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A review by gvenezia
Against Equality: Queer Critiques of Gay Marriage by Deeg, Eric A. Stanley, Martha Jane Kaufman, Katie Miles, John D'Emilio, Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore, Dean Spade, Kate Raphael, Kate Bornstein, Yasmin Nair, Craig Willse, Ryan Conrad, Kenyon Farrow
4.0
A decent introduction to the shortcomings of the marriage equality movement. However, the first few essays seemed to raise many of the same concerns with little support or explication.
——MJ Kaufman and Katie Miles——
"…the consequences of the fight for legal inclusion [of same-sex couples] in the marriage structure are terrifying. We're seeing queer communities fractured as one model of family is being hailed and accepted as the norm, and we are seeing queer families and communities ignore and effectively work against groups who we see as natural allies, such as immigrant families, poor families, and families suffering from booming incarceration rates. We reject the idea that any relationship based on love should have to register with the state. Marriage is an institution used primarily to consolidate privilege, and we think real change will only come from getting rid of a system that continually doles out privilege to a few more, rather than trying to reform it"
"We would like to see a queer community that, rather than appropriating the narrative of the civil rights movement for its marriage equality campaign, takes an active role in exposing and protesting structural inequality and structural racism"
——Yasmin Nair——
"I don't get why a community of people who have historically been fucked over by their families and the state now consists of people who want those exact same institutions to validate their existence. I think marriage is the gay Prozac, the drug of choice for gaysbians today: It makes them forget that marriage isn't going to give everyone health care, it won't give us a subsistence wage, it won't end all these fucked up wars that are killing people everywhere else."
——Hilary Goldberg——
"Why don't Madonna and Angelina, in their gay wisdom, adopt some adult queer artists and activists instead? For a fraction of what they spend on a handful of appropriated transnational youths, they could adopt queer artists en masse, and foster a global queer trust fund for the movement."
——Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore——
"hate crime legislation does nothing but put more money, energy, and resources into the hands of the notoriously racist, classist, misogynist, homophobic, and transphobic criminal so-called "justice" system."
"…the fight against anti-gay Proposition 8 in California…cost more than any other ballot measure in California history! Those maniacal marriage organizations spent $40 million on that shit—can you imagine what we would have if they took that $40 million and fought for single payer universal health care, or built an enormous queer youth shelter in San Francisco or Sacramento, Fresno, or San Diego? With the leftovers, we could create a collectively run, all-ages, 24-hour sex club with free vegan food, knock-you down music of all types, free massage, acupuncture, and health care for all needs, as well as a special area for training people in squatting and neighborhood redecoration projects."
——MJ Kaufman and Katie Miles——
"…the consequences of the fight for legal inclusion [of same-sex couples] in the marriage structure are terrifying. We're seeing queer communities fractured as one model of family is being hailed and accepted as the norm, and we are seeing queer families and communities ignore and effectively work against groups who we see as natural allies, such as immigrant families, poor families, and families suffering from booming incarceration rates. We reject the idea that any relationship based on love should have to register with the state. Marriage is an institution used primarily to consolidate privilege, and we think real change will only come from getting rid of a system that continually doles out privilege to a few more, rather than trying to reform it"
"We would like to see a queer community that, rather than appropriating the narrative of the civil rights movement for its marriage equality campaign, takes an active role in exposing and protesting structural inequality and structural racism"
——Yasmin Nair——
"I don't get why a community of people who have historically been fucked over by their families and the state now consists of people who want those exact same institutions to validate their existence. I think marriage is the gay Prozac, the drug of choice for gaysbians today: It makes them forget that marriage isn't going to give everyone health care, it won't give us a subsistence wage, it won't end all these fucked up wars that are killing people everywhere else."
——Hilary Goldberg——
"Why don't Madonna and Angelina, in their gay wisdom, adopt some adult queer artists and activists instead? For a fraction of what they spend on a handful of appropriated transnational youths, they could adopt queer artists en masse, and foster a global queer trust fund for the movement."
——Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore——
"hate crime legislation does nothing but put more money, energy, and resources into the hands of the notoriously racist, classist, misogynist, homophobic, and transphobic criminal so-called "justice" system."
"…the fight against anti-gay Proposition 8 in California…cost more than any other ballot measure in California history! Those maniacal marriage organizations spent $40 million on that shit—can you imagine what we would have if they took that $40 million and fought for single payer universal health care, or built an enormous queer youth shelter in San Francisco or Sacramento, Fresno, or San Diego? With the leftovers, we could create a collectively run, all-ages, 24-hour sex club with free vegan food, knock-you down music of all types, free massage, acupuncture, and health care for all needs, as well as a special area for training people in squatting and neighborhood redecoration projects."