Gays: Fighting for Same-Sex Marriage

Twenty years ago it seemed almost impossible to talk about gay rights. For example, when one of the gay-partners got into the hospital, and his mother didn’t accept the idea of seeing his beloved there, nothing could be said or done. The fact of gay-relationship was considered horrifying.

Fortunately, now we can confidently confirm that times have changed. Imagine how the situation would be different if women hadn’t taken any action for the right to vote. Or African-Americans hadn’t tried to reach the rights of equality.

Marriage is something real that gays can reach only if they persistently keep on moving. There are no laws that cannot be changed.

Recently it was declared by a judge that gay couples lacking the right to get married is a form of gender discrimination, and this is violating the state Constitution's equal protection point. Every time the gays become one step closer to fully legal marriages for same-sex couples. Still there are a lot of people who are sure the idea of same-sex marriage is a dream never to become true, and as a result, they are not going to do anything to change the situation.

When talking about marriage, people often prefer to look at Canada. They think about it as a country with a society where people are more tolerant and are not subject to fright, prejudice and ignorance. But in fact it is nonsense. Just one couple and their lawyer started fighting for equal marriage rights. They managed to make some noise and draw public attention. But the process was really gradual. The first couple was joined by another, and much later there were eight couples fighting side by side up to the Supreme Court.

All lower courts made the same decisions. There were no justifiable reasons to deprive same sex couples from the right to marry. Finally, the government made the conclusion that their appeals cost the tax payers money and there were no chances that the courts could decide the matter in their favor. The victory came after a lot of time - the Canadian government introduced the bill and in the next half a year the bill was supposed to pass, and be transformed into law. It really happened.

The US government members may mention places like Belgium and The Netherlands where same sex marriage is legal and say it is just proving that all Europeans are odd. But the American courts will consider the laws of Canada while making their decision.

Gays all around the world should not give up struggling for future. And every sounded opinion matters. Everybody can make the difference by calling, writing, emailing or faxing to representatives at local, state and federal level. By this simple procedure they will be informed that you are a voter that supports equal rights and wants them do the same. Any official representative is supposed to stand up against the laws keeping down any citizen no matter what sexuality he has. Their job is to represent your interests. Even if your representative makes it absolutely clear he is not going to support same sex marriage ever in his life, he will be notified that you hold another position. Just imagine if your representative got a hundred phone calls or letters a day insisting on supporting same sex marriage. He would have to count with it.