Box Turtle Bulletin
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobby“Now you must raise your children up in a world where that union of man and box turtle is on the same legal footing as man and wife…”
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyMay 19th, 2008
And they all come from Melanie Scarborough’s op-ed titled, “Gay marriage not physically possible.” Huh?
Although a man and a woman may legally wed, the law does not consider the marriage valid unless it is consummated. A minister may have declared the couple husband and wife, the state may have issued them a license; they may share a name, a house, a bank account, and wear each other’s rings.
They may have engaged in various intimacies only Bill Clinton would not describe as sex. But unless the relationship includes the one act defining marital union, the marriage can be annulled because it is deemed to have never existed.
This is ridiculous. There is no marriage clock that starts at the moment a penis enter the vagina. (Sorry for the graphic imagery.) As for annulments, it would pretty much take both parties to agree that they didn’t “consummate” their marriage. And even there, I’m not aware that the “consummation” is necessarily limited to the one “defining” act.
Her op-ed is like a car wreck: it’s horrible, but you can’t help but watch. Here are some more gems:
After President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, his widow — clearly subscribing to the then-prevailing theory of homosexuality — assured Americans that her fatherless son was being provided a masculine influence by his Uncle Bobby.
Consider how celebrities such as Tom Cruise lend their support to the push for gay rights, but if someone accuses them of being homosexual, they sue for defamation of character
Anecdotal evidence suggests that the majority of Americans would rather not confront the matter at all; they don’t care what adult acquaintances do in the privacy of their homes.
Bobby Kennedy made sure John-John was straight? Tom Cruise lent his support for gay rights? That line about “what adult acquaintances do”?
And they’ll try to tell you we’re the ones who are obsessed with sex.
Ah well, what do you expect from someone who picks up her talking points from Porno Pete?
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Erica B.
May 19th, 2008
Well, let’s see who hasn’t asked whether my heterosexual marriage has been “properly” consummated…
* the IRS, to validate my right to claim joint filing on annual taxes
* my health insurance, to validate his right to be covered
* the state, when we filed our license
* various banks, when we opened joint accounts
Quite correct of them not to ask, it’s none of their damn business.
Beyond this, annulment is not limited to “no consummation.” It is also used in cases where one party has been forced into the marriage; for example, a woman who is kidnapped and raped. In that case, her fundamental definition of “consummation” has occurred, but is it even vaguely appropriate to say that means they must stay married? It’s the “natural” conclusion!
Side note: link to the op-ed is broken, it has an extra < in it. Given its idiocy, maybe that’s fine :-)
GayMormonBoy
May 19th, 2008
Tom Cruise is a well-known Scientologist. A group that is widely known for being very anti-gay.
If nothing else, Melanie Scarborough’s choice of Tom Cruise as an example of celebrity gay acitivism shows how mind-numbingly misinformed she is.
GayMormonBoy
May 19th, 2008
Another thought – So according to Melanie, if one partner entering a heterosexual marriage was disfigured in a way that prevented them from “consumating” the marriage, (as per her definition,) the marriage would not be “physically possible” and would have to be annulled.
Devlin Bach
May 19th, 2008
The last thing I thought when I went to your link Porno Pete and found it was a Christian news blog, was that I would get a half-master at the pic they published. I hesitantly submit, Porno Pete does good porn.
Thanks for the link to the LA Times Ronald George coverage. Considering his stances through his tenure, he is now quite an evenly robed California super-star.
As far as consumating gay marriage; After a good dick/ass fest, I think we should add a second asset, a little more flair, by requiring a shop fest by cashing in gift cards from marraige attendees at Macy’s, Crate’n Barrel or Bloomingdales, or any similar tag. Doing both might signify a longer marriage prospect.
We are creating history here, these things do need consideration, donchyathink?
Thanks for your great coverage Jim.
Devlin Bach
Johno
May 19th, 2008
I think the link to her article has an error in it. It’s easy to add your comments here:
http://www.examiner.com/a…_physically_possible.html
Jim Burroway
May 19th, 2008
Thanks Johno. I fixed the link.
Ben in Oakland
May 19th, 2008
I have to disagree that this is the dumbest one. I doubt if she is truly worried whether my husband can ‘do it’ in such a way as to satisfy (no imputation imputed) her.
I would have to say the dumbest one is that families will fall apart if gay people are allowed to marry. Doesn’t say much for your average run of heterosexual parenting.
but it does give me an idea. can we have a contest and maybe a vote on the dumbest one? Winner gets one week in Porno Pete’s utopia.
2nd place gets two weeks.
Pepe Johnson
May 19th, 2008
This is definitely one of the worst I have read. Marriage is not a priority issue for me, but I still try to keep up with the debates because the reasoning people use in the marriage debate will show you what the truly think about gay people.
Anyway. I didn’t think the law specifically stated that the marriage must be consummated to be final. I also thought annulment was something the church gave you, while the state gave you a divorce. My father (a Roman Catholic) received a divorce from his first wife (a devout Roman Catholic), but the marriage was never annulled since it was obviously consummated (my two half-sisters, as evidence). My father considered the divorce final, but his former wife still considers herself bound to him because it was never annulled. Pretty clear to me that the church and state are separate when it comes to the subject of marriage already.
Bruce Garrett
May 19th, 2008
I hadn’t realized the Examiner was competing with The Sun on a race to the bottom.
I’m so sorry. Really. Please do not blame Baltimore. Our idiots may be a tad dumber then other cities but our beehive hairdos and crab cakes make up for that.
NaturallyGay
May 19th, 2008
This is definitely one of the stranger arguments I’ve ever read.
I just looked up the California forms for filing an annulment. There is no checkbox for indicating whether or not the marriage was consummated. I guess they forgot to put that on there?
David W
May 20th, 2008
Hi Jim! Long-time reader, first-time commenter. Read the comments below the Examiner article. I learned a new legal term there: “consensus non concubitus facit nuptiam” – Consent, not lying together, constitutes marriage. Obviously Miss Melanie did not do her research.
Jerry
May 20th, 2008
If heterosexual intercourse is required to validate a marriage then they’ll have to stop arguing that I, as a gay man, already have equal access to marriage simply because the law allows me to marry a woman. I promise you, THAT marriage wouldn’t get consummated, either.
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