As I’ve told you all, the Kid is studying the constitution in school and last week he had a debate about gay marriage in his classroom.
The Kid, being a child who has always been around gay people and who has a mom who falls pretty near the middle of the Kinsey scale, came out to me as straight when he was 8. Conversation went like this-
“So mom, I think I’ve got it figured out”
“What do you have figured out”
“There are men who love other men and they are gay”
“Yes”
“And there are men who love women and they are straight”
“Yes, and there are also women who love women and they are gay too”
“Okay, I think when I grow up I am going to be straight”
“Okay kiddo, but those aren’t the only choices, there are people who love both men and women too”
And at that point I think gave his little 8 year old brain more info than it could handle. But I am told that it is pretty normal for kids who are around lots of gay and bi people to come out to their parents as straight (if that’s what they are).
So we have been more than tolerant (tolerant implies being kind to people who you think are different- we think people are just people and should get to love who they want)in our home. And he of course took this into the debate with him.
But the interesting part was talking to him about the constitutionality of DOMA afterwards.
My favorite poly sci professor ever, Mac Murray, is an old school civil rights attorney. He’s the one who enlightened me about how the gay marriage debate is finally going to end in this country. And I got to pass this little nugget onto the Kid.
In article IV is the full faith and credit act.This means that all states must give credit to the public and judicial acts of other states. This includes honoring the marriages of people married but moved to other states. Once we have states that have full legal marriage for gays and one of those couples moves to state that doesn’t have full legal marriage, they can challenge on constitutional grounds. And if the Supreme court (where it eventually will end up) stays true to the constitution then gay marriage will HAVE to be allowed.
But it must be marriage. Domestic partnerships don’t fall into the full faith and credit act. And as we all know, domestic partnerships are a half assed attempt at placating people without giving them real rights. It’s the gay version of separate but (not) equal.
So yay California. Your supreme court’s ruling that domestic partnership does not equal marriage puts us one step closer to that day when the Supreme Court says “a marriage in one state between gay people must be honored in all states”.
And the Kid will be happy yo hear this when he gets home tonight.
