Government and Same Sex Marriage

Homosexuality is an issue that many people wish to avoid.  Many people still hold the opinion that people who are attracted to another person of the same sex are "wrong" (if that is even possible) and should not be allowed to be married to one another.  I for one support any individual's decision to get married to whoever they want.  Marriage should be based on a deep seated love for another person and the desire to spend the rest of your life with them.  I know that I am flying in the face of many religious views by saying this, but not everyone is attracted to someone of the opposite sex.  It is a fact of life and no matter how much people try to fight against it, nothing will change it because you can not alter someone's underlying attraction.   Every religion has their own view of same sex marriage, most are against it, and there is nothing wrong with their view either.  It is merely an opinion based in deep historical roots that unfortunately will probably take years to change just as it will take years for all of society to come around and openly accept same sex marriages.   There arises a major issue, however, when our government decides to take a stand against the recognition of same sex marriages.  In this day and age when it is unlawful for any corporation to discriminate against people based on their sexuality, how can the government essentially discriminate against people attracted to others of the same sex by not recognizing their marriages as lawful. 

There is some good news in all of this, however, in that a law firm hired to defend the Marriage Act (which is the act that does not recognize same sex marriages) has decided to withdraw their firm from the defense.  Many people in government today feel that the Marriage Act is outdated and needs to go, except for a handful of Republicans, who are committed to defending the Marriage Act as legitimate and seeing it through till the end.  These Republicans, many of them alligned with the forsaken Tea Party, are using our taxpayer dollars to pay lawyers to defend this case.  The law firm that withdrew was charging $520 an hour and would have made in excess of $500,000 throughout the course of the case.  These Republicans, fighting so ardently to cut spending for education and infrastructure are increasing spending in defense of a discriminatory policy that needs to be changed to adapt to the changing world that we live in.  Homosexuality is not a new occurence that just came about within the last few decades.  It has been around for centuries, yet due to cultural taboos and societal mentalities, has not been able to come to the surface.   Our government needs to change their policies to adapt to new societal norms that are becoming more and more prevalent. 

As with any change, people will fight it tooth and nail till the end till they have no choice left but to admit defeat.  Here I am talking about those with the archaic view that everyone should be attracted to someone of the opposite sex.  Some of my best friends and clients over the years have been gays and lesbians and the only reason they were is because I was open to them being who they were and not judging them based on their personal decisions.   There is light at the end of the tunnel for these individuals.  It will take time, just as it took time for women to gain the right to vote and slowly achieve equality in the work place (although equality in pay for them is not there yet).   We live in a society where unfortunately we hold on to our past so tightly that it inevitably defines the future that we live in.  There are those who are able to live in the present and change their views, adapt to new societal norms and mentalities, and create a future for themselves that is ultimately more fruitful and satisfiying than the future of those who cling tightly to their past.  While we can not forget the past, we must not let it define our life and future.  Instead, we should learn from the past and move forward, living each day as it comes.  Republicans today have no concept of the future or for that matter, the present.  They are stuck living in the past and trying to drag the past with them into the future and in the process, wasting our taxpayer dollars on frivolous law suits that are distinctly contradictory to everything that our country stands for, freedom for all and the right to live a life of our choosing.  I urge everyone today to stand up to the wastefulness of these Republicans and take a stand against the Marriage Act whether you believe in same sex marriages or not.   Live today for what it is and don't let the past define your future.