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a married couple's blog is no place for serious opinions about current events. but i'm breaking all the rules today. plus, i think one day when i'm dead and my great-grandchildren are looking at my blog (because they TOTALLY will) I want them to know where I stood on the matter of equal rights and same-sex marriage. plus everyone's talking about it on facebook and I just want to fit in.

as a disclaimer, I would like to say, that since I'm the only person who writes on this blog it's obvious probably, but this is not necessarily the opinion of Tayl also. I feel that I am safe to speak on behalf of him concerning what food we eat and how our dog barfed in the car, but this is a little more tricky. Furthermore, based on my religious beliefs, I know people who are on both sides of the fence, and I realize that what I'm about to write (assuming that people actually read this... which... maybe not) may make people feel different about me or frustrated with me. And that's fine. It's a free country.

I am cool with people of the same-sex loving each other, getting married, having the tax and healthcare benefits thereof, raising children, getting annoyed with the way the other squeezes the toothpaste tube, and etc. I do not feel that this will in any way affect straight people of various religious beliefs. I don't feel that this will ruin marriage for the rest of us. (SEE: 50% DIVORCE RATE). I don't believe that a child would be worse off being raised by two moms or two dads. I believe that straight people have just as much of a chance of ruining their kid's lives as gay parents. As someone who grew up in a broken home (or actually, a home that never was non-broken, since my parents were never married) I can attest to the fact that children are extremely adaptive and resilient. The most important thing is that their basic needs are met, and that they are loved immensely. I watch a lot of Teen Mom (embarrassing) and I can safely say that most of those children would be a MILLION times better off being raised by two responsible gay parents than by their mothers who are in and out of relationships/jail.

I don't think that religions should have to change their beliefs to accommodate same-sex marriage. But I certainly think they should stay out of the government making it legal or not illegal. I've often wondered, and sometimes been brave enough to ask, what specifically it is that Mormons fear about same-sex marriage becoming legal. The most common answer was the if it were to become legal, the LDS church could be forced to marry same-sex couples in the Temple. Which is in no way possible, certain straight people can't even get married in the Temple. We need to keep church out of the state and the state out of the church. Freedom of religion is important. (but it shouldn't give anyone the right to shove anything down another person's throat.) The follow-up worry to the temple situation was that they would be allowed to marry in LDS churches. Which I'm not really sure about the details of that, but I've known some pretty horrible, druggy, disgusting people get married in an LDS church just because it was free. Only to be divorced a few months later. SO would gay people getting married in a church be the worst thing that ever happened in the cultural hall?? (SEE: CHURCH BASKETBALL).

PLUS, Most gay men would NEVER get married in a place that doubles as a basketball court. They have taste. But that's just a side note. Anyway, that part doesn't matter.

THE POINT HERE IS SIMPLY THIS: I support equal rights. (But I still eat at Chick-Fil-A, it's not a stance, it's just delicious) I believe everyone has the right to be happy. I don't feel that everyone should be forced to believe something that they don't. This isn't communist China, this is America, damnit.  So everyone just be nice to each other, because same-sex marriage will eventually be legal in the whole country. Maybe not tomorrow, maybe it will take 10 or more years, but it will happen. So if you're adamantly against it, you're probably gonna have to get over it, sorry. But if you just be cool about it, it's not going to change your life in any way. K. BYE.