I... do not take marriage seriously. I take the idea of committing yourself to a relationship (romantic or otherwise) to someone for the rest of your life and making vows to that effect seriously. I categorically do not take marriage as an institution of the state seriously. Because it disenfranchises many, many people. And I'm not just talking about LGBT marriage. I'm talking about the rights denied to SINGLE people because they are not married. I'm talking about single mothers who are basically forced into marrying the father of their children because otherwise they won't receive the help they need to take care of their children. I'm talking about the many people who marry their significant others or even people they're not romantically attached to in order to get health insurance. Our culture privileges the married to an extreme degree that is neither helpful nor healthy.
Basically, I think marriage needs to be deconstructed and the rights associated with it available to anyone who wants them. Binding, family-creating contracts should not be limited to romance. If I want to sponsor a person to get a green card, I should be able to choose whomever I want to bestow that honor on without having to marry them. If I want my best friend of many years to be at my deathbed, regardless of romantic attachment, I should have that ability. If I want to share my good health insurance benefits with a friend, I should be able to. Single people should not feel pressure to marry just so they can have access to some of the basic rights given to the married.
Heh. Sorry for the rant. If people make vows to someone saying they will stick with them forever and do it because they genuinely want to and love that person, then yes, I take that very seriously. Ryan seems to have proven that he doesn't take anything at all seriously.
no subject
Date: 2009-08-05 07:52 am (UTC)Basically, I think marriage needs to be deconstructed and the rights associated with it available to anyone who wants them. Binding, family-creating contracts should not be limited to romance. If I want to sponsor a person to get a green card, I should be able to choose whomever I want to bestow that honor on without having to marry them. If I want my best friend of many years to be at my deathbed, regardless of romantic attachment, I should have that ability. If I want to share my good health insurance benefits with a friend, I should be able to. Single people should not feel pressure to marry just so they can have access to some of the basic rights given to the married.
Heh. Sorry for the rant. If people make vows to someone saying they will stick with them forever and do it because they genuinely want to and love that person, then yes, I take that very seriously. Ryan seems to have proven that he doesn't take anything at all seriously.