"I understand both sides," he said. "I prefer civil union, as opposed to traditional marriage."
Someone should explain to Senator Morahan that "separate but equal" is unconstitutional.
"Maybe I'm a traditionalist," he said. "I know my community is divided. If you can accommodate both sides, why not do that?"
Traditionalist? Does the Senator long for the traditions of racial segregation as well? There are a lot of traditions in this country that I'm glad have changed.
Nobody is being accommodated here. Are we to believe that gay couples will somehow feel empowered by Morahan's assertation that what they have is not equal to what he has with his wife? Isn't what Morahan is supporting just as bad as separate drinking fountains for black and white people?
He explained that he understands and empathizes with the arguments about "inheritance rights, spousal rights," and believes that civil unions will accomplish those goals of equal rights for same-sex partners.
Morahan went on to tell the Journal News editorial board that his reasons for getting married were for love, not for spousal rights.
So, it's obvious to me that Senator Morahan either doesn't understand this whole movement for gay marriage is really about one thing: love. And the implication that the love that he shares with his wife is greater than the love that is shared by the family headed by lesbian couple in Nyack or the gay couple in Nanuet is mind boggling.
I don't think Morahan's gay constituents want him to embrace the bonds that they share, but I do think that they want him to acknowledge what they share is at least equal to what he has been privileged to have.
Politicians like Morahan have gone to events like Gay Pride Rockland to tell you they're for gay rights. You'll hear the Senator say that LGBTs should have the same access to housing, jobs, benefits like health care and insurance, and equal protection of the law, but then it stops at gay marriage. Why is that? Is it Morahan's Catholic religion that keeps him from supporting gay marriage? Nobody is forcing the Catholic Church to perform gay marriages and I don't think they'd excommunicate the Senator from the Church for voting in the side of love. No, I don't think that's the problem.
Is it that Morahan really believes the stereotype of gays being promiscuous and incapable of forming long-term relationships? Does he, like many of his Republican allies, believe that homosexuality is merely a perversion? No, I think that Morahan has seen enough from the gay pride events that he has attended to know that this isn't the truth.
The fault, I believe lies in Morahan's unwavering allegience to the Republican Party. Many people, especially some liberal friends of mine, like to believe that Morahan is a closet liberal. I've been told by some of the most progressive people I know in Rockland County that he is some throwback Rockefeller Republican who's really on our side, fighting for our values. Democratic politicians in the county like Ilan Schoenberger, Alex Gromack, and Christopher St. Lawrence openly support Sen. Morahan and hardly anybody blinks. I admit, Morahan has been good with marketing and with that "member items" slush fund he uses to insure his incumbency.
Now the truth is out: Morahan was never has been the progressive or "moderate" that Rockland voters thought that he was. In fact, he has rarely stood up for anything that didn't sound like apple pie Americana. He's got a great formula for getting elected: sponsor some no-brainer legislation about children in need and talk it up, keep your mouth shut about everything else, smile, and everyone will think you're just like them. This worked for a long time, but now it's over. The upcoming gay marriage vote will expose Morahan's real values. And all these years of kissing babies and handing out obscene checks just before election time won't work anymore. We know what our State Senator is made of.
Thank you, Sen. Morahan for finally coming out. Now we can make more informed choices at the polls.
This diary is crossposted at Rockland Progressive Dems, the Web site for the Rockland Progressive Democratic Caucus. |
