Monday, January 21, 2013

Explaining Gay Marriage

"What is gay?"

"What?"

"The President said people who are gay should have equal rights."

"Gay is when a man loves a man or a woman loves a woman."

"Oh. Like Blaine and Kurt. What's equal?"

"It means the same as everybody else."

"Like in math. What are rights?"

"Those are the things that are a person's according to the law."

"Why aren't they equal?"

"Well, you know how I've always told you it's okay for a man to love a man and a woman to love a woman?"

"Yes."

"And I've always said that anyone should be able to marry anyone they want?"

"Yes."

"And what was the most important thing?"

"That we love each other and we marry the person we love the most."

"Right now, it's not legal everywhere for men to marry men and women to marry women. Only a few states allow it."

"Why?"

"Um...because some people think it's wrong for a man to marry a man or a woman to marry a woman."

"Then they don't have to!"

"True."

"Then why can't people who love each other get married?"

"Because...."

"I thought it was just important for people to love each other."

 "It is. But they think it's a bad thing."

"Why?"

"Because it's something that goes against their religion."

"But what if the man and man aren't the same religion?"

"Uh..."

"Because we aren't all the same religion, you know Mama."

"I know."

"So why can't they get married?"

"Because some people don't think it's right."

"Why do they get to decide?"

"I don't know."

"But we're Americans!"

"Yes."

"That means we're free, you know."

"I do know."

"So why can't they marry who they want?"

"I don't know, baby."

"It's not fair."

"No it's not. Which is why the President said what he did. And it's why our family thinks it's important for anyone who loves another person to be able to marry that person. It's important to me and to your daddy and your aunts and grandparents and a lot of other people."

"Why?"

"Because we don't think it's fair either."

13 comments:

Nancy said...

Mouths of babes....you're doing a great job raising an amazing little person.

Zannie Alvarez said...

Brava. :)

Victoria KP said...

Joseph for President!

Kir said...

That was the smartest and simplest way to say it. You go Joseph! Oh Mandy.. What an amazing person you're raising. Xo

Jenn and Casey said...

Thankful that this kiddo is our future.

Angela Amman said...

There is hope for our world, and it rests in the brains of sweet, smart people like your Joseph.

Kristin Alexander said...

If children ran the world…

Jennifer Bardall said...

Out of the mouths of babes, indeed. Why can't it be that simple for everyone??

mandyland said...

I don't know. And the more I tried to explain, the more I realize how complicated we've made it. (We as in non-children.)

mandyland said...

Love would rule and ice cream for dinner. Not a bad place.

mandyland said...

He is so sweet. And smart. And yeah. I agree.

mandyland said...

Ha! I cringe at the thought of my sweet one being in politics. But if he ran the world... :D

mandyland said...

I agree.