Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Same Sex Marriage: So Why The Big Deal?
Same sex marriage has been legal in Canada for quite some time now (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage_in_Canada). Despite some initial grumblings from conservatives and traditionalists, the issue has become a major non issue here in Canada. No Canadian political party would dare run on a platform which would seek to change that position of equality rights for gays and lesbians. Curiously, however, no American politician, even liberal President elect Obama, will publicly support same sex marriage. The Rick Warren fiasco demonstrates that despite our similarities there is a huge difference in attitudes towards this issue between our two countries. I wonder why? We seem to share so many cultural, moral, and religious views, but on this issue of gay marriage our political leaders, and maybe the public, are miles apart. Any ideas out there which explains this?
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Many Canadians would count themselves as opposed to gay marriage, and mostly on the grounds over the use of language than any real denial of privileges. But it does seem to be more risky to be too public about it. It does seem to be more of a wedge issue -- to display resentment over the military and economic might of the U.S. by taking a seemingly more "morally enlightened" stance over public affairs. It just so happens that the court of public opinion has polarized the issue a bit, and for a nation like Canada with a much more vulnerable sovereign identity, people can feel more empowered by taking adopting contrarian "high grounds." (Other issues that we don't often dispute like certain economic policies don't have the same degree of moral stratification...to a point).
ReplyDeleteThe issue can be intellectualized further, but I don't think it has to. Consider slavery -- it wasn't overly moralized until wars began to be fought where the issue could be brought forth to gain allies. Is it too wild to conjecture that countries with the most might (and can hang on to it) tend to be the greatest adherents of tradition?
Every society, no matter how enlightened, seems to need at least one social group that it can kick around. You know, someone it can treat as second-class, outcast and all-around scapegoat for all society's ills.
ReplyDeleteIn the US, ever since the end of slavery and the success of the feminist movement, gays and immigrants (particularly Mexicans) have been the targets for most extremists, traditionalists and joe-shmoe a-holes.
Canada has been so focused on Quebec and aboriginal issues, it seems that other groups have all been given a free pass.
Don't worry, if the US ever does get over its transparent homophobia, I'm sure it'll find someone else to fill the void.
Having just seen the very fine film "Milk", I was led to think that Canada also never had its version of Anita Bryant and hard-fought political campaigns to win or repeal gay rights. The role of evangelicals as a political force in the U.S. in the last 30 years is a major source of difference between the two societies, no doubt reflective of other deeper historical divides. Canada likely loses something by not experiencing such drama (trauma?) over social change, but I think we can be grateful that on the issue of gay marriage, thanks in part to the courts, we got peacefully to the 'other side' and have learned it suits us just fine. No assassinations, either.
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