Gay marriage and the distractions of the bleeding heart

In the midst of double-dip recession, the slow implosion of the euro zone, and similar ominous disasters, a recent trend by world leaders and entertainment figures has been to speak out on an issue that has received borderline attention for the past few years – the issue of gay marriage.

Before making the point of this angry snippet, it must be said that the term “gay marriage” is ludicrous, relevant only if you also believe in “interracial marriage”. Bleeding-heart advocates would do well to not argue against their own case by making the issue of homosexuals wishing to marry an alien concept worthy of a different classification.

That aside, the hubbub began when American Vice President Joe Biden finally broke his streak of never saying anything substantial, by coming out, pun unintended, in support of this issue. No one will ever know what led the eminent politician to do so - it is highly likely to have been due to his wish to finally be relevant.

Whatever the reasons, Super Jesus (thank you, Dylan Moran) President Obama during a television interview, articulated his retraction from previous reticence on the issue, and his staunch belief in marriage equality, finally cementing his image as a rainbow-shitting, unicorn riding defender of LGBT people all over. He was swiftly followed by Jay-Z and similar, equally eminent, social commentators. Finally, the ghoulish Wicked Witch of the West, home secretary Theresa May, has recently been whipped to submission to the “We’re not so bad, gays” campaign of the Tory party and has also voiced support for marriage equality.

For clarity’s sake, this article is not intended to slight the non-heterosexual community and is not coming from a socially conservative perspective. This is simply a reaction to the overly explosive reaction of the public to these proclamations. This comes from all across the political spectrum -conservatives booed and hissed and hurled Bibles, and liberals are now in dire need of a change of pants due to the officials’ support to this ritualised financial agreement.

In short, it is really not that big of a deal.

There are two reasons for this. First, practically speaking, it amounts next to nothing. It is a welcome gesture and will raise attention to the issue, but such publicity will not sway the opposition, only the undecided, and those are not the issue. Positive social change happens through the legislature, as is happening for racism and sexism. However, this view is merely cynical - the second is the more frightening one.

Liberals celebrating the Obama and Biden’s statements seem to forget this is the same administration which signed into power the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA), a piece of legislation allowing the US military to detain terrorist suspects on very tenuous grounds without charge and indefinitely. As for Theresa May, sweeping aside the fact that she was staunchly against LGBT rights until very recently, she has introduced innumerable authoritarian plans, including kettling for protesters, and is supporting constant e-mail and internet browsing surveillance for all citizens.

Fighting for marriage equality is a noble cause, and I applaud individuals who dedicate large chunks of their lives to do so. But if this spectre of totalitarianism, which has hovered over our heads since the end of the second World War, is to not consume our cherished freedoms, we simply cannot be satiated every time the powers-that-be hurl a progressive bone in our direction. Blissful ignorance and rose-tinted glasses do not bring social progress - public scrutiny and the rule of law do.