The Importance of Ritual
http://www.lavendermagazine.com/artman/publish/article_4893.php (http://www.lavendermagazine.com/artman/publish/article_4893.php)
Lavender - Minnesota's GLBT Magazine
FAITH IN ACTION by Haven Herrin
'Marriage has been the topic in GLBT circles as of late. Presidential candidates have recognized the importance of sincerely engaging our community's issues. Some candidates support marriage equality without elaboration or parsing of words. Those who do not tend to want to shy away from the issue and respond to questions with questions, for example: "Why are we talking about marriage so much anyway?"'
I wouldn't get married if you held a gun to my head. I think it's stupid and antiquated.
But I will fight for the right of every person to have access to that ritual if they so choose.
Everyone should have the right to sign their own death warrant. LOL
"Marriage is a great institution. But, who wants to live in an institution?" --Groucho Marx
I just had to throw that in...
-K
In the province of Quebec, almost nobody maries anymore, people just live together for 10+ years routinely.
None of my 8 female cousins and my sister are maried yet, all of them save one have children, one has 3.
Marriage and living together goes in cycles.
Phase 1: Everyone gets married. Living together is taboo.
Phase 2: Rebellious individuals live together instead of getting married.
Phase 3: Living together becomes a viable alternative to marriage.
Phase 4: Living together is no different from being married and starts being called marriage.
Go back to phase 1.
We are in phase 3, moving into phase 4.