The Other is marrying
by Tom Sullivan
It seems marriage equality is still on the move, scoring victories Wednesday in Kansas and South Carolina:
Gay marriage advocates won another two victories on Wednesday as the U.S. Supreme Court allowed Kansas to become the 33rd U.S. state where same-sex couples can wed and a federal judge struck down South Carolina’s ban.The high court declined a request from Kansas officials to block U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Crabtree’s Nov. 4 ruling that struck down the state’s gay marriage ban as a violation of the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection under the law.
And, by the way, a hearing on marriage equality Wednesday in Mississippi. From Aaron Sarver at Campaign for Southern Equality just last night:
After 6 hours in federal court today, U.S. District Court Judge Carlton W. Reeves concluded the hearing in Campaign for Southern Equality v. Bryant by stating he would rule "as soon as possible" in the case.
We're hopeful that a ruling striking down Mississippi's ban on same-sex marriage will indeed come soon.
All this rush of inclusion has a darker counterpoint. JT Eberhard writes at the WWJTDo blog about the reaction to a letter in the local paper:
The Unitarian Universalist church in my hometown of Mountain Home, Arkansas recently published a letter in the local paper letting the community know that they welcome everyone at their church regardless of race, religion, or sexual orientation.
The reaction? The church had its windows shot out one night and were left this note:
The Arkansas Times blog has a bit more. Still, a Facebook commenter asked what "True Southerners" meant. "True" is a verbal tick among the hard right, as in "true facts" and "true locals." Adding "true" distinguishes any manifestation of the wicked, deceitful Other – THEM – from the authentic, trustworthy US. The note-writer, for example, is likely a true Christian.
Long ago, a friend who had served in the army quipped, "Do you know why all American military gear is marked U.S.?"
"Okay, I'll bite. Why?" I asked as he grinned.
"So you know who to shoot: anyone who's not US."
[h/t Dave Neiwert]