The latest viral sensation isn’t another cat or baby video. “It Could Happen To You” tells the story of a tragic event in the lives of a homosexual couple.
Shane Bitney Crone tells the story of his partner Tom Bridegroom’s death. Bridegroom came from a family that disapproved of their son’s homosexuality and shut Crone out from Bridegroom’s funeral and any legal matters.
Crone’s family tried to exclude him from Bridegroom’s life when Crone was one of the biggest parts of it.
“Despite having a business and a mortgage together, I had no legal right to any information regarding his death or the events that followed,” Crone says in the video. “Had Tom and I had the right to marry, many things would have been different. Losing a loved one is devastating enough, but to be rendered legally insignificant only makes the pain worse.”
Americans pride themselves on being progressive, but when it comes to gay marriage this country has moved backwards. I will never understand the hatred and confusion people feel toward homosexuals.
If you disagree with marriage between same-sex couples, so be it, but do not strip away their rights. Voting in favor of gay marriage does not affect you at all.
Denying homosexuals the right to get married is a violation of
freedom. The main reason people vote against gay marriage is because many major religions consider homosexuality a sin.
Our founding fathers wanted as much separation from church and state as possible. Marriage by the state is a secular activity. The government cannot start making laws just because a religion says they should.
Some people also believe that legalizing gay marriage would taint the sanctity of marriage, but I have seen plenty of gay couples with much better relationships than some married straight couples.
By not allowing homosexuals to marry, you are also stripping them of many of the privileges you take for granted.
Marriage affects a couple’s tax filing status, property ownership, insurance benefits, and agency law. It also affects critical medical decisions.
For example, if a gay couple has been together for 20 years and one partner becomes critically ill, visitation may be prohibited since their partner would not be considered a spouse or immediate family member. That is outright unjust.
Denying homosexuals the right to marry is just another form of discrimination this country shamefully still upholds. I encourage everyone to watch “It Could Happen To You” before the next election. Step into Crone’s shoes and finally vote for the rights gay couples deserve.
Rebecca Ruiz is a senior business major and a contributing writer for the Daily 49er.
