Atheists Against Gay Marriage?
We're all familiar with the arguments against gay marriage. "God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve!" And indeed, some of the most vocal opponents of gay marriage (or, really, homosexuality as a whole) tend to be conservative religious voices that many of us are familiar with: the National Organization for Marriage, the Mormon Church, Focus on the Family, the institutional Catholic Church, and more.So color me surprised when it comes to Australia's new Prime Minister, Julia Gillard. She's an atheist. She also lives with a man she's not married to. But she doesn't like gay marriage. In fact, she's made it crystal clear that as long as she's Prime Minister of Australia, gays and lesbians will never see the wedding aisle.
Now, I'm no social scientist, but my guess is that if you did a survey of folks who identify as atheists and live with their unmarried partners, most would probably not think gay marriage is that big a deal. That's why some, including Australian radio host Derryn Hinch, are quick to label Gillard a mammoth hypocrite.
"Now let me get this straight. And, I guess, straight is the operative word. Our new Prime Minister is an atheist. She doesn't believe in God, but she believes in the sanctity of God-blessed marriages except for gay people," Hinch writes. "Sounds hypocritical to me. She lives with her partner Tim Mathieson, a condition the church would quaintly describe as 'living in sin.'"
Atheists against gay marriage. Please tell me that's not a bumper sticker on the horizon.
When Gillard became Prime Minister last month, and she was pressed on whether she would move Australia toward the marriage equality club. Here's her answer:
"We believe the marriage act is appropriate in its current form, that is recognising that marriage is between a man and a woman," Gillard said.
Now I get people who don't think marriage is for them. Not ready to tie the knot? Wonderful. Own it. And I get those who think that the government should just pull out of the marriage business altogether and not recognize straight or gay marriages.
But to say that straight people should have access to the institution of marriage, whilst gay and lesbian couples get denied? That's just tacky and and uncivil. And for Gillard, who rests on zero religious reasons to oppose same-sex marriage, it seems bizarre. Especially when she recognizes that Australia should make advances in LGBT equality.
"We have as a government taken steps to equalise treatment for gay couples," Gillard added.
I guess there are only so many steps Gillard is willing to take. Either that, or she opposes same-sex marriage solely on political grounds, meaning that she's afraid what the backlash would be if she were to support marriage equality as Prime Minister. And if that's the case, then Gillard really isn't a hypocrite.
She's just a coward.
Photo credit: Prime Minister of Australia
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