Same Sex Marriage

Andrea Vaccaro’s article “Soldier in a long White Dress” was a very insightful read because it made me realize what the institution of marriage represents in our heterosexual and patriarchal society. I don’t often realize or acknowledge the privileges I am entitled to based on my heterosexuality, and was further unaware of the legal inequality that exists with same-sex marriage; same-sex marriage, although legal in some states, does not grant the federal rights and protections that traditional marriages do such as filing federal income tax returns, hospital visitation rights, tax benefits, automatic inheritance, etc. Aside from the legal inequalities that exist between civil unions and legal marriage, Andrea’s personal experience committing to civil unions with her “partner” highlighted the hetero-normative culture and language that reflects certain values of our heterosexual society. As she expressed, “Only other people who have walked this path can truly understand how condescending and linguistically awkward society can be about my “special relationship.” The fact that the language we usually employ to describe marriage does not encompass same-sex relationships; i.e., the fact that we refer to a marriage as husband and wife, never wife and wife or husband and husband, reflects upon the heterosexual construction of the language of marriage.  Referring to persons in homosexual relationships as “partners” diminishes the legitimacy of civil unions and reinforces a notion of second-class citizenship. 

What resonated most with me from the reading were the relentless effort, patience, and persistence she displayed when establishing a presence and visibility for GLBT communities. Her unwavering leadership, conviction, and dedication to gay rights activism show how dedication and persistence can create meaningful change in any community. Her leadership creates an essential visibility that is necessary for cultural change, promoting awareness, generating political interest and encouraging activism.