Not Separate, And More Than Equal
By - Vish Carvaka
I have to struggle to not use the term “media narrative” pejoratively, but I
usually concede and admit it deserves to be treated as a malignant
influence. When persons in the media began to call the gay rights movement
the “civil rights struggle” of our time, I viewed them askance. In the 2004
American election cycle, I heard many justifications and explanations
regarding this seemingly “complex" issue. The Democrats were saying that it
was a matter for the states, and some Democrats and Republicans offered
“civil unions” as a suitable alternative to traditional marriage, without using
the loaded term of “separate but equal.” I had to force myself to consciously
ask myself–what exactly are “gay people?” Are they distinct people with
distinct needs? Wasn't serving in the military all about protecting the nation?
How did a soldier's sex life matter at all to anyone? Ah, the wonders of
youthful "logic"— “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” made perfect sense to me if I
applied it in a very "Libertarian" fashion to the heterosexual servicemen, and
women as well. Since when did the military become a place for expressing
anyone's sexuality? Little did I imagine, however, that the ultimate answer
to be found is quite simple.
Rip The “Narrative” Apart
Of the Republicans, the religious and “traditional values” class, I wondered
— why are they pumping billions of dollars, including federal taxpayer
dollars, into advertising and creating financial incentives for more straight
people to marry, while simultaneously ruling it out for the demographic in
this country that wants it the most? Of the Democrats, I had no questions
because their hypocrisy was too blatantly opportunistic — John Kerry wanted
the votes of gay Americans while seeking to chip away enough from
President Bush's bloc of conservative voters, so he was against gay marriage
but extended an “olive branch” by leaving it up to the states. I could observe
that the shameful distortions and vacillations of the media and the political
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