State of the (same-sex) union matters

There was a time that the word "queer" was simply a synonym for "weird" and "strange" and meant nothing more. If I remember correctly, I first encountered the word in one of my Nancy Drew books (probably to describe a suspect the protagonist was trailing in one of her pursuits).

Language has a way of morphing so that new meanings are eventually attached to certain words -- like "queer." To this day I'm not certain whether or not this word is derogatory, for though it's been used in movie dialogues to insult characters with homosexual tendencies, it also seems to have the "approval" of the men concerned by way of show titles, as in Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. So when referring to men or women who are attracted to members of the same sex, I simply say "people with same-sex attraction" (SSA) or same-sex couples.

Do you have friends with SSA? And have you been hearing of efforts to make it possible for two men or two women to get married? It's been going on for a few years now, and in the past decade, several countries and parts of the United States have given recognition to same-sex couples being part of a "marriage." Lately people have been talking about the notion of changing the definition of marriage. What do you think of that? If you aren't exactly raring to go there, at least you probably feel that you owe it to your friends to support them by advocating moves to legitimize their unions and to recognize their "right' to get married, just like any other couple who have the deepest affection for one another.

Well, regardless of where you stand on the issue right now, here's a short video I recommend. It's simple and presents the ideas surrounding the topic in "plain English". One line that struck me:

"They can respect Dan and Michael's lifestyle choice without affirming and embracing their lifestyle."

Another one:

"Changing the definition of marriage was a big deal and it could have some serious consequences, consequences that would affect not only their children but also their community."

Some of the figures/stats in there may be inaccurate since a lot has developed since the video came out (2008?). At the time, too, Proposition 8 was still being debated on in the US state of California. But everything else is pretty much the same no matter what decade you're in.

This blog has several entries under the "homosexuality" tag so feel free to explore that if you'd like a glimpse of other news, features and insights on the topic.