President Bush, in his State of the Union address, made it painfully clear that our gay and lesbian children, siblings, friends and neighbors will retain their status as second-class citizens.
Defending the “sanctity” of marriage, by limiting it to the union between a man and a woman, has become a “domestic priority,” equivalent to ensuring homeland security. While we would not allow such blatant discrimination against any other minority, few members of Congress, on either side of the aisle, held their applause when Bush in essence said same-sex couples are not entitled to the legal rights and recognition afforded heterosexuals by a civil marriage.
Acknowledging that “each individual has dignity and value in God’s sight” did not soften his message. Instead it sounded like value is assigned on a sliding scale, with homosexuals at the bottom.
Intolerance is not noble, no matter how it is couched. Until homosexuals are given the same rights as every other American, no one’s rights are secure.
