PrintAugust 11, 2012
The Soul-Crushing Scorched-Earth Battle for Gay Marriage
How much is victory worth? And after you win, if you win, what do you have to show for it?
As these principles go with warfare, so they go with propaganda. The Greek word polemos, "war," led not to the English word "war," but rather to the English word "polemics."
The gay movement is not a random assortment of motley rebels. It is highly organized, with major nerve centers in places like the Human Rights Coalition. The movement has its prominent generals, such as Dan Savage and Wayne Besen.
In other words, this is a movement equipped to pick its battles. In 1999, history was made because Vermont's high court legalized same-sex civil unions. The battle plan then could have been to focus on civil unions, forging a new model of romantic commitment in a nation where the old notion of "marriage" had long suffered from stasis.
The war could have been won and over by now. In polls that break down three choices for respondents -- (1) no recognition of...(Read Full Article)
