Same-Sex Marriage Statistics

Well, kind of.

Over the past decade or so, divorce has gradually become more uncommon in the United States. Since 2003, however, the decline in divorce rates has been largely confined to states which have not passed a state constitutional ban on gay marriage. These states saw their divorce rates decrease by an average of 8 percent between 2003 and 2008. States which had passed a same-sex marriage ban as of January 1, 2008, however, saw their divorce rates rise by about 1 percent over the same period.

You would think with stats like these, the fundies would be jumping all over themselves to legalize same-sex marriage! Am I right, people?

Actually, no one would think that. As they have demonstrated with painful consistency, the fundies are impervious to logic when it comes to teh homosexchuls. Just take the example of what happened recently in the Garden State. If it doesn’t fry your circuits, nothing will!

In 2006, the New Jersey State Legislature legalized same-sex “civil unions,” and Jon Corzine, then the Governor of that fair state, signed it into law. There has been much debate over whether civil unions are good for the LGBT community. Some say it amounts to “separate but equal” status, whereas others say that it leads to more acceptance by the religious community.

Four days ago, I believe New Jersey showed that the “separate but equal” arguments are correct.

TRENTON — The state Senate rejected a same-sex marriage bill today, a major victory for opponents who contend the measure would infringe on religious freedom and is not needed because the state already permits civil unions.

The 20-14 vote defeating the measure followed an hour and a half of public debate inside the packed Senate chamber. The nearly thousand supporters and opponents of the bill held rallies on the Statehouse steps.

The measure fell seven votes short of the 21 needed for passage.

Clearly, the fundiegelicals feel that the word “marriage” applies to them alone, and they’re going to hold onto that belief with both hands, no matter how many divorces it causes! (I’m snarking. Sort of.) There have been domestic partnerships in New Jersey since 2004, and civil unions since 2006. If this objection to the word “marriage” being applied to the LGBT community is not religious, then what is it? And why do New Jersey Senators, who are supposed to honor the separation of church and state, get to make decisions for other people based solely upon their personal religious preferences? And frankly, I just can’t understand how same-sex marriage has anything to do with me, or affects my life in any way, shape or form. If I don’t want to marry a woman, I won’t! Oooh, revolutionary idea!

Outgoing Governor Corzine was very upset with the result of the vote.

Momentum for the bill grew after Gov. Jon Corzine lost the November election. He has promised to sign the measure before Gov.-elect Chris Christie takes office. Christie has said he opposes the bill.

After the vote, Corzine said he was appreciative the bill was publicly debated, but was “deeply disappointed by the final tally on this common-sense measure that would have assured equal rights for all New Jerseyans.”

“Most assuredly, this is an issue of civil rights and civil liberties, the foundation of our state and federal constitutions,” the governor said. “Denying any group of people a fundamental human right because of who they are, or whom they love, is wrong, plain and simple.”

If the New Jersey example is any guideline, I believe that for the LGBT community, legal same-sex marriage should be the goal. Clearly, instituting half-measures like civil unions and domestic partnerships did not lead to acceptance; same-sex marriage was still rejected on the basis of religion.

There’s a lesson here for anyone who wants real social change: those who compromise, lose. Civil unions and the Public Option Sparkle Pony are both compromises by liberals that failed to achieve the desired effect. By contrast, the fundiegelicals don’t lose for long, because they never, EVER compromise. They know exactly when they will achieve their goals: when abortion is banned and gays are consigned back into their closets. They will never stop screaming about how the rest of us are sinners and murderers until that “glorious” day when their goals are achieved.

We should never stop screaming until our goals are achieved either. The problem is, as William Butler Yeats said: “The best lack all certainty, while the worst are full of passionate conviction.”

Let us hope we find our conviction soon.

This is an open thread.

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