Living Out Loud with Darian

Hundreds of same-sex couples in Iowa have begun the process to legalize their relationships through civil marriage today, and although marriage equality is the law of the land in Iowa critics such as Rev. Keith Ratliff is speaking out strongly against the nuptials.


"Others may believe any number of things, but everything about homosexuality conflicts with natural law. There is no amount of anger, no level of vocal indignation that can ever change that fact.", says Ratliff in an op-ed penned for The Des Moines Register.


"Why? To anyone who reads and believes the Bible, there is no room for compromise on the issue of homosexuality. To those who look to "natural law," homosexuality will always be un-natural and un-healthy for a myriad of obvious reasons. Even those who deny God and claim that humanity is the result of evolution understand that homosexuality can never agree with their doctrine of "survival of the fittest."


Blogger Rod McCollum of Rod 2.0 notes, "The op-ed was co-signed by more than 70 other clergymen, many of whom were Southern Baptist, a denomination which supported slavery for decades and refused to allow black members until only recently."


I guess since the days of Jim Crow are over and black folks have secured basic civil rights Rev. Ratliff feels the need to now become the oppressor. Sad.





The fight is just as fierce in New York where marriage equality was put on the fast track last week when Gov. David Patterson introduced legislation to bring equality to the Empire State. Over the past few days Gov. Patterson has delegated the task of bringing this controversial bill to the House floor for a vote to Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith.


According to a piece that ran in the NY times on Sunday-Smith is feeling the pressure from Gov. Paterson to advance the marriage equality bill while lifelong colleague Rev. Floyd Flake is pressuring Smith to kill the bill.


“I don’t care what the politicians think. Ain’t nothing perfect about laying down and signing a license with somebody who got the same body parts you got," said Flake during a sermon to his congregation on Sunday.


Wouldn't it be nice if these homophobes could keep their minds off gay sex for once and acknowledge that love brings people together and is what ultimately binds them forever, not sex?


"Mr. Smith, who went to work for Mr. Flake in 1986 as a Congressional aide, said the minister’s views on the subject have not weakened his own resolve to see same-sex marriage legalized. Though they speak nearly every day, the two men said they have not broached the topic recently. 'He knows what my position is. I know what his position is,' Mr. Smith said. 'He looks at it as a religious matter, and I look at it as a legal matter.' Mr. Smith said he arrived at his decision to support same-sex marriage two years ago when he began considering it a matter of equal rights."


h/t Rod & Towleroad