esrosedotblog

DOWN IN NEBRASKA

It is an abiding mystery to me that gay and lesbian resources continue to be squandered on the marriage front.

It is clear that in yesterday's Nebraska Federal Court decision, the situation has been made worse and significantly so.

A close look at Nebraska's marriage debacle

There is, no doubt, a significant argument for gay marriage but, in practicality, not that many gay men and women have taken the plunge.

While civil unions, such as we have in California, had been increasing state by state, now marriage is sweeping even this progress away.

Let me be clear. I am not so sure that marriage is good for anyone. Look at the divorce rates even among the religious right. High, high, high.

It is not a place we should be trying to go with such vigor.

AIDS continues to ravage the community. Our own young people find the coming out hard. Violence against gay men and women is still prevalent. Drugs and alcohol take a high toll with gay people.

There is much to do without chasing a goal which, face it, 'they' are not ready to give us at this time and, in fact, seem ready to do anything to stop it.

Yes, we should have equal rights. Yes, we should keep the issue alive and work it where we can.

But fucking Nebraska?

What were they thinking?

Now look at what we have.

A major setback that did not have to happen.

A lot of this is the result of professionalizing the 'movement'.

It began with the Human Rights Campaign Fund which started as a small manageable pressure group and has now grown into a behemoth lobbying bureaucracy.

In Boston, we were happy to support the Lambda Legal Defense. They were lawyers; they had to be paid.

They did the heavy legal lifting in Massachusetts for a lot of issues with a modest staff and low overhead.

Today, there are phalanxes of lawyers engaged in this marriage battle. A professional class has grown.

This happens in all social action.

It may be time to take this one down a peg and return to the smaller scale, tactical units.

It is hard to reverse, I know that. Ask Howard Dean who is trying to reverse years of bungling by Democratic insiders. He wants a grassroots party. He has to build it all again from the bottom up.

Maybe 'the gays' need to do the same.