We all think we live in an enlightened age in this, the beginning of the second decade of the new millennium. After all, it was just two generations ago that gay bars were being raided and individuals – citizens of the United States – were thrown into jail simply because they were gay. Now, the fact gay marriage is even being debated in state houses across the country is an achievement, and a handful of progressive states have actually “sealed the deal.” I firmly believe that, with the new members to the Supreme Court, it may only be a matter of time before marriage becomes our Constitutional right. After all, in 1973, in Roe vs. Wade, the Supreme Court ruled that women had right to choose their destiny, and largely based its historic decision on one phrase in the Constitution: “the pursuit of happiness.” Is the “pursuit of happiness” by possibly one tenth of the U.S. population any less worthy?
Having said that, we also are painfully aware that homophobia in this predominantly heterosexual society is still alive and well. While Congress and the Armed Services “study” the issue infinitum, thousands of highly qualified, highly skilled service men and women are being forced to resign in disgrace because of their sexual orientation. Twenty nine states, largely as the result of direct referendums by their constituents, have banned same-sex unions; viscous hate crimes continue, many unreported or not fully prosecuted; and every day those of us who are homosexual are exposed to snickering innuendos in the media, television, and movies, or around the water cooler...
