In case you’ve somehow managed to avoid any form of media or human contact for the past few days, you probably weren’t aware that there’s this little case going down involving the US Supreme Court discussing whether the Defense of Marriage Act, which federally bans gay marriage, is constitutional. Kind of a big deal and such.
Well, it’s been everywhere for the past few days, and for good reason: it’s a landmark case that would serve as the culmination of decades of LGBT rights advocacy, not to mention that it would clear up a shitload of legal confusion surrounding the issue.
But not everyone is thrilled with it. Joe Concha, of Mediaite, would like you all to know that he’s not homophobic or anything, but he wants you to shut up about it because it’s all just so exhausting for him. The world’s tiniest violin simply will not do; we need the world’s tiniest string quartet for this matter!
But the coverage the topic receives is still disproportionate. It’s everywhere, and we’re not just talking this week. It’s not just on TV . . . you can’t go more than a few Facebook status updates without running into someone opining about it, showing you how openly sensitive they are. Or when looking at another way, how morally superior they are to you, the vapid idiot who isn’t making an important political statement, but posted a photo of his dog playing in the snow instead.
Bottom line: I loathe hearing about anyone — gay or straight — drone on about marriage, particularly impending marriage plans (and yes, I’m married). It’s like hearing about someone’s fantasy football team . . . sure, it’s important to that particular person, but trust me (as someone who is emotionally invested in two leagues), there isn’t a soul on the planet who wants to hear about who you drafted and why, or what big trade you made that week.
Let’s just get one thing out of the way: we all see the irony here, right? We do? Awesome.
On one hand, I understand that as a big story this is going to get a ton of headlines and a lot of social media buzz behind it, and after a while that stuff becomes deafening. That’s understandable. But this isn’t just a cute story that everyone will forget about in a couple weeks: this is something that will affect a lot of gay and lesbian couples who have been fighting for years, if not decades, for their basic human rights.
Look, if this were about Lindsay Lohan getting drunk and hitting a baby with her car again? Absolutely, there’s a point of diminishing returns. But this shit actually means something to a lot of people. We’re dealing with the difference between a watered-down version of marriage that is devoid of more than 1,000 very specific legal rights and full standing in the eyes of the law.
[IMG SOURCE: nataliedee.com]
Why you can trust Xtra
