Is the marriage fight setting us back?

I have another horrible confession to make. Not only did I clap during the movie "Dreamgirls," but I'm also a flip-flopper. I'm one of the seemingly increasing queer folk who can't manage to enthusiastically get behind gay marriage. I know it's important, and it seems like the right thing, but it still leaves an acid reflux feeling in my chest. Is it the right battle to be fighting?

The latest issue of the Gay & Lesbian Review features an article from John D'Emilio, The Marriage Fight is Setting us Back, which hits at some of the reasons many GLBT activists hesitate to get behind gay marriage, much to the ire of some of their peers. I can't say I agree with everything in D'Emilio's piece, and it's way too long for my interest (halfway through I felt my eyes wander to the people sitting next to me in the coffee shop, and my ears soon followed). But D'Emilio does make some great points, one being that if history is to teach us anything, it's that pushing for gay marriage rights now may not be the most prudent fight. As he writes, the increasing cry over gay marriage now has in turn spawned a number of anti-gay laws, initiatives, and amendments -- concentrated now so that every year it seems that a half dozen new states are passing something anti-gay.

Anyway, it's an interesting read, especially if you're one of those (like me) who sometimes wonder whether the quest for gay marriage is really harming or helping the GLBT movement in this country.

Another interesting piece to check out....a group of GLBT activists have just released a sign-on letter to national GLBT organizations, Beyond Same-Sex Marriage: A New Strategic Vision for All Our Families & Relationships, which urges the GLBT community to move beyond a singular push for gay marriage. Again, I don't agree with it all, but it's definitely worth the read to get a sense of the debate on this issue. Ciao!