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| The symbol which took over Social Networks this week (S) |
This week I was going to make a joke post for you all, but it’s well after midday here and I’m sure most of you are sick of April Fools by now anyway, so instead I am going to talk about how this week I learned way more about the US Supreme Court than I ever thought I would, my surprise at confrontations, and my joy at momentum.
As I’m sure you’re all aware, this past week at SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the US) the Defence of Marriage Act and California’s Proposition 8 were being discussed. The issue of equal marriage was thrust into the spotlight yet again (as it has been on so many occasions recently). Now, the potential outcomes of these hearings have been greatly discussed over the last few days, they’re complicated and varied with lots of different implications and if you want to know what they are then there are far more knowledgeable people than me who can explain them. In following the two days of hearings, however, I learned what felt like a tremendous amount, and the whole process was rather fascinating, as well as being nerve wracking. (The discovery that a decision could be months away rather took an edge of my nerves, however.)
I also learned some surprising new things about America as a country. You see, as a Brit who speaks the same language as those on the other side of the Atlantic do, and who shares musicals and films and books with them, among other things, I always expect us to be culturally similar, but of course we’re not. I was reminded of this while watching the coverage of the rallies taking place outside SCOTUS.
I discovered as I watched that there is a fundamental difference between British style rallies and US style ones. Over here we stick stoically with our own groups, yes shouting at each other, but in a very organised and fairly non-confrontational manner. The thing that sticks with me about the coverage, though, is the image of a pro-equal marriage protestor and an anti-equal marriage protestor in each other’s faces and arguing, full on yelling at each other with passionate disagreement.
Seeing this made me consider about two things. The first is that this is the reason why we need these hearings. People have such determinedly held views and don’t seem to be inclined to listen to each other. The only way to hear the views and mediate the discussion is to take it into an official space. All we can hope is that the officials come down “on the right side of history”. The second thing is that isn’t it amazing that this is finally all coming to head?
As I’m sure you’re all aware, this past week at SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the US) the Defence of Marriage Act and California’s Proposition 8 were being discussed. The issue of equal marriage was thrust into the spotlight yet again (as it has been on so many occasions recently). Now, the potential outcomes of these hearings have been greatly discussed over the last few days, they’re complicated and varied with lots of different implications and if you want to know what they are then there are far more knowledgeable people than me who can explain them. In following the two days of hearings, however, I learned what felt like a tremendous amount, and the whole process was rather fascinating, as well as being nerve wracking. (The discovery that a decision could be months away rather took an edge of my nerves, however.)
I also learned some surprising new things about America as a country. You see, as a Brit who speaks the same language as those on the other side of the Atlantic do, and who shares musicals and films and books with them, among other things, I always expect us to be culturally similar, but of course we’re not. I was reminded of this while watching the coverage of the rallies taking place outside SCOTUS.
I discovered as I watched that there is a fundamental difference between British style rallies and US style ones. Over here we stick stoically with our own groups, yes shouting at each other, but in a very organised and fairly non-confrontational manner. The thing that sticks with me about the coverage, though, is the image of a pro-equal marriage protestor and an anti-equal marriage protestor in each other’s faces and arguing, full on yelling at each other with passionate disagreement.
Seeing this made me consider about two things. The first is that this is the reason why we need these hearings. People have such determinedly held views and don’t seem to be inclined to listen to each other. The only way to hear the views and mediate the discussion is to take it into an official space. All we can hope is that the officials come down “on the right side of history”. The second thing is that isn’t it amazing that this is finally all coming to head?
This leads on nicely to the third thing I want to talk about today. On Tuesday, when I went on Facebook in the afternoon, it was to discover that the entire place had turned into a sea of pink and red. Now I’m British and this particular campaign didn’t stretch to most people over here, but seeing so much of it everywhere was possibly even more striking because of that.
There are times in this community when I feel like we’re really standing on the brink of something; when the momentum is so impossibly forceful and unstoppable that surely no one can stand in the way of this huge, encroaching cultural change. These are the moments that are truly a privilege to witness, and to feel like I have some kind of identification with and part in. I know we talk about pride a lot, perhaps to the point of it becoming clichéd, but I genuinely do feel proud and privileged at moments like this to watch the tides of history turn.
When things like this happen, when equal marriage takes over Facebook and people start to change their minds or question their staunchly held beliefs (Our Archbishop of Canterbury currently seems to be considering the human impacts of opposing equal marriage) there is nothing to do but be amazed and excited and proud. Of course I know that there are some countries where equal marriage isn’t even vaguely thought of yet; where homosexuality is still outlawed, but when slowly, state by state and country by country, change starts to occur, the dominoes will begin to fall and eventually the world has no choice but to come cascading along with it. Maybe it will take longer but it will get there, because I know that this is a community that will make sure that it does. We’re not ones to sit down and shut up. We like to fight and stand up for ourselves, and I have every confidence that we won’t be stopped until there is equality the world over.
There are times in this community when I feel like we’re really standing on the brink of something; when the momentum is so impossibly forceful and unstoppable that surely no one can stand in the way of this huge, encroaching cultural change. These are the moments that are truly a privilege to witness, and to feel like I have some kind of identification with and part in. I know we talk about pride a lot, perhaps to the point of it becoming clichéd, but I genuinely do feel proud and privileged at moments like this to watch the tides of history turn.
When things like this happen, when equal marriage takes over Facebook and people start to change their minds or question their staunchly held beliefs (Our Archbishop of Canterbury currently seems to be considering the human impacts of opposing equal marriage) there is nothing to do but be amazed and excited and proud. Of course I know that there are some countries where equal marriage isn’t even vaguely thought of yet; where homosexuality is still outlawed, but when slowly, state by state and country by country, change starts to occur, the dominoes will begin to fall and eventually the world has no choice but to come cascading along with it. Maybe it will take longer but it will get there, because I know that this is a community that will make sure that it does. We’re not ones to sit down and shut up. We like to fight and stand up for ourselves, and I have every confidence that we won’t be stopped until there is equality the world over.
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