Fact: gay marriage is now legal all across America. Speculations about what will happen to America because of this are coming from all directions. There are two main groups. On one side people think this is a great step in attaining equality and will change things for the better and that more change is still needed. Then there is the other group who sees this Supreme Court decision as further evidence that America is headed towards big trouble. The trouble is that redefining marriage will hurt the society; in particular it will hurt the family. In addition, it puts those who oppose gay marriage on the spot for now their beliefs are contrary to what the government now accepts as good and normal.
Realistically, though how will this Supreme Court ruling effect life for those who believe that marriage is between a man and a woman? Already there have been lawsuits against businesses such as bakeries that turned down a gay couple’s business because making them a wedding cake would go against their Christian beliefs. The entertainment industry for a while has made it difficult for those who oppose gay marriage. For example, Phil Robertson of the hit show Duck Dynasty temporarily caused the network A&E to cancel the show, because he made comments about homosexuality being a sin. Which brings us back to the question of what could this ruling change?
Looking at countries that have already legalized same-sex marriage will concretely show Americans what to expect. In the U.K. a millionaire gay couple has opted to sue their church, a branch of the Church of England to force them to marry them. In a statement made by them they acknowledge that “ While same-sex marriage is now legal in the U.K. after a bill cleared Parliament earlier this year, the legislation still protects the right of churches to opt out of performing gay weddings, specifically the Church of England.” It would not be surprising if this eventually happened in America. Justice Kennedy, an advocate of gay rights, commented the First Amendment, “ensures that religious organizations and persons are given proper protection as they seek to teach the principles that are so fulfilling and so central to their lives and faiths.” Despite, the First Amendment it does not mean that Catholic Churches or other religions that do not permit gay marriage can avoid being sued to perform gay marriages. If they are sued that leaves the door open for the government in the name of equality to force people to compromise their beliefs.
The rights of Americans maybe threatened in more then just First Amendment rights may be threatened in another way. In Canada, once same-sex marriage became legal freedom of speech lost in a big way.
“When same-sex marriage was created in Canada, gender-neutral language became legally mandated. Newspeak proclaims that it is discriminatory to assume a human being is male or female, or heterosexual. So, to be inclusive, special non-gender-specific language is being used in media, government, workplaces, and especially schools to avoid appearing ignorant, homophobic, or discriminatory.”
As it turns out Canadian government is mandating more than just citizens’ speech concerning gender. Freedom of conscious is curtailed when businesses are not legally allowed to make business decisions based on conscience if those decisions are not inline with “the government’s sexual orientation and gender identity non-discrimination laws.” The freedom to assemble is threatened. To assemble and speak about traditional marriage:
“man-woman marriage, family, and sexuality is now restricted. Most faith communities have become “politically correct” to avoid fines and loss of charitable status. Canadian media are restricted by the Canadian Radio, Television, and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), which is similar to the FCC. If the media air anything considered discriminatory, broadcasting licenses can be revoked, and “human rights bodies” can charge fines and restrict future airings.”
With the legalization of same-sex marriage in Canada, its people are experiencing an infringement of their rights by their own government. Americans with faith and beliefs that do not support same-sex marriage may very well face these same restrictions. Maybe not to the same extent, at first anti-gay remarks may become more socially unacceptable and escalate from there. Then again, America might never become as restricted as Canada and infringe on it’s people’s rights to the same degree.
I seriously doubt tomorrow it will be illegal to oppose gay marriage in the media. Nor will next week every person who opposes gay marriage be forced to betray their religious and personal beliefs. Still, it is crucial to know what has happened in other countries that legalized gay marriage. That knowledge is key to help one be realistic about what to prepare for and potentially fight against.
On one last note, Obama sees this ruling as a victory that has made “our union a little more perfect.” His comment is a little worrying for if America attains the perfection he is looking for then America will not really be America, the land of the free, rather it will be some other nation I never lived in before.
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