The Rainbow Connection
Ever since Prop 8 passed here in California there has been a lot of anger, hurt, and outcry spread on the internet about the issue. With that in mind I decided to write a bit of a more light hearted post on the subject that while not the most serious in nature, has what I feel is a valid proposition.
Following the passage of Prop 8 here in California the streets of Los Angeles became a breeding ground for angry No on 8 supporters. The protests have raged on almost daily since the passage of Prop 8 and I have seen a lot of outcry from those on the Yes side of 8 calling the No on 8 supporters the haters. So I’ve decided to throw something out the for both Yes and No supporters of Prop 8.
Obviously for 2008 this issue is dead. We can fight it until we’re blue in the face, but we know that even if it does get overturned at some point it is going to be right back on the ballot. To the Yes on 8 supporters who don’t understand WHY all of the gays and supporters in Los Angeles are angry I want you to consider this. What would you do if your right to marry someone was taken from you simply because your lifestyle wasn’t the “norm”. Wouldn’t that piss you off a bit? Honestly…think about it.
For the No on 8 supporters, I feel ya’. I was right there alongside you last Saturday at the No on 8 Protest in Corona, but unfortunately our efforts weren’t enough. So what if WE are the ones who take action for the next election and get our measure put on the ballot. What if we do it in such a way that it gives gays what they want in their unity of marriage, but we do it in a way that will either make the Christians look like liars and hate mongers or will hold them true to their words.
There are a lot of Christians out there right now that are claiming their Yes on 8 vote was not based on hate, instead they are claiming they did it based on the belief that the word “marriage” should only be used between a man and a woman. So here is my proposition for the residents of California; if you don’t like the word marriage then why don’t we write a new proposition that will give homosexuals every bit of the same rights as a “traditional marriage”, but we come up with a cooler name for it…How about “rainbow connection”? (Again I am injecting humor here because I want people to start healing and start thinking about what can be done to better the situation)
If you’re Yes on Prop 8 because you don’t want homosexuals to be “married” then can they have a “rainbow connection”? We’ll give them all the same rights the rest of us get, but we’ll call it a rainbow connection. Then you can have your “marriage” and it won’t step on your Christian rites and terminology.
If something like this didn’t pass then clearly we could call the Christians, Mormons, and everyone else opposed to it hate mongers and be right. I think it’s brilliant, but that’s just me. And again I wrote this in a very light hearted fashion because I am tired of all the serious posts about this attacking each side for being wrong. Stop arguing and start coming to a solution. If the church is afraid of you using “marriage” then come up with something better than marriage, seriously.
4 thoughts on “The Rainbow Connection”
Mike! Fabulous post! This is exactly what I have been saying. First off, love the Kermit reference and photo. Second – this is exactly what I have been saying.
First – don’t overturn current legislature. Put something legit on the ballot! You want gay marriage, but it on the ballot!
Secondly, lots of arguments against Prop 8 have said we need a complete separation of Church and State. Fine! You want it? My idea is to get rid of marriage COMPLETELY. IF marriage is a Biblical term – then how about the state changes “domestic partnerships” or “civil unions” to be exactly the same in rights as marriages. Then, the church is the one to actually “marry” but in the eye of the state, you have a “civil union”. That way, churches that want to “marry” gay people, can, and those that don’t want to, don’t? The definition of marriage is preserved, everyone gets what they want – I don’t see what’s wrong with this??
Katie, my thoughts on this is that most homosexuals are probably not upset by the term marriage so much as the rights entitled to married couples. So if we just do way with the terminology that so many people are upset about then we have come to an easy compromise.
The catch is that others are arguing about churches rights in the matter, but I think if written properly the church can be safe from any kind of consequences. I doubt many homosexuals are seeking to be married in churches that don’t want to marry them anyway.
yah, I don’t think churches need to worry about people wanting to be married somewhere that doesn’t want to marry them 😉
Good post Mike.
As always, your Christian, Anna 😉
I really like these thoughts and while I’ve never been an activist on anything in particular, I really think that those people who support marriage/civil union/rainbow connections for all in an equal way should be out there and making their voice heard. But you’re absolutely right. Being angry in trying to get something done has never gone well for either side. Presenting a logical case with no negative emotions is the only way I think we’ll see this through.