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The Battalion
Page 3 • Monday, March 8, 2004
Yea or nay to gay?
Students face off on issue racing to the forefront of national politics: homosexual marriage
By Amber Gray
THE BATTALION
During the last U.S. presidential election, Chris Smith was
shocked to hear his mother oppose A1 Gore for his beliefs sup
porting same sex marriages.
“My mother thought by allowing gay and lesbian couples to
marry, that her own vows to my father would be less meaning
ful,” said Smith a sophomore psychology major and former
president of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered
Aggies organization. “I just couldn’t believe it. There’s only one
way to way make a marriage less meaningful, and that is by not
fully giving yourself to that someone.”
With the issue of gay marriage sparking debate across the
nation, many students at Texas A&M are taking strong political
stands on the subject.
"Knowing that (President George W.) Bush very strongly
supports the passing of an amendment to ban gay marriages, I
will vote for anyone but him,” Smith said.
Democratic candidate, John Kerry said he is open to civil
unions; however, he opposes gay marriages and the amendment,
which leaves the door open for states to consider civil unions for
gay and lesbian couples.
“lhave nothing against anyone who is homosexual.” said
Andrea Waltisperger, a senior journalism major. “However, I
Ihink there is too much at stake to allow homosexuals to take
their relationships to a legal level of marriage.”
According to a recent Gallup poll, 51 percent of Americans
are in favor of a constitutional amendment that would define
marriage as being between a man and a woman.
“Banning marriages between homosexual couples will pre
vent an uproar of further debate on similar communal issues,”
Waltisperger said.
For the gay community to win the battle as quickly as possi
ble, two perspectives need to be considered. Smith said. One
perspective, he said, needs to be from a legal standpoint, writing
letters and organizing protests, while the other needs to be on a
more personal level.
“We can sustain a much heavier victory by going up to indi
viduals and building a relationship with them,” Smith said.
Then we can help people to realize that a ban on gay marriages
is wrong.”
While Bush stands by his decision to support the amendment,
Smithsaid he believes the president does not understand the
viewpoints on the opposite side of the spectrum.
“I understand Bush’s point of view; I used to have that same
one,"Smith said. “However, he doesn’t understand my point of
view or where the gay community is coming from, and I defi
nitely do not believe we should be ruled by that type of person.’
Bush’s critics feel his intense focus on the controversial
amendment is a diversion to keep negative issues about his
presidency out of the spotlight.
“I believe he is trying to get re-elected. So, he chose a
topic that would push Republicans’ hot buttons and get
people to overlook his mistakes in the war and with the
military,” Smith said.
According to a poll conducted by the Pew Research
Center for the People and the Press, people opposed gay
marriage by more than a 2-1 margin; however, they placed
it 21 st out of 22 topics they deemed priority.
“1 believe this is a minor issue, one that doesn’t affect a
majority of the people,” said Ryan Brus, a junior journalism
major. “We need to be focused on the issues of war and econo
my where people’s lives and welfare are at stake.”
Although it is easy to recognize that there is dedicated sup
port for a constitutional ban on same sex marriages,
activists argue Bush is trying to write discrimination into
one of our nation's founding documents.
“I, personally, do not believe Bush is trying to write in
discrimination,” Brus said. “I believe he is just trying to
clarify that marriage is between a man and a woman.”
On the other hand, people in the gay community believe
much differently.
“People are underestimating marriage
these days,” Smith said. “Marriage can be so
much more than a man and a woman together
to procreate; it can be about pledging your life
to someone else.”
With four states that have already banned
same sex marriages and 14 more trying to
amend their state constitutions to do so, most
gay rights activists believe the marriage licens
es in California were a great stepping stone.
“Just when the gay community thought
they had achieved a victory in San Francisco, Bush fires back
with an amendment to ban gay marriages,” Smith said.
Smith said he believes that the amendment brought beneficial
developments encouraging gay rights.
“People are getting more involved,” said Smith, “This is get
ting people who were on the fence before to start doing some
thing about it now.”
Although Brus supports Bush and the amendment, he
believes the fight is a lost cause.
“The way society is moving toward today, I don’t believe the
Josh Darwin • THE BATTALION
amendment is worth fighting for,” Brus said. “Within the next
20 to 30 years, this will be a dead issue, and I believe all states
will be allowing such marriages.”
Smith said he cannot see this issue turning out any other way
except for gay and lesbian couples receiving the right to marry.
“Denying gays to marry brings up too many assumptions
about homosexuality being wrong and sinful, and that their love
isn’t good enough, which defines those people as second-class
citizens,” Smith said. “Eventually people are going to realize
that doesn’t jive with the Constitution and the American ideal
that all men are created equal.”
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