And this is how I feel about it.

Origin of graphic could not be found - if you know where this image originated from, please let me know so I can give proper credit. So, I started posting this on Facebook and then realized that I had a lot to say about it. So we're takin' it to the streets/blog.

This is what we're "protecting" - a beautiful, sacred union whose initial purpose was to expand the sexual rights and property value of men, while ultimately stripping women of any rights and autonomy. Wedding rings were essentially cattle branding. Veils were worn so the guy couldn't back out of the contract until the deal was sealed. Fathers walked their daughters down the aisle because they were literally giving away a piece of their property. And even today, studies have shown that men greatly benefit from marriage - married men live longer, lead more socially fulfilling lives, and are mentally and physically healthier - while women still get the short end of the stick by losing momentum in their careers while gaining awesome stuff like high blood pressure and weight gain. Ironic, right? You would think, by knowing these statistics, that every movie in the entire world would stop having a plot line where a guy hilariously panics and balks when his "ball and chain" tries to "rope him in" with that pesky commitment thing. Instead, you'd think they have the guy go, "Hey! You know, if I get married, I'll be healthier and happier and I'll have someone to cook and clean up and take care of my kids for me every night even though she probably puts in more hours at work than I do. This marriage idea is tops!" And you'd have the girl running down the street in her stilettos, throwing garbage cans in his path and scaling buildings to get away from his scheme to trap her into something that will essentially end her right to free time, personal pursuits, and a good sex life.
I'm not against marriage. I'm mostly against weddings, because A. It's hard to escape the lame quotient B. a lot of the "traditions" are actually super archaic and I'm not into that noise. But I do believe in marriage. The medical and legal right of Next of Kin is extremely important to me (there is nothing more devastating than not having any rights to be with the person you love when something happens to them, and not all families are as generous during that time as people would like to believe) and it's also the main reason why I fight so hard for marriage equality. The legal and judicial protections that marriage offers is also pretty swell. I grew up with a model of what a great marriage can look like, and watching Chels and Matt and Kris and Becky navigate Marriage Land has also provided me with a certain awe for how that type of relationship, instead of making life stagnant, can make it exponentially more joyful and exciting. But the marriage equality issue has also made me feel like maybe I should put my money where my mouth is: We're not protecting the sanctity of a union. We're protecting a privilege. And for me to take advantage of that privilege while others that I love and care about cannot? That's not really the kind of thing I want my life to be about. So while there are surely many men out there right now who have been dying to offer their hand in marriage to a girl whose hobbies include practicing the video choreography of "Beat It" and defending the awesomeness of mystical wolves, you're just gonna have to take a chill pill, guys. This girl has political ideals, so we're all just gonna have to wait until we get this marriage equality mess all sorted out.
So anyway. Next up on the blog will be a video of hot dudes with kittens.