16
—r—.- ■ ,
*
"Marriage: Sacred? Says who?” from page 15
status quo. Heterosexuality is not the only
sexuality and is certainly not a norm. Sexuality
is diverse and wonderful, and relationships
of love are established every day between
persons of any and all genders. These
relationships are no less “normal” than any
other relationship. Appeals to their
detrimental effects on society are founded on
irrational homophobic assumptions about
sexual minorities.
It is dear that marriage has undergone major
changes throughout the centuries. Marriage
3000 years ago was primarily a commercial
transaction — a transfer of property from a
woman’s father to another man (her new
husband). It remained this way in most places
more or less until the end of the 19th century.
Even today, this “property transfer” exists in
some places and vestiges of it exist in our
own U.S. marriage culture. Look at the “giving
away” of a bride by her father, the tradition
of the bride’s father paying for the wedding
(seemingly analogous to the dowry) and the
taking of her husband’s last name by a
woman. All of these are signs of ownership
of women. We have so diluted these signs
today that we often don’t even realize their
origins. We must not let ourselves think that
these traditions have no effect on us today.
The commercial origin of marriage still affects
the way men perceive women. In fact, until
1976 any woman could be legally raped by
her husband in the U.S. It was her duty as his
wife to provide sex, and he could initiate it
whenever he wanted. North Carolina was
the /ast state to outlaw marital rape, and it
waited until 1993 to finally do so. It’s a good
thing the institution of marriage changed
over the years.
The institution of marriage has changed
dramatically in this century, and it’s not
fimshed yet. The sacredness of marriage is
beyond the scope of the government’s
judgment. The institution itself, when
restricted solely to contracts between ‘ ‘one man
and one woman,” violates principles of
equality and dignity, not to mention common
sense notions about the normal healthy
diversity of sexuality. Those who call marriage
misogynistic and patriarchal are not
delusional. Only relatively recently have
women been gaining civil rights. As late as
1940, married women were not allowed to
make legal contracts in 12 states - we no longer
disallow this right. Or what about anti
miscegenation laws dictating the illegality of
interracial relations and marriage? The U.S.
Supreme Court put an end to bans on
interracial relationships in Low/Tgzi Virgtua\n.
1967.
Marriage today still contains remnants of
patriarchy and misogyny. To keep it the same
would do an injustice to women (and indeed
all people) everywhere. Same-gender
marriages would strengthen society by finally
allowing the State to acknowledge the validity
of diverse sexuality and the rights of
consenting adults to make marital
commitments.
When interracial marriage laws were stmck
down in 1967, there were protests then, just
like there are protests now about same-gender
marriage. There were politicians who blamed
“activist judges.” Many privileged white
people felt that the batde for equal civil rights
for African-Americans was not their battle.
Privileges gives people this right - the right
not to think about discrimination, hatred,
fear of death or injury' and harassment. The
same privilege allows many of my family,
friends and colleagues to think that same-
gmder marriage is not a civil ri^ts issue. Some
of them even make speeches decrying “activist
judges” in Massachusetts and elsewhere.
These protests should not deter advocates
for marriage equality. They are based on the
same bigotry' homophobia, ignorance and
ev'en maliciousness that have oppressed
women, people of color, the poor and
LGBTTQ folk for centuries. I have hope
though that the U.S. Supreme Court will one
day interv'ene and declare laws banning same-
gender marriage unconstitutional in a similar
fashion. .\m I an extremist? You bet. ^\nd
indeed, as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. so
eloquently said, “The question is not whether
we will be extremists, but what kind of
extremists we wiU be. Will we be extremists
for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for
the preservation of injustice or for the
extension of justice?” I certainly know where
I stand - do you? •
Celebration Week: April 4-7
Celebration Week has been a UNC tradition of the LGBTQ and allied
community for decades, and the GLBT-SA as well as numerous other
student groups have organized a variety of events for the campus
community. This is an opportunity for people from all walks of life to
come together to celebrate diversity in all its forms, specifically in the
range of LGBTQ se.xual and gender identities. Although we have a long
way to go in the pursuit of social justice and equality for all people,
including sexual minorities, this week is a time for us to acknowledge
how far we’ve come and how much there is indeed to celebrate. It is not
just a week for LGBTQ-identified people. We aim to build a coalition of
support that includes a large allied component as well. We hope to see a
large turnout of students from all different walks of life.
Sund^ Apd 4
7 p.m. - Potluck Celebration and Movie Night, Bingham 103
Mood^, Apol 5
11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. - Brown bag lunch discussion on LGBTQ legal
rights featuring attorney Sharon Thompson, Union Room 3206A
8 p.m. - Drag Show, Great Hall. S5 admission.
Tuesdi^ Apnl 6
11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. - Brown bag lunch discussion on violence in
LGBTQ communities co-sponsored with Orange County Rape Crisis
Center, Union Room 3102
7:30 p.m. - Augusten Burroughs speaks, Carroll 111
WnlDcsd^ Aped 7
10 a.m. - 2 p.m. - GLBT-SA and LGBTQ Office in the Pit with
Advocates for Hiunan Rights and Hunger Lunch Campus Y
committee
5 - 6:30 p.m. - Social Hour and a Half (SHAH), Union Room 3201
Tbatsdaf; Aped 8
11:30 a.m - 1 p.m. - Panel discussion on the intersections of faith,
spirituality, and sexuality. New Union 3102
Notes:
The Celebration Week Drag Show’ has been a long tradition of the
LGBTQ and allied community at UNC and in past years has filled the
Union Auditorium consistently with a wide and diverse range of students
and faculty. The Drag Show will be a combination of professional and
amateur acts and will serve to both celebrate a variety of interpretations
of gender as well as to entertain.
Augusten Burroughs, Kev York Times bestselling author, has received
nationwide acclaim for his books and as a public speaker. He will attract
an audience of students and faculty from across many disciplines and
will offer a keynote address for Celebration Week that will touch on
issues significant to LGBTQ and allied audience members alike.