but anyone who denies that it is a gate, has a hidden agenda to protect.
I don't deny there is a gate. Nor do I think it a trivial gate. I just can't find a good enough reason to make a stand at this particular gate as opposed to all the other gates that have already opened and closed.
Jewel, I was smacked off the fence on this issue by the boisterous proponents of an amendment. Although I'm off the fence, I landed very near to it. I still slide back and forth a bit based on a few things including which set of extremists is making the bigger fools of themselves at the moment, to what extent I'm perceiving homosexuality as hard wiring as opposed to preference, and any valid arguments I might hear about real practical impact as opposed to just the ick factor. I have no horse in this race and I'm not particularly invested in the outcome. I would like to see a solution that works for everyone. Meanwhile, it's interesting to watch social change happen and it's amusing in a bittersweet sort of way to watch folks operate in such a polarized arena.
I understand the almost religious devotion people have to family. I don't happen to have one of those, though, so that aspect of the issue isn't so intense and immediate for me. If you come at things from a family-centric perspective, then your first instinct is to protect the family and everything else is secondary. My approach is to uphold a constructive, collaborative environment in society first and foremost. I recognize the importance of family in our society and want to protect the institution but my mind doesn't go there first nor do I think it trumps everything else. If you start, as I do, from the POV that society needs to be just and nurturing so we can all get along and grow and prosper, then you look for a way to accommodate the needs of homosexuals with regard to family, you see family more broadly than the traditional nuclear family, and you just don't see this alleged assault that has folks so stoked up. |
