Author Rich Benjamin has come up with a controversial way for gay people to fight for the right to get legally married: Boycott heterosexual weddings. "How utterly absurd to celebrate an institution that I am banned from in most of the country," Benjamin says in The New York Times. "Does a vegan frequent summer pig roasts? Do devout evangelicals crash couple-swapping parties? Do undocumented immigrants march in Minuteman rallies?" Does Benjamin have a point?
Absolutely. Why participate when you're left out? "I'm frankly a little embarrassed I didn't already think of this," says Detroit Mark at Daily Kos. It's time for me to stop dragging myself to church, "pretending to be so happy that you're allowed to get married and I'm not." When everyone has the right to get married, the institution will mean something. Until then, no invitations, please. "I'm not coming to your wedding."
"Sorry, but I'm not coming to your wedding"
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Straight weddings are not the problem: "I wouldn't start pissing off your heterosexual friends just yet," says Abhijit Nagaraj at his blog. You can't just turn your back on every institution that is imperfect and requires reform. Should we stop sending dangerous criminals to prison because our legal system has flaws?
Plus, a boycott would be counterproductive: We need to make weddings "less political and divisive, not more," says Mita at The Clumsy Cook. "By boycotting straight weddings, you're widening the chasm between gays and straights." Plenty of those straight brides and grooms are your allies; refusing to attend their weddings sends the message they're enemies.
-
No Kings rally: What did it achieve?Feature The latest ‘No Kings’ march has become the largest protest in U.S. history
-
Bolton indictment: Retribution or justice?Feature Trump’s former national security adviser turned critic, John Bolton, was indicted for mishandling classified information after publishing his ‘tell-all’ memoir
-
Chicago: Scenes from a city under siegeFeature Chicago is descending into chaos as masked federal agents target people in public spaces and threaten anyone who tries to document the arrests
-
Millions turn out for anti-Trump ‘No Kings’ ralliesSpeed Read An estimated 7 million people participated, 2 million more than at the first ‘No Kings’ protest in June
-
Ghislaine Maxwell: angling for a Trump pardonTalking Point Convicted sex trafficker's testimony could shed new light on president's links to Jeffrey Epstein
-
The last words and final moments of 40 presidentsThe Explainer Some are eloquent quotes worthy of the holders of the highest office in the nation, and others... aren't
-
The JFK files: the truth at last?In The Spotlight More than 64,000 previously classified documents relating the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy have been released by the Trump administration
-
'Seriously, not literally': how should the world take Donald Trump?Today's big question White House rhetoric and reality look likely to become increasingly blurred
-
Will Trump's 'madman' strategy pay off?Today's Big Question Incoming US president likes to seem unpredictable but, this time round, world leaders could be wise to his playbook
-
Democrats vs. Republicans: who are US billionaires backing?The Explainer Younger tech titans join 'boys' club throwing money and support' behind President Trump, while older plutocrats quietly rebuke new administration
-
US election: where things stand with one week to goThe Explainer Harris' lead in the polls has been narrowing in Trump's favour, but her campaign remains 'cautiously optimistic'
