you know, i actually have a somewhat unusual view on marriage for a queer person. i view marriage as a tradition rooted in religion, and as such it should remain a ceremony between you, the person you love, and your spiritual organization. the government's involvement (here in the US at least) is mainly for the sake of determining tax rates and other rights.
i believe that people working towards a common domestic economy and/or raising a child should get the rights and benefits they do without having to declare themselves married. they would prove cohabitation and roles as co-parents, sign any necessary agreements and consent forms and whatnot, get their rights and privileges, and that'd be that.
and as to the ceremony and social status of marriage, if you want to belong to a church, temple or mosque that refuses to perform marriage rituals for people of the same sex (or for that matter, certain races or whatever), well, you've got that right. i believe you should have the right to remain bigoted if that's what fries your taco, but you should also have a civic duty to shut up about it when in public (the same way i turn my stereo down at 10pm). and on the other side of the coin, if i wanted to get married in a christian church, i'm sure i can find one that would not only be happy to marry me to a man, but eager, proud and excited.
but that's just my "in a perfect world" scenario. the winds of social progress aren't blowing that way, so ultimately i support a form of "progress" that reinforces a social structure i think is flawed in the first place, because it's a battle we're much more likely to win (and that we are in fact winning).
...but yeah, i was mostly disappointed to learn about OSC. i really liked Ender's Game. if you know a friend who has it i'd still recommend reading it. i read a great response to the news yesterday that went something like, "i believe art stands on its own merits. who while i won't buy anything else with his name on it, i'll still enjoy my copies of Ender's Game and the other books." my reply was, "good point, and having produced good aren't doesn't excuse you from your flaws by any means. it certainly wouldn't stop me from pounding on his face if i met him in a dark alley. or at least convincing him that the Jahovah's Witnesses of Gaydom had decided to convert his kids."
