I'm not for traditional marriage

I recently attended a meeting where equality in marriage was the topic. The meeting just happened to be the same day that the referendum on equal marriage was defeated in Maine. At the meeting, we watched a video about families affected by inequalities related to marriage laws. We saw how one parent was not allowed to be present at a child's doctor appointment for vaccination injections--not the legal parent. How a partner was removed from the delivery room of a hospital so that her partner could receive epidural anesthestia. How one partner's medical benefits did not cover her partner...because they weren't married. All these rights same sex couples are denied, but privileges that my husband and I shared. Because we are married.

But what makes us special. Why do we receive rights that other people in this country do not? Just because we are one man and one woman? One of my family members has been in a one woman, one man relationship.. several times, both married and not. What givers her the right to have this privilege and then choose to dissolve it? Isn't marriage about one commitment? Isn't that really what makes marriage work? One commitment...whether it be between one man and one woman, two men or two women. Commitment makes marriage. Two people in one committed relationship.

Opponents of equal marriage support traditional marriage. What's that? Arranged marriages? Because that was long the tradition. Is it marriage with a dowry? Because that was also traditional. Is it marriage for political convenience? That surely was traditional throughout history.

Traditions change. In Holland and the UK, and even in some states in our grand union, recent "traditional" marriages have included same sex marriage. Traditions change, but equality doesn't.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. Is that the tradition of our declaration of independence or is it our truth? Because our definition of equal certainly has gone through some changes over the years. Or is our belief that all men are created equal something we are willing to stand up for and demand that it be upheld?

I'm not a proponent of traditional marriage. I believe we should change our current traditions relating to marriage and opt for equality in marriage. If all men are created equal then we need to insure equal rights for all.