10 things that marriage equality won’t do

A co-worker brought in a pamphlet yesterday. The heading read ‘3 ways gay marriage will change the classroom’. And I quote

‘More radical gay & lesbian sex ‘education’ programs in schools’ like Safe Schools which ‘..already teach kids about various forms of sexual activity and encourages sexual experimentation from an early age’.

‘Kids will be taught their gender is fluid’…’something they choose, not something they are born with’.

‘Loss of parents’ rights’. ‘In other countries where gay marriage has been legalised, parents have found themselves in court after trying to pull their kids out of radical gay sex education classes’.

We were all gobsmacked at the ignorance and blatant disregard for the truth. So here are some things that won’t happen when marriage equality is finally made law:

1. Heterosexual kids will not suddenly become gay. Homosexuality is not a choice.

2. Heterosexual kids will not suddenly become lesbian. Homosexuality is not a choice.

3. Heterosexual kids will not suddenly become trans. Being transgender is not a choice.

4. Kids in general will not be any more or less interested in sex than they are now. But kids who are taught that being gay, lesbian or trans is not ‘bad’ may become a little more tolerant. They may stop hounding kids who look or act ‘different’. And gay, lesbian or trans kids who struggle to make sense of their feelings and their place in the world may stop harming themselves and taking their own lives.

5. Parents will not lose any of the ‘rights’ they have now. They will still be free to place their children in public or private schools according to their beliefs. They will also continue to have the right to homeschool their children.

6. Religious institutions that allowed systemic child abuse to continue for decades will continue to marry or not marry people based on church dogma.

7. Adults who disliked gay, lesbian or trans people before marriage equality can continue to dislike them afterwards. Marriage equality is powerless to stop prejudice and bigotry.

8. Marriage equality will not harm any straight people.

9. Marriage equality will not take anything away from straight people.

10. Marriage equality is not the start of a slippery slope that will ruin Australia.

These are the countries that have already legalised marriage equality:

This list includes deeply religious countries like Spain, Portugal and Ireland. The sky didn’t fall in and nothing terrible happened.

Nothing terrible will happen here either. Life will continue the way it always has, but there may come a time when kids who are different can stand tall and live happy, productive lives instead of being bullied to death like Kenneth James Weishuhn. Rest in peace.

Vote Yes

Meeks