Blogs and Same Sex marriage

Not a lot to say I guess.

I read somewhere a complaint that gay people are not depicted in the pro-same sex marriage ads currently airing in some states around the country where the issue is on the ballot for November.  In fact, both sides of the issue pretty much feature traditional family types speaking their pro and cons on the issue.  Likewise, I find very few Catholic blogs spending much time on the issue, yet more notably, fewer Catholic blogs from SSA persons covering same sex marriage issues.  (My neighbor, Michael Bayly is the exception in this area - opposing views of course.)  Maybe I don't get out enough, or rather, step out of my little circle, but I really don't see much activity online about the issue.  Granted, I don't always check the group blogs to know if anything is being said, yet rarely do I see the popular Catholic news portals linking to sites which discuss the issue beyond reporting what the bishops have to say.

That said, it seems to me most self-identified "gay" Catholic blogs avoid the discussion all together since it is deemed too political and is considered a turn off for most SSA persons to be constantly  challenged by 'homophobic' legislation and attitudes.  However, I do not see it as homophobic to be speaking in defense of traditional marriage, and I agree with the bishops who believe it is a serious issue which ought to concern Catholics. 

I know of some blogs written by ssa/gay/queer people who are in heterosexual marriages.  I would think these people might have something to add to the conversation, but I haven't come across much.  I know Spiritual Friendship blog deals with issues related to faithful gay Catholics, but the contributors seem to avoid getting caught up in the 'politics' of the marriage debate.  I searched for a reason and found this from one of the contributors:

Politics: At the present time, Christian attention on homosexuality is overwhelmingly political. Donations to groups opposing same-sex marriage are orders of magnitude larger than donations to ministries offering support and counselling to Christians trying to integrate their faith and sexuality. This is obviously wrong: Christ consistently refused the role of political Messiah, even though his followers repeatedly tried to push Him into that role. He also consistently took time to seek out those who were marginalized, including those involved in sexual sin, even though the religious leaders of His day sharply criticized Him for doing so. It is important to call the Church away from its misguided investment in politics, and remind it of Christ’s love for the prodigal, for the outcast, for the lost sheep. This also means asking more broadly what role the Gospel has in the public sphere. I do not think we should legislate our faith; but I also do not believe that our faith is something purely private, with no public implications. These are deep questions, but I think that part of our current quagmire results from a lack of adequate answers to these deep questions. Because faith is universal, not private, many Christians believe that its teachings must be written into public law (although this rhetoric gets rather inconsistently applied in practice). Because Christ’s kingdom is not of this world, other Christians confine their faith to the private sphere. Because each of these premises has some truth to it, we fight interminably over who is right. And issues that primarily affect gays and lesbians are a convenient battleground for this fight, because keeping gay marriage illegal is a lot less painful to most participants than, say, eliminating no-fault divorce. And punishing sodomy is a lot easier for the majority than, for example, punishing fornication. The present focus on politics is far removed from Christ’s approach; but if we want to change the Church’s approach, we will have to be prepared to answer the questions our fellow-Christians will raise, and offer them a new way of thinking that is neither the militancy of the Christian Right, nor a surrender to the Secular Left that privatizes faith and seeks to live our public life as if it did not matter whether God exists or not. - Ron Belgau
 

The About page from Spiritual Friendship pretty much sums up what I think is a general attitude amongst most gay-Christian writers:

We embrace the traditional understanding that God created us male and female, and that His plan for sexual intimacy is only properly fulfilled in the union of husband and wife in marriage. However, this blog was born out of frustration with the prevailing narratives about homosexuality from those who embrace this traditionally Christian sexual ethic: an excessive focus on political issues, and the ubiquity of reparative therapy in one form or another.

We want to see more discussion of celibacy, friendship, the value of the single life, and similar topics. - Spiritual Friendship
 

That's cool, and it seems to answer my question.


It also explains why not a few ssa Catholics dislike Abbey Roads.


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