Sunday, November 06, 2011

Kim Kardashian is not the real enemy of marriage equality

A lot has been said about Kim Kardashian's 72 day wedding and how it refutes any notion that allowing gays to marry is a danger to the institution of marriage.

A lot does need to be said. But what doesn't need to happen is that folks mistake Kardashian for a real enemy of marriage equality.

She is merely a prop in this case - proof that if the institution of marriage is truly in danger, the danger certainly isn't coming from allowing two gays and lesbians to marry.

Let's not forget that Kardashian isn't the one who has been leading a misleading fight against marriage equality complete with lies, deception, and horror stories about gays "corrupting children."

That would be the National Organization for Marriage.

And Kardashian isn't the one who said that they would die while fighting marriage equality.

That would wannabe presidential nominee Rick Santorum.

So with apologies to BuzzFeed which recently came out with an excellent piece entitled 20 Couples That Put Kim Kardashian's Marriage To Shame, I want to re-title the piece 20 Couples Who The Right Claim Want To Destroy Marriage.

Here are just a few of these supposed marriage destroyers:




Chris Williams and Juan McCoy have been together for 13 years and are from Maryland. They met at work and still work together and their relationship is as strong as ever. Juan says of Chris, “He brings balance to my life. Whenever I'm agitated he always calms me down. I think I balance him out too.” Recalling Chris' recent birthday, Juan adds, “I love him beyond what I can actually express. We're whole separately, but we're something even better when we're together.”




Ed Watson is 78 years old and has Alzheimer's. He's worried that by the time the court finally rules on Prop 8, he won't be able to recognize Derence, his partner of over 40 years.




Erica and Tevonda have been together for over 4 years. They're raising their 3-month old son, Teverico, in North Plainfield, NJ and were forced to get a second-parent adoption to ensure legal protection of their son because of civil unions' unequal status.




Johanna Bender and Sherri Kokx of Seattle have been together for nine years and are the parents of five-year-old Zachary and one-year-old Quintin. Johanna is a middle school science teacher and Sherri is an attorney. 




Lee & Bert have been together for over 25 years. They live in Illinois. Recently, Bert had a heart attack and Lee and wasn't allowed in the emergency room because they weren't married. Lee had to tell the nurse his marital status was single even though he had been with his partner for 25 years.


So while we point out the irony behind Kardashian's marriage, let's not forget to devote more effort to pointing out and refuting the real enemies of marriage equality. If not for ourselves, but these couples who deserve the right to marry just like heterosexuals have.

Related post:

Marriage Equality - Simple answers to NOM's complicated lies

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