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Skunks · 08-15-2004, 07:25 AM

Tangible is the wrong word. Significant?

Ultimately, I'm wondering if one could create a "separate but equal" homosexual version of marriage without being a bigot. Segregating minorities is frowned upon, but I think there might be room to argue that it's justified in this case.

There are differences between people of various skin colors, but ultimately they're relevant only in limited contexts. A genetic predisposition to this or that, neither of which is 'cooties.' Skin color is a very in-your-face identifier, which makes it easy to group people by. But it doesn't carry much meaning in general, except as a side effect of the groupings (culture by forced association, at least in America).

Homosexuality is more significant. As you said, any visual clues stem from action; it's not something you'll necessarily pick up on right away. Strictly speaking it carries meaning in the context of pair-bonding. Stereotypically, fashion, hygeine, etc follow. These are broader, if still not very general, contexts.

If we say that racism is bad because it takes a visual identifier that is linked only with minor differences and applies it outside the scope of those differences, it follows that "good" segregation would be based on major differences and would be limited to the scope of those differences. Racism in the US was a minor difference applied to everything.

But if there are significant differences between homosexual and heterosexual relationships, ones that would influence marriage, it would be a good reason to create a separate version of marriage for them.

I guess this is what everybody's been arguing all along. I just took a "shortcut", as it were. And I spent a lot of time writing this, so I'm going to tw it up (beware the vulcans with smoking aluminum gun barrels!), except he typically doesn't change his mind at the last paragraph:

I don't think there is enough of a distinction. The relationships are certainly different, but the difference doesn't matter. Unless there would be a functional, and not descriptive, difference between a homosexual civil union and a heterosexual marriage, creating the alternative version would be a superficial waste of time and, by my earlier definition, bigoted.

08-15-2004, 07:25 AM	#17
Skunks I thought I changed this. Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: western nowhere, ny Posts: 412	Tangible is the wrong word. Significant? Ultimately, I'm wondering if one could create a "separate but equal" homosexual version of marriage without being a bigot. Segregating minorities is frowned upon, but I think there might be room to argue that it's justified in this case. There are differences between people of various skin colors, but ultimately they're relevant only in limited contexts. A genetic predisposition to this or that, neither of which is 'cooties.' Skin color is a very in-your-face identifier, which makes it easy to group people by. But it doesn't carry much meaning in general, except as a side effect of the groupings (culture by forced association, at least in America). Homosexuality is more significant. As you said, any visual clues stem from action; it's not something you'll necessarily pick up on right away. Strictly speaking it carries meaning in the context of pair-bonding. Stereotypically, fashion, hygeine, etc follow. These are broader, if still not very general, contexts. If we say that racism is bad because it takes a visual identifier that is linked only with minor differences and applies it outside the scope of those differences, it follows that "good" segregation would be based on major differences and would be limited to the scope of those differences. Racism in the US was a minor difference applied to everything. But if there are significant differences between homosexual and heterosexual relationships, ones that would influence marriage, it would be a good reason to create a separate version of marriage for them. I guess this is what everybody's been arguing all along. I just took a "shortcut", as it were. And I spent a lot of time writing this, so I'm going to tw it up (beware the vulcans with smoking aluminum gun barrels!), except he typically doesn't change his mind at the last paragraph: I don't think there is enough of a distinction. The relationships are certainly different, but the difference doesn't matter. Unless there would be a functional, and not descriptive, difference between a homosexual civil union and a heterosexual marriage, creating the alternative version would be a superficial waste of time and, by my earlier definition, bigoted.