On Gay Marriage: A Historical Perspective

Gay marriage has been a hot topic in many countries especially the United States. Surprisingly, quite a number of them have already legalized it like the Netherlands, Australia and ironically -- the United States’ closest neighbor -- Canada. Today, almost all the developed nations have ratified the law and, at face value, it is quite odd that the US has not followed suit. There are a countless number articles that have dealt with the advocacy, the ratification, or even the repeal of these laws in the United States. Hence, this article will not be dealing with that particular facet. Instead, we will take a deeper look at US history and contextualize it to contemporary times, in trying to better understand the things as they are. We will try to explain the possible historical underpinnings which may explain why the United States is “lagging behind” as far as this issue is concerned.

What was to be the nation called the United States of America is a conglomeration of people from various foreign lands who were, in one way or another, forced to migrate to free themselves from persecution due to their personal beliefs. These beliefs, although predominantly religious (e.g. Puritanism), also covers views on economic policies (e.g. Boston Tea Party), and political ideals (e.g. the unwillingness to be subordinated by the British Monarchy). Therefore, unlike countries like Great Britain, the Netherlands and others, the people of the United States are bound not by cultural affinity, as they come from different backgrounds, but by their common yearning for their convictions to be recognized. Because of this, the US comprises people who have strong convictions on what they believe is right, and are willing to fight tooth-and-neck just to uphold them.

Unsurprisingly, this level of obstinacy has been passed on through generations. To illustrate, the American Civil War was sparked by the Abolitionist Movement, the advocacy for woman suffrage dragged on for decades, and the long-standing fight for equal treatment for African-Americans is still in progress up to this day, regardless of Obama’s bestowment of the Presidency.

Essentially, all these three can be considered as major paradigm shifts – major changes of the social structure. These movements were all for changing the definitions of what is normal and what is not. In this way, the advocacy of gay rights is no different as it aims to redefine the concept of what a family is, the same institution that is primordial in any social construct. It strikes the basic sensibilities of a majority of the population.

But then, what can be done to forward this advocacy? From the sound of things, it seems that this is a lost cause. Not necessarily. The issue on gay rights may be legitimate or not, but everything, in reality, boils down to the element of time. Yes, time. For both the advocates and adversaries, continuously fight for what you believe in, and time will come that the people will realize whether you have a legitimate point or not. But in view of history, to shock the system into submission via a drastic transformation is unlikely.