I think it's time I came out of the closet....

Not as a homosexual, but as a Mormon who lives and breathes the gospel but who thinks that rights are rights and my religious agenda shouldn't interfere with other people's lives. I believe in a separation of church and state and I like that my church and my government are their own entities. If anything, it gives the gospel more meaning in my life. Not everyone has the religious beliefs and upbringing that I have so why should I expect them all to adhere to the same lifestyle? If I expect people to let me practice my religion, why shouldn't they expect the same with their own practices?

There it is.

Today, half of my friends changed their Facebook profiles to the equality symbol. I would have done the same except for fear of stirring up controversy and unneeded contention in such a public arena. Maybe because I'm also a coward. I have too many people on my Facebook with differing views and I want to respect them all because they each have good reasons for their stances.

But I did want to say something and I think that as I have all of two people reading this blog, this might be the safest place to vent.

I could go on and on but I'll try to keep this brief:

I support gay marriage.

If you don't like it, don't have one.

It's not going to make your kids gay. Open-minded, maybe. And heaven forbid that happens.

Marriage is a sacred thing (and for me, it's eternal versus the earthbound marriage that's stirring up so much controversy) and I can't deny another person that privilege if it's what they want. It means sharing something with the person you love most. And if you truly care about that person, you should be allowed to be considered that person's family. It doesn't make marriage any less meaningful to me. I've seen more heterosexuals take light of marriage than homosexuals, in all honesty. It doesn't matter which way they swing. People are people and there are douchebags in every subculture.

Kids with gay parents don't typically care that they don't have a "mother" and a "father" (as far as I know). They have parents and I don't imagine they love them any less. Gender is not an issue. My friends who have gay parents are just as well-rounded as I am. A man and a woman can still be crappy parents just as a homosexual couple can (or not).

It's not going to lead to people marrying/having sex with goats. I'm pretty sure that stands under non-consensual.

One day, this issue is going to fall in line with women's suffrage and  the civil rights movement. It's just bound to happen and we can't fight it. The fact that so many Christians are is making us very unpopular. Not that that should be an issue but it doesn't help our case when we complain about being persecuted and then go on to persecute others (not that all Christians are doing this).

If I have kids someday and one of them is gay, I don't want him or her to be afraid to be honest about themself with me or  with society. I'm not very open about my views unless people ask because I know a lot of people won't accept it and it sucks. I don't want to put other people through that.

When my roommate holds hands with his boyfriend in public, it's not a statement intended to offend anyone. It's a simple gesture of affection and should be left at that. I'm not trying to offend homosexuals by holding hands with a guy in public.

Shoving my religion down other people's throats, when they don't want to hear it, isn't going to convert anyone to my views.

As far as I'm concerned, this is a social issue and my religion has nothing to do with it. I don't consume alcohol but we saw how the prohibition went down. We know making it illegal isn't going to make it go away.

It doesn't affect me. My friends having same-sex relationships doesn't mean I'm going to and it doesn't mean that Mormon temples are going to have to allow same-sex marriages. It's a private institution. And people have to be temple-worthy for it anyway.

Look at Canada... it's been legalized for years and their society is still standing. As Pierre Trudeau put it: "The government has no business in the bedrooms of Canadians"

Most of my friends right now are part of the LGBTQ community. And they're good people. My roommates are some of the most caring and pure-hearted people I know and yet they're met with so much hate, ignorance, and opposition over something that, as far as they're concerned, they can't control.

I believe in free love. Not in the sense of having sex with multiple partners but in the sense that everyone deserves my love and acceptance. As my church says: Love one another. Everything else is between that person and God. Live and let live.

Besides, if we keep denying gay marriage....

There, I got it off my chest. I'm sure there are great counter-arguments to most of what I said, which is why I don't try to stir up debates on Facebook. I could argue back and forth but it's not going to accomplish anything because people have their views for a reason. I probably know most of the arguments too. These are still my views and I'm sticking to them. I may not be very educated or politically involved but I can still think for myself. It doesn't make me a radical liberal, I'd just like to think it makes me a decent person with a little common sense.

Sorry, that wasn't as brief as I thought it would be. Here are some thoughts on love and commitment:

Sincerely,
Whit
(and I hope there are others who feel the same, even if, like me, they lack the courage to say)

As a side note: I really appreciate that my church has been reaching out with statements like this that clarify our stance: http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/church-mormon-responds-to-human-rights-campaign-petition-same-sex-attraction