Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Nevermind the Bollocks: Quote of the day.

When I left Britain twenty-one years ago, there was no question that America led the way in equal rights for gays. No longer.

That's Andrew Sullivan celebrating Britain's decision to allow gay marriage. Legally, the arrangements are called "civil partnerships", but colloquially, everyone refers to them as marriages.

That's something I think we should adopt here in America. Gay partners who have decided to spend the rest of their lives together would be well served to refer to their loved ones as their husband or wife. They should participate in marriage ceremonies, even if their state laws don't recognize their relationships.

I'm not trying to tell gays how to live their lives. And Lord knows gays shouldn't treat marriages the way heterosexuals do -- with an eye toward divorce as an easy out whenever someone changes his or her mind.

But if people around the country get used to gay marriages, and see that there's nothing to be afraid of, then they'll be more likely to support legal recognition of such relationships.