The "first kiss" photo of two local sailors (at right) and the YouTube video version of the same continues to provoke a lot of commentary. One comment left on Andrew Sullivan's blog summed up - in my view at least - the reason for the absolute hysteria among Christianists over gay marriage and the growing acceptance of LGBT individuals as normal everyday citizens:Dan Savage wrote: "The growing civil equality of gays and lesbians—from marriage equality in Canada and New York to the end of DADT in the USA—is revealing a lot of things." Among them, just how non-existent a threat it all was, he says. And I think in retrospect that THIS is what the right was most afraid of. Not that society as they knew if would crumble, or that God would damn everyone. But that things wouldn't change at all. That their story about hellfire and damnation would be revealed for what it was: pure fiction. And that in large measure, their authority (moral or otherwise) would be diminished.
The far right Christians' (and the Catholic Church's) opposition to gay rights and marriage equality has ultimately nothing to do at all with "protecting marriage." Rather, it's all about maintaining control of others. But even more importantly, it's about not facing the fact that much of their lives have been based on myths and lies. This terror of realizing it was all untrue and that they've led needlessly miserable lives is what is the strongest motivator of all. Of course, there are also those like Maggie Gallagher who want to make a ton of money marketing hate and division.
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