In these post-Supreme Court ruling days, there has been an extreme amount of praise for the wonder and power of judicial decision. Winning sides, whomever they may be, usually gush over those who ruled in their favor. Despite the outcome announced on June 26, ushering in a “new era” for the gay community, plenty among their ranks seem to view the legal ruling as bittersweet. It doesn’t require too much effort to see the vitriol spewing from the tolerant inhabitants in the winners’ circle. This isn’t so much a told-you-so thing. It’s packaged as an absolute hatred for those who hold differing opinions. The ones on the losing side of last Friday’s equation.
From a priest in NYC being spit upon, to some using the #LoveWins hashtag including a command to “eat ****”, I’m struck by how defensive the winners are appearing. For ones just given their way, they seem to be pushing everyone else back. I think this boils down to their desire for the sense of community which so-called oppression brings. While the Supreme Court ruling opened a door they had wanted open for a long while, it also closed the door on their claims of being anti-traditional and on the fringe. But…I thought that’s what they wanted?
Even the day of the announcement from the Supreme Court, the following was already reported in The New York Times:
“What do gay men have in common when they don’t have oppression?” asked Andrew Sullivan, one of the intellectual architects of the marriage movement. “I don’t know the answer to that yet.”
“The thing I miss is the specialness of being gay,” said Lisa Kron… “Because the traditional paths were closed, there was a consciousness to our lives…”
“There is something wonderful about being part of an oppressed community,” Mr. Marcus said. But he warned against too much nostalgia.
Those in the gay community, upset at their loss of camaraderie, remind me of those in the feminist movement. Without the cry of “we’re an oppressed people!” your voice just blends in with the rest of society. Modern-day feminists, who claim to have oppressors, would be bothered if the Patriarchy released its “shackles” from them. Perpetual victimhood is a shiny token, and its weakening, or loss altogether, is devastating to those who build their entire movement around it.
Meanwhile, in other parts of the globe where mere existence is a brave thing, oppression is very real. Unfortunately, we’ve seen more than once the brutality those such as ISIS carry out against the homosexuals living among them. Gay individuals are murdered by being pushed – head first – off of rooftops. I don’t doubt that they would have traded actual subjugation in their countries for even the pre-June 26 reality of the United States.
Although the choice should have been left with the states, the Supreme Court has ruled, and gay marriage is legal. This new reality was based on the desire that those in the gay community said they wanted “equality” through legal access to traditional marriage. The fallout from the ruling indicates the loss of counter-cultural relevance is a problem. This is because the fight was never about equal rights, but about hijacking a traditional vehicle in the attempts to pass it off as one of your own. Not only is this shoddy attempt a disruption at the base of our society as a whole, but also the foundations of the gay community. They wanted acceptance, but not quite. They’re beginning to notice their once-sacred novelty is wearing off. I predict unhappy demands in the future, because as we know, more is never enough.
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