Marriage gets a lot of attention. Even without a marriage movement, it's a billion dollar industry. The LGBT movement as a whole started on the marriage path because a straight man, Mayor Gavin Newsom, decided to make marriage legal in San Francisco, and the public response was incredible. Finally we had, as a movement, an issue that drew allies to our cause and spoke to the heart of what we were talking about: the right to make our own choices about our personal lives and with whom we live them.
Of course, it also brought out the cracks in our armor. The division between our different community needs was highlighted by the placement of marriage at the center of our movement. It inspires and challenges us as a community. And once again, it is being brought to the national mind in a bid for all the cards. Ted Olson, more known for his conservative approach, and David Boies, a long time liberal, have teamed together to challenge the legality of the Prop 8 decision. They make no secret they hope it will make it to the Supreme Court and end the marriage conversation once and for all -- with a positive result.
If I am honest, I don't want marriage. I want national civil unions for all. I want us to separate the religious and legal connections in marriage and make it truly clear that civil rights and religious feelings are not and should never be tied to one another. So, if they win, I hope they win that way.
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