Illinois Gay Marriage: Republican Cites Bible As Reason to Discriminate Against Gays

Marriage equality is now a reality in Illinois, pending Governor Pat Quinn's imminent signature. There are plenty of reasons to be critical of the mainstream gay movement's fight for marriage equality, as queer scholars and activists in the collective Against Equality point out. However, citing the United States' Christian heritage is not one such reason.

Watch as Illinois state Rep. Dwight Kay (R-Glen Carbon) makes a fool of himself by complaining that advocates too often discuss human rights without any mention of Biblical scripture:

In his speech from the House floor, Kay says, "Our Constitution has always looked to the scriptures for its guidance and its columns and its foundations and its leanings, its underpinnings. And, yet, I've heard nothing today about the scriptures. The only thing I've heard is about human rights."

Reality check: the United States has separation between church and state. Marriage, as a state-sanctioned institution, is not synonymous to its religious counterpart. Furthermore, the current Congress has members from a variety of faiths, including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. In addition, there are several members who remain unaffiliated with a particular faith. Some of them (gasp) are likely even atheists.

Privileging Christianity above the many faiths practiced in the U.S. demonstrates an obscene disregard for this separation. Kay nonetheless wants his faith to function as our nation's moral compass.

Closing, Kay asserted that "Whatever you do with wrong, I think we all know since we were children, that you can't change it. You can't paint it. You can't put glitter on it. You can't dress it up. In fact, you can't do anything with something that's wrong and make it right."

Politics aside, let's be real for a second. If being gay is wrong, then go ahead dress me up in glitter. I don't want to be right.