Standard set up: Marriage equality supporter vs. opponent. Last night on CNN, the often insufferable Roland Martin invited Human Rights Campaign executive director Joe Solmonese and Iowa Rep. Steve King (R), a staunch opponent to gay rights who's hoping to drum up controversy for a 2010 gubernatorial run. (He favors amending the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage.) Nothing really new discussed here, and the arguments have been repeated before, but it's great to see attention given to the most important civil rights struggle today — and let bigots like King get a chance to expose themselves as history's villains.
This is also the guy who told an audience at an anti-abortion event on Monday: "I will tell you that I first came into this political arena with the belief innocent human life was the most important thing that I could be involved in. I still believe that is the most important value. But I also recognize that if we don’t save marriage, we can’t remain pro-life."
NB: Mr. Somonese is looking quite dapper (and, dare we say, more youthful?) these days.
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Why do I feel like my entire life has focused onto this idiotic argument? I have no idea of what's going on anywhere else or about anything else.
@7SnowyNights: that sounds like a personal problem- the civil rights and progressive struggles are intimately integrated, It behooves all us to reach out and build the progressive coalition.
@rogue dandelion: us all*
oh an agreed, roland martin is insufferable!
@rogue dandelion: I meant, like, I don't know how Iraq or Iran or whatever is going, how the G-20 went, what's happening in North Korea, stem cell research, AIDS/Cancer/MS research. All I hear/read/talk about is this.
I feel so out of the loop, but, even though I'm underage, this is what I really care about now…
@7SnowyNights: You're underage? How old are you? I'm a high school student and I'm in the same spot as you – I wouldn't know if we'd pulled out of Iraq or cured cancer a week ago. I've been doing this since I was about 12-13. (My stepfather still thinks this whole gay rights thing I'm doing is "a phase" and I'll grow out of it)
@Sarah: Hey Sarah. Yeah, I'm a junior in high school (all-guys, Catholic, mostly Hispanic ==> SUPER Catholic, FML), but I've only been into this for about two years, since I "came out" to myself. My parents don't know anything, except for the odd notice on Facebook about some gay marriage group I'm in. Don't plan on being really outspoken until college, but I could see myself working for the HRC then.
@7SnowyNights: I'm a sophomore in a public high school. However, I live in Idaho, meaning it's mostly Mormons. I'm actually a member (president next year) of one of Idaho's 6 GSAs. It's funny – last time we did something (we covered the walls with mini-posters about victims of anti-gay crimes) we had to take it all down from protesting parents. It has a backlash though – we've given up on trying to not offend anyone ;)
As for being "out," a few family members and friends know but not a lot.