The Bilerico Project | Daily experiments in LGBTQ

Cross-posted from Taking Down Words:

State Republican lawmakers unveiled yet another component of their 12-step legislative recovery program yesterday. Something about keeping criminal behind bars longer. Good idea. Too bad it would cost the state millions, and B-Boz, per usual, offered no way to pay for his plan, hiding instead behind the "it'll pay for itself" excuse.

Whatever. Clean cup, move down.

You knew it was coming. That's right. They're going to trot out the final piece of their agenda tomorrow.

*drum roll*

It's time for a reprise of everyone's favorite Super-Duper-Extra-Illegal-Last-Minute-WedgeWhack! issue:

"The GOP is expected to announce its final pledge Thursday, in which it will promise to advocate a constitutional amendment declaring marriage as being between one man and one woman.

"The issue helped Republicans gain traction - and control of the chamber - in the 2004 election after House Democrats blocked the proposal."

Let's get something straight. Gay marriage already is illegal in this state, so there's no earthly way this is anything but pandering.

If we're really concerned about the sanctity of marriage and promoting family values, how about this: Let's outlaw divorce. Or adultery. Or getting down and dirrrrty in the Statehouse parking lot. Okay, strike that last one as a cheeky dig.

The stats tell us that half of all boy-girl marriages end in divorce, so why not make it really hard for people to make that decision? After all, it isn't gay couples who are ruining our national marriage rate; it's the heteros who try on wedding rings like shoes. It's the straight couples who split and leave kids wondering which parent they'll be visiting on which weekend. It's the tearful wives and cuckolded husbands who fill up blocks of time on the therapy schedule.

Am I serious about this proposal?

Yes and no.

Obviously, a law forbidding divorce would never make it into a committee hearing. Ditto adultery.

But this is another one of those issues like abortion. Instead of taking it out of the arsenal and working us over emotionally with it, how's about we try to fix the problem?

Gay marriage isn't a threat to anyone. If my gay friends were allowed to tie the knot, it would in no way affect my wedded bliss. But when my straight friends get divorced, that affects a lot of people.

There's no denying that we have a problem in this country keeping families together. Just like there's no denying we need to do something to curb the abortion rate.

But Republicans, who'd like you to believe they're the party of thinkers, don't want you to think about this stuff. They want you to vote with your gut.

Well, as my Grandpa used to say, use your head for something besides a hat rack, honey.

Working together, maybe we can start to solve the tough social issues that need to be solved. But we can't do that until the GOP puts down the WedgeWhack! and decides to pick up the pieces of the country and state they've helped divide.