Kevin Marshall's America
Fans in Vancouver riot after the Bruins defeat their Canucks 4-0 to win the Stanley Cup on Wednesday evening. (Photo: Associated Press)
The most important lesson to take from the events of the last twenty-four hours is that passage of legislation legalizing same-sex marriage will not lead to moral decay and the destabilization of all we hold dear in our society.
You’re thinking of hockey.
Last night, after the Boston Bruins won game seven of the NHL Stanley Cup Series to take home their first championship in nearly forty years, the fans of Vancouver reacted…poorly. Rioters, some of whom took the street after the game and many others who were already there to attend the watch party outside Rogers Arena, flipped over cars and set multiple fires while the Vancouver police tried desperately to contain the carnage.
My friend Joe was covering the events in Vancouver for NBC’s Pro Hockey Talk and thankfully made it out alive. He told me that CTV (the largest privately owned broadcast network in Canada) was insinuating the riots were encouraged by the Black Bloc, the same anarchist group that created problems for police and security forces during the Olympic Games, though as of this writing it still appears that the perpetrators were primarily angry hockey fans.
Regardless, it got me to thinking about gay marriage. No, really, it did.
Admittedly, a parallel could not be drawn without the timing of the two events, but bear with me.
Assemblyman Dov Hikind holds up a photo of Lady Gaga with a telephone on her head to support an argument against gay marriage. Seriously. (photo: Lori Van Buren, Times Union)
Detractors of same-sex marriage often cite a degradation of society if same-sex marriage is legalized. It saddens me that people can’t get over environmentally taught prejudices to see past such a ludicrous notion, especially when society needs nothing less than a game played by grown men on ice skates – one whose result will be rendered moot in the Fall when a new season begins and all records, numbers, and accomplishments are reset to zero – to completely fall apart.
I kid, of course, but only to show a point: of all the things that could go wrong in this world and all the things we should be afraid of, the last of them should be love, no matter what form it takes.
The existence of hockey itself didn’t create the violence that occurred in Vancouver, and no politician would deign to blame the game itself and call for its banishment. Partially because hockey is a popular and accepted sport, but also because it’s a ridiculous suggestion. Yet some people like State Senator Ruben Diaz (who the last several days has been stomping his feet like a child around Albany and generally acting like a complete imbecile) put forth an even flimsier argument that suggests that somehow the marriage of the most devoted couples I know – Alan and Andy, Jenn and Nikki, and others – will make otherwise straight kids turn gay and create a moral decay that will send us into a tailspin.
It’s ludicrous, embarrassing, and would be amusing if loving couples weren’t being denied their civil rights.
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26 Responses to Hockey & Homosexuals: what we learned yesterday about sports and gay marriage
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STALK ME
Cynthia Nixon? Sean Avery? Seriously?
Well, if one of those ‘beautiful’ people who spends all their time along side the runway at fashion shows say it’s ok, then it must be ok.
Also, Cynthia Nixon supports it too.
What a bunch of idiotic Canucks! There should be a big, huge apology to the Bruins and to all fans of hockey. I love the fights on the ice, but turning over cars and starting fires??? Makes KegsnEggs sound like a training camp.
Good points about gay marriage. The other thing is, gay sex is already out there…why not promote marriage?
Ann - Because if two people who are already gay get a piece of paper confirming that they are gay with each other, that would be freaking AWFUL!
First we let the gays get married. Next everyone will be walking around with old-timey telephones on their heads. America is doomed.
I do agree with certain people who claim that our grip on civilized society is tenuous, as evidenced by stunts like this. If a few weddings is what puts us over the edge, though, it would truly surprise me. It would be a very restrained, well-dressed revolution for sure.
I was doing a little research, thinking I’d say something like, “I’m moving to Mexico, damn it, where things are TRADITIONAL.” But same sex marriage is legal in Mexico City. And South Africa! We should be ashamed of ourselves.
I’m sick of this argument, honestly. The state should not allow gay marriage. The state should not allow straight marriage. Marriage, as a societal concept, is outdated and the state should legislate itself out of it. Every benefit in society and under the law that marriage brings can be easily managed without ‘marriage’ and should be. These benefits should be available to all members of any protected class, regardless of their relationship status.
If the Catholic Church wants to deny gays the right to get married under their religion, that’s their right. (It isn’t their only questionable rule.) But for the state to deny rights/privileges based on a relationship status is ridiculous. And that is what the gays really want and should have…equal rights and protections under the law…not access to your precious covenant. Or…it SHOULD be.
GenWar - Good point about the church. It should be noted that NO Church would be forced to marry gays under this or any legislation. In fact, currently churches are not required to marry anyone that they don’t want to. I have a sister and brother-in-law who can attest to that, because the first priest they approached to marry them said no. Not on any moral grounds; they didn’t have children out of wedlock (in fact didn’t have a child until years later) and were both heterosexual Catholic adults. But he did not recognize them as being a part of his parish, so he denied them. And guess what? That’s his, and any church’s right.
Leigh - First they came for the old-timey telephones…and I said nothing.
Plus…you know…Cynthia Nixon.
Yeah, what does that picture have to do with gay marriage? Is Lady Gaga gay? I like her hat better than Fergie’s daughters’.
Ann - She’s not but she’s an advocate for same-sex marriage and a highly vocal straight ally. I still haven’t found out what the context was, but no matter what point he was trying to make, it’s still elected State Assemblymen Dov Hikind holding up a picture of Lady Gaga with a freaking phone on her head.
I agree that gay marriage should be legal. There are a lot of state benefits that married people can get that they should be allowed (like being able to get insurance throught spouse’s employered spondered health insurance). Too bad all that won’t transfer to the federal level (thank you preservation of marriage act or whatever that cluster-you-know-what was called). So even with cool things like States allowing gay marriages and repeal of DADT, until this is a federal across the board allowance, it will never be truly a win (for example, for a gay married in a state that allows in couple where one is in the military….the spouse will not be entitled to all the same benefits of a spouse in a “straight” marriage). Small steps are awesome….they are moving us towards the big picture but veeerrrryyyy slowly.
And dear Kevin, please please please, for those of us who know and love Joe…..don’t scare us like that!! Joe was home and safe last night according to my sources…. (but thanks for the moment of “he was!! really!!! OMG!!! HE COULD HAVE BEEN HURT!!)
Do you think the people on the other planets are saying, “We really need to go down there and staighten that place out.”?
Looks like LA on a Monday night to me…
Thanks for the shout-out, Kevin. Here’s my take on the situation right now: gay marriage is going to be legal. Maybe not this week, maybe not this year, maybe not this decade, but it will one day be legal. The question is whether or not New York State will be one of the leaders in this, or a shameful follower lagging behind. As for the religious institutions, eventually they will have no members, no money, and no support – again, maybe not today or even a few decades from now, but eventually they will be irrelevant, unless they evolve. (Churches are closing for a reason – the current generation, and generations to come, will not be part of that sort of intolerance.) If preventing two people who love each other from getting married is the sort of hateful thing they want to pour all their money and resources into, they’re fighting a losing war.
Based on the pic, I thought he took offense to the purple (tinky-winkyish) coloring in her hair. Not the phone.
It’s amazing that Diaz gets re-elected for all the antics he pulls every year.
If there’s one thing that Kegs n Eggs has taught us this year, it is that filming or taking picuters of yourself and your friends during a riot is probably a bad idea.
@ EZ – How about a similar lesson this year about taking pictures of your junk and sending them to strangers on the internet?
Jackson Powers- Why don’t you just ask me to stop breathing?
Good lesson Jackson, one I hope to learn someday, but wasn’t really relevant to this blog post. . .
Why do we preface everything with “The?” i.e “the” gays, “the” blacks, “the” Ohio State University…..do we really need “the” to segregate a group of people like it’s derogatory? Just say gay people, black people….etc…
I think pointing to Canada is very interesting as gay marriage is legalized there and they aren’t the ones acting uncivilized. But, it seems that all sports fans act in these uncivilized ways when it comes to championship games. Boston shut down streets near TD Garden in order to prevent rioting due to past experiences over other championships. The pictures of the Vancouver streets largely remind me of one’s I’ve seen at college post National Championships. Strange that states are willing to take precautions against people acting uncivilized but regard the expression of love as uncivilized.
The legalization of gay marriage WILL have a huge effect on our young people. Hopefully, it will enable those of them who are in the closet and suffering to come out.
Wouldn’t that be something? I can honestly say that i believe it will save lives.
I never really understood that whole sports thing. Sure its great to support a team, but really now!
If you are actually a member of the team, or your are a coach or a manager, I can understand.
But why does being some anonymous fan make you feel like the world comes to an end if your team loses?
Hmmm….I don’t know. Those Canadians, they allow that Gay marriage stuff. And, they riot after hockey games. So….it is clear that gay marriage causes hockey riots. Do we really want that here in America?
Don’t worry, folks. David Tyree has taken up the cause of defending the institution of (straight) marriage. Y’know, the one with the 50% divorce rate. Here’s a direct quote from his ridiculous video:
“What I know will happen if this does come forth is this will be the beginning of our country sliding toward, you know, it’s a strong word, but anarchy….That will be the moment where our society in itself loses its grip with what’s right.”
I’m pretty sure that people said the same thing when debating whether or not to give black people the same rights as whites.
Of all of the people with opinions, who’s opinion is the correct one? I can tell you my opinion concerning homosexual rights and privelidges. Everyones vote will be counted but not everyones vote will count. Because the majority vote is all that will be counted. If God exists then I think, since he created all of us,His opinion is the one that is absolutely correct and morally right, in spite of the immoral majority.Our opinions will come to an end one day soon, and God’s opinion will endure for ever. So you better have your way while you can, people, God will be in charge and he will not be handing out voting ballots. What He says will be done, and that day is coming, whether you believe it or not.
Hi Kevin,
I was hoping that I could share this article with my readers on my blog: http://jesushas2daddies.blogspot.com/
I think it’s a great entry, and with my support of Gay Marriage, I think it’s important.
Let me know please.
Tom
@Leo, #24, since it’s an opinion, no one’s is correct. That’s the definition of the word opinion.
My opinion is that, if in fact you are correct about God’s return (and who am I to say you’re not?), God will not look kindly on those who refuse to bless others with the same rights and acceptance they themselves enjoy, regardless of what we might say is in the Bible. Especially since I doubt there is a person alive who follows the book to the letter anyway.