As a Marxist, I have a few different view points on the whole thing. Fundamentally....
As a communist, I cannot be against same-sex marriage. To be against it would be antithetical to being a communist in the first place, and in general I am pretty ecstatic about the decision. This is going to open up alot of doors for many sectors of the working class in economic terms, and it also gives me some hope that much of the American populace isn't as backwards or reactionary as it seems (though sometimes it can be). Also, the insurmountable tears being shed by right-wing tea party assholes, the religious right, and other reactionary scum on this very moment makes me feel quite warm and fuzzy throughout
But also...
On the other hand, I generally dislike the institution of marriage in general, hopefully the next stop will be the abolition of marriage as a whole (but that is another topic)? While certainly a victory, it is still a hollow one, because the problems run so much deeper and more fundamental than this. I guess the capitalists have decided though, that it is more profitable to allow same-sex couples to get married. Indeed, I fear this will also steer more radical social movements onto more "acceptable" paths (i.e. bourgeois leftism and/or social democracy), even if this does result in immediate and tangible positive benefits. I still think this will have more benefits for financially well off gays and lesbians than it will for poor and working class ones. Further, I fear that many right-wingers and KKK types may socially marginalize and even harass and assault gay/lesbian couples they see in public to express their outrage as a result of this decision. Lastly, I am not sure it does anything to help those in the transgender community, specifically.
All in all though I am not against the decision regardless of what ideological backdrops are behind it, and I am happy for all those who will benefit from it, however small they may be. Progress is progress, though this should hardly be a final goal. I've already heard some people telling their stories of gay and lesbian couples lining up to get their long deserved marriage licenses in various locations throughout the country, and much of it is very moving.
As a communist, I cannot be against same-sex marriage. To be against it would be antithetical to being a communist in the first place, and in general I am pretty ecstatic about the decision. This is going to open up alot of doors for many sectors of the working class in economic terms, and it also gives me some hope that much of the American populace isn't as backwards or reactionary as it seems (though sometimes it can be). Also, the insurmountable tears being shed by right-wing tea party assholes, the religious right, and other reactionary scum on this very moment makes me feel quite warm and fuzzy throughout
But also...On the other hand, I generally dislike the institution of marriage in general, hopefully the next stop will be the abolition of marriage as a whole (but that is another topic)? While certainly a victory, it is still a hollow one, because the problems run so much deeper and more fundamental than this. I guess the capitalists have decided though, that it is more profitable to allow same-sex couples to get married. Indeed, I fear this will also steer more radical social movements onto more "acceptable" paths (i.e. bourgeois leftism and/or social democracy), even if this does result in immediate and tangible positive benefits. I still think this will have more benefits for financially well off gays and lesbians than it will for poor and working class ones. Further, I fear that many right-wingers and KKK types may socially marginalize and even harass and assault gay/lesbian couples they see in public to express their outrage as a result of this decision. Lastly, I am not sure it does anything to help those in the transgender community, specifically.
All in all though I am not against the decision regardless of what ideological backdrops are behind it, and I am happy for all those who will benefit from it, however small they may be. Progress is progress, though this should hardly be a final goal. I've already heard some people telling their stories of gay and lesbian couples lining up to get their long deserved marriage licenses in various locations throughout the country, and much of it is very moving.
https://www.youtube.com/user/FireIceTalon
"Your very ideas are but the outgrowth of conditions of your bourgeois production and bourgeois property, just as your jurisprudence is but the will of your class, made into law for all, a will whose essential character and direction are determined by the economic conditions of the existence of your class." - Marx (addressing the bourgeois)
"Your very ideas are but the outgrowth of conditions of your bourgeois production and bourgeois property, just as your jurisprudence is but the will of your class, made into law for all, a will whose essential character and direction are determined by the economic conditions of the existence of your class." - Marx (addressing the bourgeois)