Political prowess: Gay Marriage
By Jessica Mae, Behind the Scenes Staff Writer
May 28, 2007 | 1:46 a.m.
The 2004 constitutional amendment in Ohio defines marriage between a man and a woman; yet the issue still remains undecided in several states. Avid opinions here at Ohio University are expressed on both sides of the issue.
Celebrities such as Rosie O’Donnell, Lance Bass, and Ellen DeGeneres have arguably popularized the issue of same-sex marriages, bringing in opinions from right-wing Christian groups, politicians, and even protectors of Civil Liberties.
Section 11 of Article XV of the Ohio Constitution, which passed by a 62% vote states :
“Only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this state and its political subdivisions. This state and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance or effect of marriage.”
In layman’s terms, this means that Ohio does not recognize gay marriage and deems civil unions and domestic partnerships unlawful.
But back to Athens: in a survey of 63 students, 52 responded they supported same-sex marriage and the remaining 11 stated they were against gay marriage.
Against Gay Marriage
President of Ohio University Republicans, Jordan Carr, agrees that for the most part the Republican party is against gay marriage.
“Most Republicans are fairly conservative and don’t think it’s right and that [gay marriage] is not the norm,” Carr said.
The foundation for most of the opposition to gay marriage is in the Bible, specifically scriptures that refer to homosexuality as a sin. However, Carr adds that in addition to the religious aspect, gay marriage is simply not the norm in today’s society. In his opinion, not allowing a gay couple to marry is not discrimination and believes that argument in favor of gay marriage is faulty.
“In my mind, marriage is a religious matter and not allowing a gay couple to marry doesn’t ostracize them from society or keep them from jobs or housing."
When students were asked to respond to the proposed question of gay marriage, those against gay marriage responded in a variety of ways, the most popular response being laughter. When asked why the student(s) responded this way, most replied that in general, they found the idea of homosexuality wrong and in the words of one particular student, “it’s just so weird.”
Deeply religious students opposed to gay marriage, again, drew their opinions from the Bible in that marriage is defined between a man and a woman, believing that “anyone who is gay shouldn’t be allowed to marry and should be praying to God for His forgiveness.”
Supporters of Gay Marriage
Rob Dorans, President of Ohio University Democrats, acknowledges that the majority of members of the Democratic Party are accepting of not only homosexuals, but also of gay marriage.
“The reason most Democrats support gay marriage is that historically, Democrats are in favor of expanding civil rights in every area, and to me, this is a civil rights area,” said Dorans.
Dorans calls amendments banning same-sex marriage as “state-sponsored discrimination,” believing that by not allowing homosexuals to marry, the government is discriminating against a group of people based on their sexual orientation.
“If churches choose to not allow homosexual marriages, they are completely within their rights. But I don’t think it’s the government’s right to regulate who can marry. This is the 21st Century’s new racism,” commented Dorans.
Political Science major, Dylan McGuffey also agrees with Dorans, but adds a personal element to his opinion.
“My mom is gay and that’s a big part of why I’m in favor of gay marriage,” said McGuffey.
McGuffey adds that if people have a problem with gay marriage, they can call it by a different name (such as civil unions), but they should have the same rights as married couples. McGuffey is a firm believer that everyone in this country should have equal rights with little to no government intrusion
“I was sitting in a coffee shop in California journaling when I wrote ‘all men are created equal,’ then I crossed out the ‘men’ and ‘created’ and was just left with ‘all are equal,’ which to me is a perfect argument in favor of gay marriage,” McGuffey stated.
In Ohio, the discussion of gay marriage is finished, legally. But there are still several states in the US where people on both sides of the issue are working fervently to add amendments against same-sex marriages as well as those working in opposition to those amendments.
However, no matter what your views, the issue is tolerance. As with all of these political issues, strong feelings are expressed on both sides, which is the beauty of any free society. I can say whatever I feel politically or otherwise, and believe it or not, you can and should too.