Earlier this week the struggle for marriage equality lost a battle. Another battle. Proposition 8 was allowed to stand as law. You may remember that about 52% of the voters voted to write discrimination into the state constitution and take away the right for same-sex couples to marry. Now, keep in mind that about 18,000 people did marry before that, and the world did not come to an end. Amazing! In fact, their actions did not harm anyone at all! These are people that love each other and want to commit to each other. In this time of divorce and adultery everywhere, we should encourage commitment, not outlaw it. But a well-financed bare majority took away that right for millions of Californians. What’s next? Maybe blacks shouldn’t be able to marry whites? There was a time when a majority of people felt that way. See, majority rule is fine most of the time, but when it tramples and takes away the rights of a minority group, then that is a different story.

My wife and I have same-sex friends who married during the “equality period” when it was legal. They love each other deeply. And their marriage is not hurting you in any manner. Bottom line: if you don’t believe in same-sex marriage, then don’t have one! Fine! But you shouldn’t tell me, my friends, and millions of other people who we can and can’t marry. That is wrong, just as inter-racial marriage laws were wrong. And it will be changed eventually. More states are allowing same-sex marriage and, as more people realize that it is no threat, even more states will do the same. Every poll shows that younger people overwhelmingly support equality in marriage rights, so it is just a matter of time before this becomes the dominant view.

One day we will look back and say “how could we have discriminated like this”? Will that be a year from now? A few years? Maybe five, ten, fifteen? I don’t know. But the polling evidence shows a huge trend toward tolerance and acceptance of this right. The voters of the future support it and thank goodness for their open-mindedness and sense of fairness. Once again, the only real threat posed by gay marriage is the gay-bashing and hatred of some of the Prop 8 supporters who think gays are a plague and should be wiped out. Sane people know this is not true, and that people are people. Almost everyone has a gay friend or acquaintance, whether you know it or not. So, get with it, let’s treat these folks equally! The world won’t end and it’s no threat to your marriage! Meanwhile, we will return to fight the next battle in this struggle for equality and equal rights. And we will fight the battle after that, and the next, and how many ever it takes to gain marriage equality.

Tolerance and justice will be the eventual winners.

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