California’s East Bay Express commemorated the state’s gay marriage milestone by offering free receptions to readers. The Dallas Morning News isn’t feeling as celebratory. Though the editorial board claims disinterest in perpetuating the debate, they do a hell of job throwing fuel on the fire – and largely for the right:
This newspaper has endorsed civil unions for same-sex couples as a matter of basic fairness. But like many Americans, we have stopped short of fully endorsing gay-marriage rights. Fundamentally redefining the nature and meaning of marriage in law is a radical step, one that no prudent society will rush into.
…
The California court action forces Americans to take a stand on either side of the divide. Though there is a slowly emerging democratic consensus in favor of gay marriage, it does not yet exist, and it is by no means evident to most Americans that gay marriage is, in essence, a civil rights matter.By leaping ahead of evolving social mores and removing the issue from democratic debate, the courts could be inadvertently setting up a backlash that threatens to poison our politics for some time.
And thank God we have a free media to spread that so-called poison!
John
I do not have the same reaction to the editorial board’s comments. To me, they are pointing out very real issues: there is, in fact, slowly evolving democratic consensus in favor of gay marriage but we do not have the support of the majority in this country. Indeed, I do not believe that most people yet believe gay marriage is a civil right. I further believe that we will have backlash from judicial decisions that are ahead of popular opinion.
Having said this, I do not believe the judges should back track. I just think it is prudent to realize there will be more states passing constitutional amendments defining marriage as between “one man and one woman” as a result of the California decision.
We have a long way to go…
By leaping ahead of evolving social mores and removing the issue from democratic debate, the courts could be inadvertently setting up a backlash that threatens to poison our politics for some time.
Charley
It’s a fundamental right of all Americans to be married to a spouse of their choice, and should be none of the government’s business the gender of the married people. Traditional definition of marriage is not a good enough reason to exclude same sex couples, a segment of society from the same rights as every heterosexual couple receives.
Jack Jett
I live in Dallas. Dallas is owned and operated by the Evangelical community. No shit.
The head honcho at the Dallas Morning News is a little bearded homophobe named Rod Dreher. He runs a website called Belief Net.
Sadly, this homophobia run rampant among all of our papers including our “alternative” paper which is part of the Village Voice organization.
The main editor is a girl named Julie that goes by the scribe..BIBLE GIRL. Bible Girl use to be a lesbian until she found Jesus and now thinks all gay people should turn straight.
D Magazine allows people to refer to gays as
pedophiles on their blog.
It is a fucked up city guys….one fucked up city.
Gay bashings get ignored. Gay political figures get knocked down. It is one way Jesus or no way gay.
Charley
Jack Jett
I heard the most gay friendly place to live of the southern cities was Dallas. Has it changed ?
Former Dallasite
It’s a friendy gay place, not necessarily gay-friendly. It does have one of the best gay communities – not “live and let live” like Austin is – but friends, neighbors, close-knit group of people who will always let you in their circle.
Anarchos
I wonder what the Dallas Morning News (or whichever newspaper was around in Dallas then) had to say about California Supreme Court’s Perez decision in 1948.
Jack Jett
Charley
I think Former Dallasite has a great take on Dallas. I had to move back here for family health reasons. The gay community here is great. People friendly.
The problem is that the evangelical community has control of all aspects of the press and local government. As you can tell from the above article, they really don’t even make an attempt to hide their homophobic attitudes.
michael
Its great to know that the Gay community in Dallas
is supportive and caring for each other, that is the kind of kinship I would love to see happen with us all. I used to live in Nashville, Tn. Another bastion of fundamental christianity and that “vile” contemporary christian music scene, so I have a lot of empathy for all GLBT’s living in Dallas.
Jaroslaw
Jack Jett: I normally love your posts, but I have to ask if Jack Dreher is a born again and homophobe to boot, why did the paper endorse civil unions?
Also
(a) Stop with the unchallenged untrue broad, sweeping statements (….no society ever….)
(b) Sometimes, society has to do the right thing without a consensus
(c) Most American don’t know enough about law or history to know whether or not marriage is a civil rights matter and this should be gently pointed out.
American students, it is well documented have some of the highest self esteem of all the industrialized countries and the lowest test scores relative to same.
So, I suppose, editorials like this are going to go unchallenged……