Supreme Court did right thing for nation's gay community

   The U.S. Supreme Court ended its latest session with a bang on Wednesday with a pair of landmark rulings that finally did the right thing for this nation's gay community.
   In a pair of 5-4 rulings, justices overturned a key part of the Defense of Marriage Act signed by former President Bill Clinton in 1996 which denied federal benefits to same-sex couples. Justices also ruled the plaintiffs in California's Prop 8 case lacked the standing to appeal the lower court's ruling. That got justices off the hook from having to rule on the controversial issue, but it also had the effect of sending the case back to California. Both the trial courts and the appeals courts there, even the state Supreme Court, had ruled Prop 8 unconstitutional. That opens the door for gay marriages to resume for the first time since 2008.
   To me, these decisions represented a pair of no-brainers for the Court. Should gay couples have the right to commit their lives to each other, to leave property to each other if one of them dies or to visit each other in the hospital if one of them is gravely ill? Of course they should. Should they be able to file taxes jointly, or collect their partner's Social Security if they die? Of course. Like I said, this is a no-brainer for any fair-minded, compassionate person. Still, I was surprised that these decisions came from this largely conservative court at this time. Frankly, I never thought it would happen in my lifetime. I'm glad I was wrong.
   Of course, not everyone is happy with the Court's ruling. Opponents of gay marriage -- mostly religious fundamentalists and members of this nation's Religious Right, view the rulings as the latest sign of our nation's moral decay. They see granting equality to gay couples as "redefining marriage," or undercutting the very moral foundation of our nation. These people need to take a deep breath and calm down. Let me point out a couple of things.
   First, gay marriage will have absolutely no effect on heterosexual marriages at all. Heterosexuals will still be able to get married and start families, just as they always have. In granting marriage rights to gays, the definition of marriage hasn't been "redefined." It's simply been expanded to include a group of people who should always have been included to begin with.
   Second, if you want to talk about which group has done more harm to the institution of marriage, we need look no further than heterosexuals. Today, about half of straight marriages end in divorce. Compare that to the gay community, which is filled with couples who have been in committed relationships for years, even decades. So which group is it again that understands the meaning of commitment? (Hint: It's NOT the straight community.)
   The problem in discussing gay marriage is that people too often let their religious beliefs get tangled up in the discussion. They look at gay marriage as "an abomination," or otherwise sinful. They actually think that people CHOOSE whether or not to be gay. If you believe that, no wonder you are opposed to gay marriage. Here's the truth.
   Homosexuality isn't a choice. This isn't just my opinion, either. There's a growing body of evidence showing that there are real, discernible differences between the brains of gay people and straight people. There's a growing body of evidence that our sexual orientation is hardwired, that it's genetic. In religious terms, homosexuality is just one more bit of diversity in God's amazing, breathtaking creation. In simplest terms, ask yourself: "What person in his or her right mind would wake up one morning and just decide to be gay? What person would knowingly make themselves part of a group that is so hated and misunderstood?" Right. No logical person would.
   Once you look at homosexuality that way; once you realize that gay people are normal, with one tiny difference, it's easy to see that the issue isn't about religion. Nor is it an issue of morality. The issue decided by the court was one of basic fairness and equality. The Court's decision might not be popular with all groups, but justices undeniably made the right decision. They made the only decision they could, and our entire nation will benefit from that far-reaching vision.