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I have revisited the Obama administation's defence of DOMA in more detail.
Why? Because some people who I would generally consider very good on issues of homophobia et al ahve said on their blogs, basically "selfish gay folk are whining and bitching for no good reason and being hysterical and histrionic." It surprised me, so I looked again to see if there is some overreaction here.
Hmmm... I should have examined it in more detail the first time. It seems I am guilty of poorly representing things. My criticism was FAR too restrained!
Some others have gone into far more detail than I have:
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/11427/the-obama-admin-defends-doma-in-a-brief-comparing-marriage-equality-to-incest
http://www.americablog.com/2009/06/obama-justice-department-defends-doma.html
Basically. This defence of DOMA reads like Pat Robertson and Rick warren got together to write it. To summarise some of the arguments:
Gays can marry - they just have to marry people of the opposite sex! So how can there be discrimination
DOMA doesn't descriminate against men or women - so it doesn't discriminate at all! (Get that? Sexism is bad. Homophobia? Not worth mentioning or considering)
States can and do regulate marriage already - such as in cases of kinship or minors. Oh yes. They went there. They made the comparison. Of course you can stop gays marrying! It's the same as stopping incest and statutory rape!
Gay marriage is a new relatrionship not worth the scant government resources that traditional marriage has.
As to the blogs telling the gay people to "shut up, get in line etc." You may be a fan of Obama, but this knee-jerk, almost hero-worship, defence of him is clouding your judgement and, frankly, insulting in how you dismiss very legitimate criticism.
Maybe it's time to ask yourself what the precedent is for people telling angry minorities asking for equal rights to shut up and stop being so hysterical and angry.
Why? Because some people who I would generally consider very good on issues of homophobia et al ahve said on their blogs, basically "selfish gay folk are whining and bitching for no good reason and being hysterical and histrionic." It surprised me, so I looked again to see if there is some overreaction here.
Hmmm... I should have examined it in more detail the first time. It seems I am guilty of poorly representing things. My criticism was FAR too restrained!
Some others have gone into far more detail than I have:
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/11427/the-obama-admin-defends-doma-in-a-brief-comparing-marriage-equality-to-incest
http://www.americablog.com/2009/06/obama-justice-department-defends-doma.html
Basically. This defence of DOMA reads like Pat Robertson and Rick warren got together to write it. To summarise some of the arguments:
Gays can marry - they just have to marry people of the opposite sex! So how can there be discrimination
DOMA doesn't descriminate against men or women - so it doesn't discriminate at all! (Get that? Sexism is bad. Homophobia? Not worth mentioning or considering)
States can and do regulate marriage already - such as in cases of kinship or minors. Oh yes. They went there. They made the comparison. Of course you can stop gays marrying! It's the same as stopping incest and statutory rape!
Gay marriage is a new relatrionship not worth the scant government resources that traditional marriage has.
As to the blogs telling the gay people to "shut up, get in line etc." You may be a fan of Obama, but this knee-jerk, almost hero-worship, defence of him is clouding your judgement and, frankly, insulting in how you dismiss very legitimate criticism.
Maybe it's time to ask yourself what the precedent is for people telling angry minorities asking for equal rights to shut up and stop being so hysterical and angry.