Interview with Bruce Knotts, NGO/DPI Chairman: Gays can marry, not for life without discrimination

Marriage is not a matter of peace, there is a lot of discrimination in life

In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court voted 5:4 to pass a major ruling that same-sex marriage is officially legal in the United States and that same-sex couples are constitutionally entitled to the same legal treatment as heterosexual couples. (Same Show: The Most Profound Declaration of Love: Why did the U.S. Justice decide to legalize gay marriage?) ) )

I asked him, and then what?

He said he could get married and not represent gay people in life and no longer suffer discrimination. Life is not just about getting married, life has your right to work, your right to live, how you are viewed in society, these are very realistic aspects of life, and these are not guaranteed.

He told me a story.

At a Catholic school in Pennsylvania, there was a half-out gay teacher, and all the students liked him so much that he had a same-sex partner, and there was no problem with it. Same-sex marriage in the United States was legally approved, and the day after he went to register for marriage, he was removed from his post. What the school meant was, "Because he made this matter public, we don't accept it." 」

Gays still enjoy limited, regional freedoms and respect - New York, California, Washington, Seattle, perhaps the collective social environment is very friendly, but in Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, gay communities may easily be denied because of his sexual orientation, and excluded.

One news story was that a baker in Colorado, USA, refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple, saying it violated the Christian teachings of his faith, and was sued, eventually in favor of the Supreme Court. "The other side can argue that this is a religious choice, but we rarely hear it today, because you are Buddhists and do not match the value of my faith, so I don't help you make cakes." 」

The gay community always has to work very hard to prove to the community that we do not have horns, no tails, not demons, we are also human beings, in fact, it represents that discrimination still exists.

Don't sentence others, your faith doesn't tell you that.

Religion should not be used to judge others.

Bruce says his one-god congregation has been talking about sexual orientation since the 1970s: "Of course we know there are believers who don't like it, but I think it's our responsibility as a church." We should tell you how everyone is created, everyone should have dignity and deserve to be loved. (Extended reading: Interview with Pastor Zhang Wei: I am gay and a Christian)

He would ask the church faithful, do you remember what your faith tells you? Do you hate people or make fun of them? A lot of people go back to him, "No, my faith is about love, about empathy," and he replied with a smile, "Then we'll do this, don't sentence others, your faith doesn't tell you that." 」

He mentioned the importance of religious leadership, and when he entered the Church, he knew that his religious leader was a lesbian, and that the matter was transparent in the Church, and that he would know that the church he was staying with embodied in respect and tolerance.

Of course this way, there is a process, they from sexual orientation, talk about gender identity, and then talk about how to contraception, at first there have been many rebounds, but all the way to talk about the present, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, in the church is no longer taboo.

"In many seemingly conservative religious factions, there are already very progressive ethnic groups, both Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, And Hinduism. Back to the core of faith, in fact, to teach us, there is love.

I can't imagine the day When I lose my husband

Finally, we talked about marriage, and Bruce was 25 years apart from his partner, Issac. They married in Canada in 2006 and became legal spouses, and they did not have spousal rights in U.S. territory until 2011, when New York State recognized same-sex marriage.

My husband said to him, Hey honey, you're going to live to be 150 years old, and he's smiling and saying, "When I'm so old, you don't want me." "But also because of him, he taught me to use computers, taught me online language, I feel that I can continue to stay young." 」

The 25-year-old did have a fear, "We've faced so much discrimination, from families, from government, from society, and we've worked hard to build the lives that come out of it." So it's painful to think that one day you might lose it. But he also said that any partner is the same, "I can't imagine that I lost this person." 」

Not because you can get married is not afraid of losing, not because love no longer quarrel, heterosexual gays are the same, "I would say that the relationship requires patience, for each other to build a deep understanding, know what each other is like, think not to change each other, but to accept each other's original appearance, this is the meaning of commitment." 」

Of course they quarrel, and when they quarrel, my husband would say to him, "Yeah, we can fight, we can fight, we can fight, but we don't say it easily apart." We chatted late, but his eyes were bright, "My husband, the best person in the world." 」

Comrades can get married, look at the first day of marriage on the road, more than 500 pairs of registration number, he said that he and Taiwan many gender movement is familiar, know that this achievement is not a cluster of people, there are many brave people for this effort, marriage equal rights is really great, but we also do not forget that life in addition to marriage, there is more to be guaranteed.

So, it's not over yet, and we're going to keep working hard.

Edit postscript

Bruce Knotts is 70 years old and it really doesn't look like it.

Finally, we asked him if there was any suggestion for a newly married gay friend, and he playfully said, "There will be difficult moments, believe me, I've been with my husband for 13 years." We have quarreled, and many quarrels are very difficult to understand, but now we still love each other, more and more understand each other, so don't give up, don't forget your determination to love each other. Answer the question while flashing.

Marriage in addition to love also requires perseverance and patience, gender movement, probably the same.