Customary Controversy

The New York Times reported today on State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. and his powerful stance against gay marriage. Mr. Diaz is an African American Democratic Pentacostal minister in Albany who strongly opposes a vote that, if passed, would allow gay people to marry in the state of New York. Mr. Diaz is quoted in the article as saying, “The people of the nation don’t want gay marriage.” He even sued the city for opening a high school for gay and transgender students.
I am not a gay person but I feel that they should have the same rights the rest of us do, which includes getting married. The nation has tried to please all sides by providing rights to domestic partners which includes those who have lived together for a certain amount of time but to me that is not enough. I understand that others’ religions and backgrounds have given them strong opinions against homosexuality but let me ask you, what affect would allowing gay people to marry have on straight people? Think about it! Would you have less rights? Less money? Less anything? No.
I have always felt that gay people have a right to be married and have never been one to speak up about it, but this article reminds me of important events such as the civil rights movement. Even further back it stirs a reminder in me that not so long ago women were not allowed to vote. How can we say that we have made progress in equality when we still deny others rights that would have no affect on us?
This isn’t to say Mr. Diaz hasn’t done many important things in his career but we are supposed to have a separation of church and state in this country. Mr. Diaz consistently raises arguments due to the values of his religion. Wars have been fought over religion and will continue to be fought over religion, but denying others human rights over it is blind, unfair, and dated. America has not evolved as we would like to think and we are persecuting others for doing something that we carry out ourselves.