Filed by Trevor at 1:59 am under Activism, Fightin' Words, Gay Agenda, Homophobia, Love, Politics

“What is the “gay agenda” anyway? Is it assless wedding gowns?” — Margaret Cho

“Marriage is one of the basic civil rights of man, fundamental to our very existence and survival. To deny this fundamental freedom on so unsupportable a basis as the racial classifications embodied in these statutes, classifications so directly subversive of the principle of equality at the heart of the Fourteenth Amendment, is surely to deprive all the State’s citizens of liberty without due process of law. The Fourteenth Amendment requires that the freedom of choice to marry not be restricted by invidious racial discrimination. Under our Constitution, the freedom to marry, or not marry, a person of another race resides with the individual and cannot be infringed by the State.” — Earl Warren, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States; Loving vs. Virginia, 1967

For want of the ability to officially voice my opposition to Proposition 8 in my home state on Election Day, this past Saturday I joined 2,000 others in a massive protest against the measure — itself just one cog in a wheel that spanned the entire country in one coordinated effort. I feel the events of the day were covered more eloquently by Bil’s earlier post, so I will say simply that twice in as many weeks I have joyfully marched the streets of Downtown Chicago, and at no other point in my adult life have I ever felt so connected as I do now. Regardless of what lies ahead for us as a community and for us as a nation, there is relief and hope in the knowledge that this is a city of kindred spirits.

I used to get a great deal of pleasure out of debating sexuality and religion, which even a cursory scan of past entries on this blog will reflect. But I no longer feel this way. I’ve discovered that the true joy of intense discussion is the province of those whose minds are still searching, who are eager to test new ideas and absorb new information — I feel this was true for me. For years I used this blog as a forum to claw my way out of old ways of thinking; my grappling with the concept of Hell, transitioning from vestigial Christian superstition to a more placid non-theist perspective, solidifying and sharpening my defenses of equal marriage and homosexuality as a whole. And while the book may be closed for all of these, it’s only the latter that has left me so bruised. I’m tired of being forced to defend my status as an equal citizen. I’m tired of the arguments that my desire to have a family — to be a husband and father — is deviant and perverted solely on the basis of gender. But mostly I’m tired of seeing so much of humanity’s inherent ugliness on a consistent vent for such a long span of time, amplified all the more by Divine privilege; no one is more sure of himself than an unintelligent person who thinks God is on his side.

I wrote the following before the vote was taken. To this day no one has spoken up, and I’m hoping this changes:

For those of you who oppose this measure, please continue to fight. Please. And for those of you who support it, I have the following questions:

1.) I, like you, believe in protecting the institution of marriage. How specifically does this legislation accomplish this? Should we also attempt to pass measures banning no-fault divorce and 24-hour wedding chapels with Elvis impersonators officiating the ceremony?

2.) For those of you citing the Bible in your reasoning for your beliefs, just how far are you willing to replicate Old/New Testament society? Are you in favor of public stonings for infidelity? And for those of you uncomfortable with the Old Testament, how many times did Jesus mention homosexuality? For that matter, how many times does the New Testament itself deal with the issue? By comparison, how many references can be found in the Gospels alone regarding divorce and infidelity? Please be specific, and please consult surrounding verses as well as the original Aramaic/Greek/Hebrew texts in order to make sure you are not misrepresenting the message of the text.

3.) For those of you who do not consider yourselves “anti-gay” but support this legislation, what is your justification for this? How is it possible not to be against a person but still vote to strip them of equal rights under the law?

4.) An overwhelming majority of those in favor of this measure describe themselves as social conservatives. Do you? And if so, how successfully does passing this measure fall in line with the conservative edict of limited government?

5.) Are not LGBTQ Americans also tax-paying citizens? If you support denying us equal rights, do you then also support requiring us to pay fewer taxes?

Your voice is your power. Do not put your voice behind a position you cannot defend completely, whatever it may be, however little or great you may deem it.

My name is Trevor Patrick Wilcock, and I am a 27-year-old musician living in Chicago. By voting Yes on Proposition 8, you are declaring that I do not have the legal right to marry the man of my choosing. Accordingly, please own your belief and refrain from waxing eloquent about how tolerant you are, how “un-anti-gay” you are. Instead, do me a favor: send me a message and tell me why you deserve the right to marry and why I do not. And if you are not bold enough to do so, then you’re not bold enough to cast your vote. I look forward to hearing from you.

No government can stifle my ability to love, nor can it stand in the way of my dogged pursuit of a partner for life. Herein lies why this legislation is ultimately doomed, why the opposition to equal marriage is living on borrowed time. Nevertheless, I know that as long as I live the struggle will never be over; I have not the assurances given my married straight brothers and sisters. And I would be lying if I said this affected me in no way.

Marriage is an institution that apparently needs to be “protected” from people like me. I’m exhausted. We cannot give up.