Freedoms abound in same-sex marriage debate

I understand that some opponents of same-sex marriage are afraid that they could lose freedom when marriage between two consenting adults is once again legal in California.

It might be useful for them to consider the freedoms that they will still have:

-- Freedom to marry the person of their choice.

-- Freedom to refuse to marry someone of the same gender.

-- Freedom to refuse to perform a same-sex wedding ceremony (unless that is part of the job description of a public employee).

-- Freedom to refuse to attend a same-sex wedding ceremony.

-- Freedom to refuse to allow a same-sex ceremony to be performed in your church (unless you rent it out to the public, in which case anti-discrimination statutes are already in effect, with or without same-sex marriage).

-- Freedom to disapprove of same-sex marriage, or any marriage.

-- Freedom to express that disapproval.

-- Freedom to ignore same-sex marriage.

-- Freedom to worship as they choose.

-- Freedom to teach their children their values.

-- Freedom to object to their child’s school curriculum.

However, citizens will still not have:

-- Freedom to marry a child, a dead person, an adult unable to give consent, or an animal (unless a proposition legalizing such behavior were voted in by a majority and upheld as constitutional by the courts).

-- Freedom from possibly being offended by the conduct of fellow citizens.

In fact, all citizens, whether straight or LGBTQ, will then have the same freedoms. We should all be able to live with that.
Dr. Kathryn Hall
Lindsay