Ah June - such a popular month for weddings! Now that same-sex marriage is (somewhat) legal in California and that those marriages will be recognized in New York like any other, I’m sure this will be quite a bicoastal summer for plenty of folks. Still, you won’t find many politicians who unequivocally lobby for marriage equality. This election year, all the remaining candidates oppose same-sex marriage but also oppose a constitutional amendment banning it.
Same-sex unions that are recognized by both church and state are nothing new. However, isn’t the concept of marriage equality’ more than a little bit contradictory, considering that the institution of marriage has historically been the epitome of inequality?
Go get that copy of Jet magazine from your coffee table and turn to the middle, (you know, just before you get to the Jet Beauty centerfold). Traditionally, the bride wears white and the groom wears black. (That’s probably a thesis in and of itself.) And the groom - aren’t people (usually men) who train and tend horses also called ‘grooms’? Before a horse is ridden, it’s fitted with a bridle over its head. And, for extra control, blinders are attached to the bridle to limit the horse’s sight. Let’s see: bridle made of leather, bridal veil made of lace … and I don’t believe there are many horses that ask to be bought, groomed and ridden. Just like there probably aren’t many brides who’ve carried their grooms over the threshold - a marriage tradition that bears a remarkable resemblance to this famous series of paintings and sculptures.
For many, the marriage ceremony is an incredibly lavish religious sacrament and no expense is spared. For many others, it’s not - and the legal document is sufficient. A state license that sanctions a religious ceremony doesn’t exactly scream out ‘separation of church and state’ but it automatically grants many benefits to anyone allowed to marry. Many of those benefits are saturated with the same inequality found at the very core of the idea of marriage, but wouldn’t some of those benefits (i.e. specifying who takes care of you in the event of a medical emergency) also be beneficial to single people? And those celebratory trips together down the aisles of our local churches won’t automatically result in lifelong sustainable relationships - or in regular everyday trips together down the aisles of our local supermarkets.
Personally, I see marriage equality mostly as a ruse of suburban white gays who don’t really give a shit about equality to reclaim another sizeable chunk of white privilege, so I won’t be picketing for or against it. The Governator was referring to those of a certain income bracket when he exposed the basis of trickle-down theory in his statement that same-sex marriage would be good for the economy; other politicians will probably rely on the same excuse to offer their halfhearted support.
You may kiss …
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