Dear Gay and Single Parents: You're Bad, Bad I Tell You

Guess what, it's Marriage Protection Week:

Purpose of Marriage Protection Week The sacred institution of marriage is under attack. There are those who want to redefine marriage to include two men, or two women, or a group of any size or mix of sexes: One man and four women, one woman and two men, etc. If they fail to secure legal protection classifying these arrangements as 'marriage,' they want to include all these mixtures under the definition of 'civil union,' giving them identical standing with the marriage of one man and one woman. They have gained the support of the national media and many politicians. Their efforts are intended to force, by law, 97% of Americans to bow down to the desires of the approximately 3% who are homosexuals. To call attention to this most critical issue, Oct. 12-18 has been declared MARRIAGE PROTECTION WEEK. You, your church or group is encouraged to help protect the sacred institution of marriage.

In case you thought this was bogus, President Bush has thrown in his support:

Marriage Protection Week, 2003 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Marriage is a sacred institution, and its protection is essential to the continued strength of our society. Marriage Protection Week provides an opportunity to focus our efforts on preserving the sanctity of marriage and on building strong and healthy marriages in America. Marriage is a union between a man and a woman, and my Administration is working to support the institution of marriage by helping couples build successful marriages and be good parents. To encourage marriage and promote the well-being of children, I have proposed a healthy marriage initiative to help couples develop the skills and knowledge to form and sustain healthy marriages. Research has shown that, on average, children raised in households headed by married parents fare better than children who grow up in other family structures. Through education and counseling programs, faith-based, community, and government organizations promote healthy marriages and a better quality of life for children. By supporting responsible child-rearing and strong families, my Administration is seeking to ensure that every child can grow up in a safe and loving home. ... During Marriage Protection Week, I call on all Americans to join me in expressing support for the institution of marriage with all its benefits to our people, our culture, and our society. NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim the week of October 12 through October 18, 2003, as Marriage Protection Week. I call upon the people of the United States to observe this week with appropriate programs, activities, and ceremonies. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this third day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-eighth. GEORGE W. BUSH

The American Humanist Association has a response to this proclamation:

The latest volley in the debate over gay marriage is the declaration that October 12-18 is "Marriage Protection Week." After heavy lobbying from the staunchest religious right organizations, President Bush just signed a proclamation giving his endorsement. This is our chance to raise our voices and reveal the inappropriate religious fervor behind what is now a government-endorsed effort. Marriage Protection Week is a national campaign to gain "awareness" for the evils that expanding the legal definition of marriage can bring. Tony Hileman, executive director for the American Humanist Association points out, "The American Humanist Association affirms the validity and supports the legalization of same-sex marriages in all states of the United States. Marriage is about commitment, not about reproduction, and the state’s interest should be secular rather than sacramental. Religious faith and opinion should be personal and not manipulated to direct national policy." With the president's endorsement, we can expect to see plenty of propaganda for this homophobic campaign, which is why we must counteract it! Now is the time to compose letters to your newspapers, and promptly respond to whatever publicity this exclusionary effort receives.

Mark Morford has a slightly different perspective on this issue (snippet):

They cite studies, many from antichoice, homophobic neoconservative groups from Colorado Springs. They try to show that children of happy well-adjusted well-narcotized Bible-riffic man/woman parents fare better in the world than children of "other family structures," like those horrible and clearly irresponsible single parents who should be shunned by society and sent off to savage islands somewhere in Indonesia. They try to prove that gays are gathering in fur-lined basements and bright airy well-designed lofts right this minute, strategizing how to best rip apart the sturdy corduroy fabric of society and replace it with a nice light wool/spandex blend, all while introducing more young boys to Satanism and cool designer shoes. Therefore, if we all work to "protect" marriage -- which apparently means lots of counseling and guilt-thick church meetings and bad sex and rampant loathing of gay people, coupled with your tacit agreement to bury your sense of self and endure yet another decade of unhappy marriage with someone you might not love anymore and who might be abusive or unhealthy or just plain depressing as hell -- society will be saved.

Ahhhh, homophobia. One of many tangents to the advancement of civilization, leading us all to hell in a very nicely decorated handbasket. Now, come on, where would we be today without interior decorators, female clothing designers, Hollywood producers and directors, and the tens of millions of successful and innovative LGBT individuals (in or out of the closet) in all walks of life just in the U.S.? We'd already be in hell, living in very ugly handbaskets. If it's true that 10% of the population is gay, then there are 600 million living and breathing on Earth right now. They're not going away, Bush. You can't legislate them off the planet. Left is Right knows that someday homosexuality will be seen as just another standard biological variation of the entity of man, but apparently not in our brief lifetimes. Oh well...