A Fascinating Map

Source: pewforum.org

An interactive map entitled, "State Policies on Same-Sex Marriage Over Time," at pewforum.org demonstrates the significant and rapid changes taking place in the U.S. regarding same-sex marriage.  If one scales through the years from 1995 to 2013, several trends become apparent.  In 1995, the great majority of states are colored with a neutral white meaning they are "states where gay marriage is neither legal nor banned."  By 2013, only New Mexico remains white.

In 1996, the move toward statutory restrictions on gay marriage showed a strong upward trend, which continued in 1997 and 1998.  Meanwhile, in 1998, states began to constitutionally ban same-sex marriage with Alaska leading the way.  That movement picked up steam in 2004, apparently in reaction to the legalization of gay marriage in Massachusetts, which was approved in 2003.  In 2005 and 2006, more and more states put bans on same-sex marriage in their state constitutions.  Then, in 2008 Connecticut joined Massachusetts as a green state ("states where gay marriage is or soon will be legal").    The strong movement toward gay marriage began in 2011, and the last two years have shown more and more green states.

The map for 2013 is notable for the deep divide it shows in the nation.  The Northeast is green.  Vast stretches of the rest of the country are yellow-brown ("states with constitutional bans on gay marriage").  A few states still have statutory bans on gay marriage and as noted above only New Mexico has not taken a stand one way or the other, but evidently some local governments in New Mexico are taking matters into their own hands (see here) by issuing marriage licenses to gay couples.  So far, California is the only state that had a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, which has since legalized such marriages.

In sum, this map provides graphic evidence of the deep divisions in our nation over same-sex marriage and demonstrates that both proponents and opponents have so far had their share of victories.  Given the evident difficulty of flipping states with constitutional bans on gay marriage, however, one has to wonder whether the state-by-state campaign for equality under the law has gone about as far as it can.

A Change of Heart

Sen. Rob Portman (R, OH) has long been an advocate for traditional marriage and an opponent of gay marriage.  Then, in 2011, his son "came out" to his parents, and Sen. Portman learned a different way to view the whole matter of gay marriage.  He has recently written an op-ed piece in The Columbus Dispatch entitled, "Gay couples also deserve chance to get married," which documents his change of heart.  In the piece, Portman particularly wrestles with his religious understanding of homosexuality, which originally was that the Bible forbids gay marriage.  The fact that his son, a person he loves deeply, is gay presented Portman with the opportunity to see the Bible from a fresh perspective.  He writes, "I wrestled with how to reconcile my Christian faith with my desire for Will to have the same opportunities to pursue happiness and fulfillment as his brother and sister. Ultimately, it came down to the Bible’s overarching themes of love and compassion and my belief that we are all children of God."

What a difference it makes when we read scripture lovingly!  Portman's change of heart reminds us that what we bring to the Bible is as important as what we find there.  If we bring law, we find Law.  If we bring love, we find Love.  The thing is that when we bring love to the reading of scripture we are more firmly grounded in the Spirit as we read it and better able to see that the biblical journey of faith is the transformation from Law to Love, a transformation found in both testaments.  Amen.