I don’t get it. If people were campaigning to abbolish interracial marriages, they would be labeled as racist bigots. If they campaign to abbolish same-sex marriage it’s excused as defending our societal morals?!
“Intermarriage between whites and blacks is repulsive and averse to every sentiment of pure American spirit. It is abhorrent and repugnant to the very principles of Saxon government. It is subversive of social peace.”
Congressional Record, 62d. Congr., 3d. Sess., December 11, 1912, pp. 502-503.
This sounds like so many of the arguments I’ve heard against gay marriage that I can’t even cite them anymore. Does the analogy simply never cross these people’s minds? If we were talking about banning interracial marriage I’m sure there would be a shitload less support, but blatant segregation based on sexual orientation? That’s OK.
Maybe they’re just that dull.
As an aside the ‘pedia has a good section on the parallels with interracial marriage, and the section right afterward has some shameful situations where even a legal (Massachusetts) marriage wasn’t equivalent to a ‘hetero’ marriage (thanks DOMA).
And finally, this piece draws out more literal comparisons between the arguments in each case (a very ‘history reapeats itself’ analysis).