Gay "marriage"

A law professor at University of California Berkeley, Goodwin Liu, writes this morning on the LAT op-ed page, explaining with some specificity the gay arguments against Proposition 8.

First, Liu argues that marriage confers "dignity and stature." "Even if marriage provides no greater rights than domestic partnership, a separate-but-equal regime unavoidably signals that same-sex relationships are of lesser worth," Liu writes.

Liu next argues that gay "marriage" is symbolic and therefore is important to gays. He writes that "Gay marriage is in the cross-hairs of a culture war, and culture wars, both sides know, are won through symbols, examples and personal experiences that shape one's worldview."

Finally, Liu argues that as gay "marriages" become more common they will become more acceptable and that opposition to gay "marriage" will become "the will of a narrow and ultimately temporary majority."

So the debate is not about rights. Gays already have equal rights, Professor Liu admits. The culture war over gay "marriage" is about dignity and stature and symbolism and acceptance.

The nightly vindictive, hateful demonstrations against Proposition 8 are not dignified and do not help to increase gay stature or make gay culture more acceptable. They are symbolic, however, of a spoiled, pampered, spiteful, bullying minority culture that is unwilling to play by the rules of a democratic society.