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27 Feb 2004

separate is not equal

As the gay marriage debate rages on across the US, Jason Woo tells why gays should not accept the argument that a "civil union" will do.

Just as pro-queer rights group rejoiced fleetingly over the Massachusetts High Court decisions challenging the constitutionality of banning homosexual marriages, they were swept up in yet another uphill battle - this time in the legislative chambers. In the same week, recently elected San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom permitted the issuance of same-sex marriage certificates.

A woman passes out stickers in support of gay marriages (top pic) as a member of Repent America, a religious group from Philadelphia, speaks out against same-sex marriage outside the San Francisco City Hall.
As debate mounts nation-wide, we are faced with the daunting possibility of a Constitutional Amendment to restrict the "most sacred and enduring institution" of marriage exclusively to heterosexual couples. civil union is purported to be its replacement instead.

"It's all semantics," is the common response. "It's just the term 'marriage' that people are hung up with. They're all the same anyway."

But it's not just semantics. First, words and terms have much greater social significance than they superficially seem. By the very simple act of naming, you lay claim and possession of that object, person, ideology, or that institution. If gays and lesbians can't even call a marriage "marriage," what exactly can we claim then?

It's not knit picking. Proponents of civil unions are essentially revoking the "separate-and-equal" argument utilised in Jim Crow laws. If a civil union is essentially the same with marriage, it's only right for it to be declared the same thing. Why the equivocation and hypocritical double standard? We should never ever buy the illogical and downright discriminatory "separate-and-equal" argument.

And second, a civil union is not the same with marriage. civil union is a separate system that's simply unequal. It's not even sufficient. It's nothing but a cheap gaudy imitation of the real deal. As much as you would spot a faux Made-in-China Fendi bag a mile away, civil union should raise your bells and whistles and red signals.

It's a tokenistic inferior double-standard institution of what a marriage is. I acknowledge that civil union does offer and protect similar rights to a marriage. But they're nowhere close. Rights of immigration, visitation, and privileges of Social Security and taxes - all in all, over a thousand (roll that off your tongue again: a thousand!) fundamental rights provided to the heterosexual married couples that is not extended to civil union partners. We should accept anything less than.

And we should learn from our history that a separate system of anything, especially those limiting a particular group of people, is discriminatory. The landmark case of Brown v. Board had set the precedence and it should be an important reminder that providing a separate inferior double standard is anything but equal. Let's not let that fight for civil rights and fundamental liberty go in vain.

In the 60s, racism was prevalent and the social issue was not resolved prior to the extension of equal opportunity and access to public services to the African Americans. It takes the case of Brown to jump-start the fight against racism. The social discrimination against that minority group was dealt with, hand in hand, with legal and institutional discrimination. I'm not saying that racism is completely non-existent today. But at least, the era of state-sponsored institutionalised separatism is over.

Similarly, we cannot expect acceptance of homosexuals and tolerance against homophobia to exist before we demand an equal institution of marriage to homosexuals Like the African Americans in the 60s, this would be the public policy that would jump-start the continual struggle against homophobia and earning our much-deprived equality.

The queer rights movement is an extension of the civil rights movement; the move towards gay equality institutionally and socially is based in the identity politics of the 60s civil rights era. Our institute of marriage doesn't need protection, but our civil rights do.

The people of that generation, even though most don't belong to the particular group of minority, had acknowledged that discrimination against one particular group is wrong. They took steps to rectify that inequality.

For our generation, the wrong is civil union and the time to fix it is now.

Born and raised in various parts of Asia, Jason Woo is a writer presently based in Los Angeles. His column is also currently featured on newsjourney.com and available for syndication. You can contact him at mail@jasonwoo.com.

Reader's Comments

Comment #1 was deleted by its author
Comment #2 was deleted by its author
3. 2006-05-17 18:51  
What a class act! Congratulations to Sharkbait and everyone who made Floatilla such an event to remember.

And Kocher - those are FABULOUS photos! Muaks!
4. 2006-05-17 21:51  
it was great seeing all you guys at Disneyland. being a performer there, its great to see the turnout. its encouraging to see the turnout. i'll never forget the guests i had for the day, the cheers that you all gave during the parade is applauding. looking forward to next year!
5. 2006-05-18 00:45  
when you die you remember nothing
Comment #6 was deleted by its author
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8. 2006-05-18 01:16  
Great article! I think a lot of lesbians use sex toys esp strap-ons but are too shy to admit it! Quick, fess' up!

Anyway, I recommend www.vixencreations.com for quality toys and blowfish.com (which also carries vixen stuff) for most reasonable shipping rates to Asia!
9. 2006-05-18 07:45  
good
10. 2006-05-18 08:57  
Hey. Think it is better to split News around the world into 3 articles so that reads can pen their thoughts separately.
11. 2006-05-18 10:31  
hi am oat I com forn Thailland at Chiang mai my profile http://www.fridae.com/personals/?domon_7
12. 2006-05-18 11:30  
wow it did go well huh....well done then
13. 2006-05-18 11:53  
congratulations!!!!
find it interesting, its spring fling in hong kong and we are having a summer fling party here in manila on the other hand^^ cool!

anyone going to be in manila for the weekend of may 20? send me a message to let me know so i can send you an invite.
14. 2006-05-18 13:42  
Thank you all for making this such a success... Thanks to Fridae and all the people that helped make it happen... Sharkbait.
15. 2006-05-18 14:26  
I envy you all guys who had been there in floatila... I must be there in the next floatilla event sometime this year or next year.. Cheer up guys! You made it!!Congratulations to the organizers...

Cheers!!!!
16. 2006-05-18 16:10  
Smart "Semen First Class" t-shirt!
http://www.fridae.com/fotos2/index.php/Floatilla%202/P5142713.jpg?action=big&size=original&fromthumbnail=true
17. 2006-05-18 16:30  
brilliant article! i read it ten times. =)
18. 2006-05-18 17:44  
i have to said when i went the boats party before in hong kong but never had so so big gay boats party like that and me and my friends had so much fun ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ::)) tks so much fridae ,,,,,,,,,,,, hk timme
19. 2006-05-18 18:18  
waaahhhh! that was really exciting!
hope we have this kinda thing here in Cebu, Philippines as well!

And lookin forward to attend this said event as well by next year! :)
20. 2006-05-18 19:21  
i wish i were there.. anyone wants to be my date next year?
21. 2006-05-18 21:48  
Greggy-ah!
You never stop amazing me.
congratulations on a great event.
Miss you tons,
TP
22. 2006-05-18 22:35  
I too found it strange to think of a lesbian with a penis at first, I mean, if I want a penis i'll get a man. So I'm not surprised by those ideas. Now, I'm open to it all. I agree, lesbians have the most options!
23. 2006-05-18 23:42  
Sex stores be dammed. A fine reclaimed qiezi will do the trick - just head to your local corner grocer!
24. 2006-05-19 08:52  
There will be another event on 5/21
IDAHO Hong Kong Parade
(International Day Against HomophObia)

http://idahohk.org/
25. 2006-05-19 10:38  
Strap on is tricky but practice makes perfect..
hm.. i should stop thinking about these things at 9 in the morning. Long live lesbian sex..
26. 2006-05-19 10:39  
btw I still think your next article should be "Sex Toys 101"
27. 2006-05-19 11:53  
as a lesbian-feminist from the good ole '80s, i say strap-ons rock! big fun for all good grrls and bad bois. thanks for a great read!
Comment #28 was deleted by its author
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Comment #31 was deleted by its author
32. 2006-05-19 15:14  
I have lesbian friends in Beijing who had ordered strap-ons and dildos from local online sex shops. The products were discreetly wrapped and delivered to their doorsteps. Of course, strap-ons are not easily available at every roadside sex shop in Beijing. Most of the local online sex shops are available only in Chinese and one can do a search in a Chinese search engine such as Baidu or Sohu. Type in "lala" or "nv tongzhi xingwanju" (in Chinese) and see what's available.
33. 2006-05-19 20:20  
Congratulations to you guys ... glad to know that it's such a success. Well done to the organizer.
34. 2006-05-20 01:00  
SO gayly gay
35. 2006-05-20 11:13  
Has anyone encountered any adverse reactions from new partners about the use of sex toys? I havn't at all and I think most are in fact more 'receptive' in private than in public.
36. 2006-05-20 16:44  
good to hear there is a protest agaist homophobia
37. 2006-05-20 21:01  
i agree with jenx - - - strap ons rule!

can imagine why it was hard to find them in China. it is interesting to note the reactions of some queer women to the idea of strap ons...

giving queer women more options in bed, it's all good~!

now I just need to find a lover who can take it as well as she gives ;)
38. 2006-05-20 21:39  
BE THERE
BE QUEER...
SO PEOPLE
GET OVER IT
ITS GONA BE FUN..
MY FRENS COMIN TO SUPPORT THIS RALLY HEHEHE....HOPE EVEYRTHING WILL HAPPEN AS I HOPE HEHEHE
39. 2006-05-21 08:49  
Bravo to our Brothers and Sisters in HongKong 5/21 parade...my hearty support for your cause!
We must also remember to stand up against discrimination within our own GLBT grp...where only then, are we One people, One Voice...

40. 2006-05-21 19:36  
Just got back from the march! Several hundred people marched around the block near Sogo despite the heavy downpour, and chanting messages advocating equality and inclusion. At the end, the crowd chanted "ngo hai tong zi" and "wo shi tong zhi" (cantonese and mandarin for "we're gay" several times. It's so cool. I wonder if we can get a few hundred people to do this in Singapore!

41. 2006-05-21 23:02  
I appreciate the organizing bodies. Thank you.
42. 2006-05-22 01:14  
HK seems so happening these 2 weekends, maybe fridae should have parties there!!

43. 2006-05-22 07:16  
Great Event!!!

Souw TikHien, The Netherlands,

www.sth-art.com
44. 2006-05-22 10:34  
hot pic
Comment #45 was deleted by its author
Comment #46 was deleted by its author
47. 2006-05-30 06:01  
Very hilarious article Ms. Dinah...clever, twisted and a thorough expression of so many perceptions.
Truly Dinah-esque.

Ladies...do not be afraid. Strap-ons are your friends...they provide thorough internal physical stiumulation while your hands are free to explore, massage, spank, prick, scratch, caress, and fully fulfill your partner and yourself.

I recommend the Nexus for double-ended pleasure. The wearer enjoys a smaller G-spot end while the lucky recipient has a choice of two sizes (not detachable) and a few colors. It is smooth and contoured for your pleasure. It is shaped to fit into a harness such that the wearer also experiences perfect clitoral stimulation while harnessed...it's really quite a remarkable design...by a lesbian.

you can find this item at goodvibes.com (goodvibesdotcom)
woman owned/operated toy store based in Northern California. There are harness recommendations included in the description and available from good vibrations on-line...
hopefully, Dinah can get through Chinese censorship and get a feel for one of these.
Let me know if you need any help using it.

This is not to de-value the role and necessity for good ole-fashioned finger ****ing...simply a different tool for a different occassion.
Comment #48 was deleted by its author

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