Get off the fence before you fall off

I can hear parents all over the world instructing their children in this way. “Get off the fence before you call off” is usually the precursor warning to “If you fall off it will hurt and you will look silly”. And I guess that applies also to those who are sitting on the fence about marriage equality.

Most of the fence sitters that I know have friends and/or family from the LGBT community and I can’t help but wonder, how, exactly, do they plan on telling said friends and family that they’re “on the fence” about whether or not they think they should be allowed to marry the person they love?

And what exactly is there to sit on the fence about anyway? Seems to me, this indecision comes from lack of information or clarity. Or perhaps from conflicts of interest, such as a Christian person who has LGBT friends. I get it! I mean, how do you square it off with God AND your friends to make it fair for everyone? I’ve got news for you poppet! If you’re that entrenched in your faith that you’re worried about pissing God off, then mate, you’re already in trouble. Why? Well, you have LGBT friends, befriending them is a form of acceptance, or did you really hope that your faith and friendship could cleanse them of their homosexuality?

So here are 10 reasons why you need to get off that proverbial fence, and start supporting marriage equality.

1# Because women, people of colour, differently abled people, and all those other minority groups need support to lever them up out of their oppressive hell. If you identify with any minority group, tell me, who will fight for your rights when the tide turns against you, if you don’t right for the rights of other minorities? If you’re “on the fence” and don’t fight for them, there will be nobody left to fight for you.

2# Because society allows celebrities to make a mockery of heterosexual marriage. Kim Kardashion can fork out $10 Million USD for a wedding that lasts for 72 day, but you are “on the fence” about whether a gay couple, who have been lovingly committed to each other for years, should be able to legally marry.

3# Because, if we were living 40 years ago, you’d have to tell your friends and family who are in mixed race marriages that you’re “on the fence” about whether or not they should marry.

4# Because, if your children or grandchildren grow up to identify as LGBT, how are you going to tell them that you’re “on the fence” about them being able to marry the person they love?

5# Because, according to the Bible, God created us all equal, so what gives you the right to judge what God has created and be “on the fence” about His decisions?

6# Because, as it stands, if one party in a gay relationship passes away, the other party may not be entitled to the estate in the same way that the widow/widower is entitled to the estate of their deceased hetereosexual husband or wife. So, if the sad day should ever come that you go to the funeral of one of your LGBT friends or family, and their partner is sobbing because now they quite literally have nothing left in this world, how do you plan on telling them that you were “on the fence” about whether or not they deserved that estate?

7# Because it actually has NO effect on you and your heterosexual marriage whatsoever. Gay couples getting married does not automatically make your marriage less valuable, no more than, if I buy the same gold watch as you, it does not make your gold watch any less valuable. The fact that I have a gold watch and you have a gold watch simply means we both have a gold watch. Kapeesh?! Or are you “on the fence” about gold watch ownership too?

8# Because being “on the fence” won’t stop LGBT people from loving each other, any more than being “on the fence” will stop you from being straight. Unless of course, you’re “on the fence” about your own sexuality?

9# Because traditionalist ideals about the “sanctity of marriage” date back to the beginning of time, much like the traditionalist ideals about slavery, misogyny and the use of children as sex objects. Unless of course you’re “on the fence” about whether or not we should still have slavery, hateful and murderous oppression of women and child sex slaves?

10# Because we live in a progressive country that leads the world in turning the tides against oppression. Unless, of course, you’re still “on the fence” about whether or not women should be able to vote.

So there you have it, 10 very good reasons why you need to realise that being on the fence is dangerous and you’re just going to end up falling off, hurting yourself and looking really stupid. Get on the right side of history and support marriage equality. Because everybody deserves to live happily ever after.