The Panther Newspaper: Marriage equality, is it all rainbows?

Rebecca Rost has been planning her wedding since she was very young and feels great joy now, knowing that she can turn that dream into a reality.

“As a little lesbian kid I was so hurt that other people wanted to take that from me, and still am hurt when people say it,” Rost, a sophomore creative writing major and president of the Queer Straight Alliance, wrote in an email. “Personally, I’m happy about the ruling but know that I’m coming from a place of privilege as a white, cisgender individual in saying that, so I want to be clear that my own personal opinion doesn’t reflect how all LGBTQQIAP+ think or reflect their experiences.”

*Graphic by Ronnie Kaufman, Art Director.*

With a five-to-four vote, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that marriage equality is a constitutional right nationwide June 28. This ruling comes in wake of a significant change in public opinion, apparent through nationwide polls by the Washington Post and ABC that showed 61 percent of Americans support marriage equality.

After Rost found out about the ruling, she cried and immediately posted on social media about how much joy the decision brought her.

“The ruling is an important stepping stone toward greater equality for same-sex couples in America,” Rost wrote. “But we must keep in mind that globally, there are still over 70 countries where the ‘crime’ of homosexuality is illegal.”

Evan Cooper, a senior political science major, believes that the Supreme Court took up the case now because public opinion has changed drastically over the past 10 years.

“We, as Americans, have an ideal that we are treated equally by the law and by our peers,” Cooper said. “The law was discriminatory against gay people and they just wanted to be recognized by the state and have the same benefits as hetero people.”

Cooper pointed out that the law in California hasn’t needed to be modified much since Proposition 8, which eliminated the right for same-sex couples to marry statewide and was approved by voters in 2008, was deemed unconstitutional and eradicated in 2013.

| A difference in opinions

It’s Cooper’s opinion that the law doesn’t directly affect people who are against it.

“They’re not being forced to attend gay weddings and they’re not being forced to say homosexuality is a positive thing,” Cooper said. “It’s just allowing people who want to get married, to get married.”

But the ruling didn’t seem like the ideal situation for Lee McDonald, a religious studies professor at Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, who said the five-to-four vote reflects the considerable difference in opinions within the country. He said he thinks there should be a way to accommodate a difference of opinion for religious purposes.

“I hope that we go a bit slower and try to find ways that will make it more amenable where people will not have to violate their conscious on either side,” McDonald said. “I think the tide is turning in favor of more acceptance, but let’s be careful in the process.”

Although he does believe there will be legal challenges for years to come, McDonald thinks the Supreme Court’s decision will stand and society will continue to become more accepting of same-sex orientation.

Ian Barnard, an English professor at Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, believes other perspectives should be considered, instead of focusing on the binary positions that have resulted from the debate over marriage equality.

“The unfortunate thing about the way this whole issue has been framed is that only two positions have been created: either you’re homophobic and against same-sex marriage, or you’re not homophobic and support same-sex marriage,” Barnard said. “But there’s been a lot of queer critique on the same-sex marriage movement.”

Barnard identifies as gay/queer and said he’s personally conflicted over the marriage equality laws.

“Marriage is a conservative institution that’s also a way of keeping things the same instead of allowing for proliferation of relationships and sexualities,” Barnard said.

Barnard also worries that the Supreme Court ruling may make people feel pressured to get married in order to feel accepted or simply to get marital benefits.

“My partner and I aren’t married which means that he can’t get my social security retirement and I can’t get his, so we’ve talked about this even though we’re really against marriage and we don’t want to get married,” Barnard said. “Should we do it just for social security?”

Barnard said that in some ways, he feels like everything is going to change in regard to how people think of family and spouses.

“For so long, the idea of marriage has been synonymous with heteronormativity, so it’s really creating a shift in thinking,” Barnard said. “Children who have only grown up with this new definition of marriage, they aren’t really going to know the old system.”

| Society progresses slowly

Lorin Geitner, a religious studies professor at Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, believes LGBTQQIAP+ individuals will be able to expect a basic level of civility and respect throughout America, but it may take a few generations for homosexuality to become less stigmatized.

“Changing the law doesn’t change attitudes,” Geitner said. “I think homosexuals have been treated as second-class citizens and they have suffered the same kind of prejudice that non-white heterosexual males have experienced for a large part of our history.”

Geitner believes that once the LGBTQQIAP+ community loses that stigma, it can openly interact with others in society, which will make more people realize that the old stereotypes simply don’t make sense.

“Once you have a law in place that condemns the marginalization of a minority populace, that minority populace can come out and be open and owning of their identity as members of that minority,” Geitner said.

| On the brink of change

Reverend Nancy Brink, Chapman’s director of church relations and a chaplain of the university, said she has witnessed a gigantic shift in the last 20 years. She said the Supreme Court ruling has made life simpler because all married couples, regardless of sexual orientation, have the same rights such as health insurance, benefits after the death of a loved one, citizenship for foreign partners and visitation in hospitals.

As a Christian minister, Brink believes many of the religious arguments against marriage equality are false. She’s aware that many people believe Christians disagree with the Supreme Court ruling and this stereotype frustrates her because there are many Christians who are supportive of marriage equality.

“I will respect sincerely held religious belief but I don’t interpret those passages in the Bible the same way,” Brink said. “Because of our Constitution, you can have your own personal religious beliefs but it cannot trump anybody else’s civil liberties.”

Chapman has implemented policies for many years that protect the rights of faculty, staff and students regarding their sexual orientation, which has encouraged diversity, awareness and acceptance on campus.

| Growing up with same-sex parents

Rachel Beltran, a junior digital arts major, said her biological mother, Joan, grew up believing she would never find a community that would accept her and married her best friend, Beltran’s father. They divorced after Joan finally found the courage to come out as a lesbian and she met her current partner, Babe, 10 years ago.

“If my mom was Farrah Fawcett, then Babe is like James Bond,” Beltran said. “Babe just comes in with a way about life. She’s so spiritual, yet she’s very authoritative. She has rules, but she’s very loving. She complemented my mom perfectly.”

Babe and Joan got married in the interim period of Proposition 8, along with thousands of other couples, in San Francisco. Beltran said the marriage equality laws have validated Babe and Joan’s relationship and their lives.

“They were already married, they already loved each other, they already lived a life together,” Beltran said. “Having the ruling pass, it’s the first step to climbing a very large hill. The nice thing though is most people in our age group, at least on this side of the country, are already on board.”

Reporting by Ashley Probst and Georgina Bridger.