frotconvert

The Supremes & What it Means

7-21-2003

The court decision was a landmark worth celebrating, but let's not get too carried away with what it may mean for broader gay rights. Few states still had sodomy laws on the books. Most had decriminalized any consensual acts. While these laws were most often enforced against gay men, they also applied to what str8 married couples did in the privacy of their bedrooms. We almost won several years ago in a Georgia case appealed to the Supreme Court, where the plaintiffs were 2 couples, one str8, one gay. HIV/AIDS was making headlines at the time, and I'm certain the court was swayed by public health considerations. This time the core Constitutional issue of privacy won out, but the flag-waving should be mostly red-white-blue rather than rainbow colored.

The downside, as I see it, is that more men, especially young guys, will read this decision as an endorsement of anal penetration. Those of us who agree with the philosophy of this site now have an even greater obligation to spread the word and win converts to more masculine, loving, and safe forms of sexual expression (more pleasurable too, and that's the message that may ultimately win).

Marriage is another issue, one that probably appeals a bit more to our Lesbian sisters. Canada, Belgium and the Netherlands now allow full marital rights. Several more liberal/libertarian states, and probably most of the European Union, will follow Vermont's example and endorse civil unions. Mainline churches are wrestling with the issue of blessing these unions. Let's hope for and work for these goals, which are especially important to committed couples and especially apply to property and inheritance rights.

Don't get me wrong, the court decision was a watershed event that was long overdue. It could well lead in the public's mind to greater acceptance or it could also lead to a backlash and more support for the Defense of Marriage legislation. The more men we can convert to responsible sex, the better the chances things will turn out the way we want.

My best to Bill and all my frot brothers.

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