The proposed amendment prohibiting homosexuals to marry or to receive \legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage"" passed in both houses of the Wisconsin Legislature. If the amendment passes in both houses again in the next legislative session and is approved by popular referendum, one of the union's most progressive states will have discrimination written into its constitution.
One of the main arguments against same-sex marriage is that it is unnatural. Proponents of this viewpoint often say allowing gays to marry would open doors to polygamy, incest, bestiality and other activities abhorrent to the moral principles of American society. One woman quoted in The New York Times said ""homosexuals are disillusioned by the lies of Satan.""
This argument fails to take several things into account. First, while the Bible does prohibit homosexuality, even the most religious people in the country do not follow several Biblical mandates. Very few Americans donate 10 percent of their income to charity, for example.
Moreover, the same evangelicals who say same-sex marriage is prohibited in the Bible in order to prevent other forms of unconventional relationships fail to mention the prevalence of polygamy in the Old Testament. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob-considered the forefathers of Judeo-Christian religion-combined to have 10 wives.
Second, several cultures throughout history have not frowned upon homosexuality; some have even condoned it. The United States is supposed to be the great melting pot, yet opponents of same-sex marriage often point purely to Christian reasoning to justify their point.
In certain shamanic cultures, babies were said to take on the spirit of a dead ancestor. Often, a male child would take on a female spirit, or vice versa. A person was meant to fulfill the traditional duties of the gender he or she had taken, and each was expected to marry the opposite gender. It was therefore commonplace for a ""female"" man to marry a ""male"" man, or a ""male"" woman to marry a ""female"" woman.
In ancient Greek society, homosexuality was seen as completely acceptable. Part of the relationship between master and apprentice was often sexual in nature, and in Sparta social circles required homosexuality as part of their bonding rituals.
Homosexuality may make people feel strange, but it is not at all unnatural. After all, love is love. A British talk-radio host put it well when he said that, while he would feel uncomfortable watching two men kiss, he would probably turn away if he saw a man kissing a woman as well. Essentially, the ""unnatural"" argument is no different from a 7-year-old boy saying he will never get married because girls are yucky.
Sam Berns is a junior majoring in political science.
