The hero of the weekend is Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, who in the start of his first term has managed to pull off Marriage Equality in New York – a feat that has daunted leaders before him. The legislation makes sense because it draws a distinction between church and state. Religious organizations are exempted from conducting ceremonies if they wish, and cannot be sued by the state for doing so.
The celebrations in the City and around NY are a justified recognition that a commitment between same-sex individuals is as valid in the eyes of government as those between other people. But with all the euphoria, there is an underlying question of what exactly have we been waiting for?
Many same sex couples are already leading their lives – conducting commitment ceremonies, adopting children, serving the community, and creating their own legal contracts that simulate the benefits of marriage. The legislation will not make them more productive members of society and provides minor additional protection. So what have we really accomplished?
Let’s see what the Arts have to say. The summer blockbuster X-Men: First Class is a prequel to the series and presents the origins of how the super-beings were brought together. The X-Men are products of advanced DNA evolution giving them skills that differentiate and isolate them. Society fears their power and is biased against their mutant nature. Even though they continually save human society from destroying itself, they remain unappreciated and reviled.
In this installment, the director has introduced younger versions of two main characters James Macavoy (Professor X) and Michael Fassbender (Magneto). Both actors are thrilling. Their wry humor and intensity aspirate the deflating series back to its taut and punchy introduction. In the story, the leads take different approaches to dealing with a society that doesn’t appreciate their help. Magneto chooses to support mutant power by empowering them and divorcing from humans, while Professor X wishes to integrate and find common ground. They’re basic paradigms for the disenfranchised.
The meaning of Marriage Equality will differ for individuals. For some, it’s merely an indication of the separation of church and state – New York has no jurisdiction to discriminate relationships between individuals based on religious arguments. For others, it’s validation that same-gender commitment is equal in stature to different-gender relationships – opening the door for less prejudice. Overall, the measure is confirmation that GLBT individuals are not secondary citizens in the eyes of New York state law and that we can find common ground.
But, the rich and well-off individuals who supported and funded the measure are likely not the ones who will realize the true benefit. These folks already have enough legal documents in place to secure their financial and personal affairs. The true beneficiaries will be people that are not allowed to visit their loved ones in a hospital or are excluded from inheritance because they are not related and don’t have the finances or education to establish common law rights.
For everyone State measures are critical, but eventually the removal of the Defense of Marriage Act and Federal recognition of tax and benefits for same-sex relationships is essential for true integration and common ground. Here we may be tempted to hold off for another hero – President Obama – to change the law. But as we learned from X-Men and from ourselves we can’t wait for others to save us. Along with supporting Federal measures to change law, we need to find alternate ways to secure these benefits within the existing system.
June 26, 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
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