended you a while back. Fair enough if you don't want to follow my journal, though, I tend to whitter an awful lot - just wanted to drop a line in case you are wondering, given the somewhat anonymous nature of internet life... and to give you the opportunity to say: 'Dude, I am so not that person!' :D

[jaxotea.livejournal.com]

Opps Sorry, I hadn't looked at my Manage Friends page for a while :-( have set right :-)

[ellenscult]

I can't understand it. Mind you, I don't understand a lot of the capricious cruelties we humans perpetrate on each other. *sigh* I just hope we can keep moving towards a little more enlightenment.

[ellenscult]

There are still strong legal reasons for a couple to get married, regardless of what one thinks about the institution itself. And whether or not marriage is a good thing, I don't understand how it can't be open to all. Meh. :(

Thanks for the link! :) Sorry for not commenting.

[rhube.livejournal.com]

Thanks also to the link to vintage sexist ads!

[ellenscult]

You're welcome!

[spindr.livejournal.com]

Thank you; will be on my guard! :)

[ellenscult]

No problem. It sounds like a hoax when you hear the details, but backed by the banks and the police, I'd rather not dismiss it. *shrug*

[ellenscult]

*hugs*