The First Gay President?

Newsweek had a pretty funny picture this week, picturing President Obama with a rainbow halo over his head.  The cover story is "The First Gay President."  The New Yorker features a White House, now with rainbow colored columns.

Obviously, the president isn't gay, but I think it's great that he's come out for equal marriage rights for gays.  It's been a long time coming, and this will likely go down in history as the biggest step forward since the civil rights movement of the 60's.

The haters, of course, gotta hate.  Like the racists of the 60's who didn't approve of civil rights for black people, now we have the same thing happening again.  The homophobic rhetoric is spreading all over social media. 

"God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve!" someone said, bringing back a joke that I remember hearing as a kid.  Come on people, something new please.

I see this one a lot too:  "It says right there in the Bible, Leviticus 18:22, Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind, it is an abomination."

Ok, fine, but you know what the Bible also forbids?  Here are just some of the things that supposedly will send you straight to hell:

Eating pork

Having a tattoo

Having a rounded haircut (?!)

Consulting a psychic

Gossiping

Wives helping out their husbands in a fight

Children cursing their parents

Getting remarried after a divorce

Working on Sunday

Eating shrimp and lobster

Losing your virginity before you get married

Just looking at this list, I already count six things that I'm guilty of.  Who can possibly say they've never done ANY of these?  Anyone?  Anyone??  (sound of crickets chirping)

You can't pick and choose Bible rules, or else you come across like a hypocrite.  I say let the gays have their rights to get married.  It's not an issue that should be voted on.  Should we really have to vote on people having basic human rights?  Give me a break.  If people in the south could vote to adopt slavery again, I'm sure it would win by a landslide.

Look, marriage isn't really this "sacred institution" the religious right claim it to be.  When you've got people like Kim Kardasian getting married for 72 days, or Britney Spears getting married for 48 hours, and you've got people like Larry King, Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich marrying multiple times, it becomes something of a joke.  I know a few gay couples (one couple live across the street from us) and they've been together for what seems like forever.  It's just not right to deny these people the right to marry, while letting so many others blatantly abuse the privilege.

So...to end my little ramble today, I'm going to quote Mr. Bob Dylan, whose lyrics from the 60's seem to fit again today:

"Come mothers and fathers throughout the land

And don't criticize what you can't understand

Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command

Your old road is rapidly aging

Please get out of the new one if you can't lend a hand

For the times they are a changin'"