Beyond Gay Marriage

The NY Times had a good article about the queer critique of gay marriage this weekend.

WHEN Bill Dobbs sees the heartwarming photographs of gay couples cuddling, grinning and holding dogs and children, accompanied by pious remarks about how many years they have been a couple — “five years,” “eight years,” “24 years!” — in news releases and newspaper and television reports about the fight for gay marriage, it turns his stomach.

...
“For those of us who are single, there is this constant drumbeat,” said Mr. Dobbs, who went to college during the last years of the Vietnam War and became a crusader for gay and antiwar causes. “You must be coupled to be really fulfilled, for us to treat you as a full person.”

Dude, I think that shirt might have something to do with it.

Anyhow, this past month a group of queer activists, academics, artists, writers, and others just formed a group called Beyond Marriage. It's pretty timely, since there'll be yet more ballot initiatives this fall.

From their mission statement:

The LGBT movement has recently focused on marriage equality as a stand-alone issue. While this strategy may secure rights and benefits for some LGBT families, it has left us isolated and vulnerable to a virulent backlash. We must respond to the full scope of the conservative marriage agenda by building alliances across issues and constituencies. Our strategies must be visionary, creative, and practical to counter the right's powerful and effective use of marriage as a “wedge” issue that pits one group against another. The struggle for marriage rights should be part of a larger effort to strengthen the stability and security of diverse households and families.

Perhaps most importantly, one of the signatories is Richard Kim, the third-hottest gay journalist in New York.