Two people who love each other have a right to get married, whether they are gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, straight—whatever.
Scotland passed a bill recently, which allows same-sex weddings to take place in Scotland by the government. The bill was passed by a vote of 105 to 18 on Feb. 4 in favor of the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill. This has made Scotland the seventeenth country in the world to pass same-sex marriage.
Two of Scotland’s main churches did not approve the bill being passed, yet the government passed the bill, according to BBC News.
Ministers reassured religious leaders they would not be forced to hold such ceremonies in churches. However, there are some ceremonies that will take place by the end of the year in autumn.
As part of the Keene State College Pride group, I am more than excited that other countries are allowing same-sex marriages to take place. It has been not just KSC Pride’s goal, but other LGBTQ/GSRM groups around the world to legalize same-sex marriage. This is quite an accomplishment and one more country down for the count that supports gay marriage.
Marriage is about love, not about gender. As I identify as a gay male, it is hard for me to see other people in the LGBTQ/GSRM community struggle with rude comments by those who do not support gays, lesbians, bi-sexuals, etc.
I constantly hear stories of harassment from my KSC Pride group. It sickens me that even people here on campus say these rude things. No one has the right to treat others that way. Why would anyone feel the need to demolish the self-esteem of another student based on their sexual orientation— or for that matter, any reason at all?
I myself have dealt with rude comments about my sexual orientation around campus because I identify as a gay male and although it makes me sad, I remind myself that there are just some people in this world who will not try to understand what they don’t know.
I am hopeful that other states in North America will be passing same-sex marriage, as several states have recently, with Virginia possibly becoming the first southern state to pass gay marriage. This would be a huge accomplishment as the southern part of the United States has a reputation for strongly disagreeing with same-sex marriage.
This is one step closer towards legalizing gay marriage around the world. It will take time, but I believe that one day we can achieve this goal.
Jacob Knehr can be contacted at jkner@keene-equinox.com