Since when did equal = "special"?

There was a "big" rally in Augusta last night to oppose two bills that have been introduced in Maine to extend the rights of gay and lesbian couples. ("Big" is relative. In Maine, 1,000 people is a relatively decent crowd.)

Staff members for the Washington, D.C.-based Christian Family Research Council, which organized the event, estimated the crowd at close to 1,000. Those in attendance were there to show their opposition to two bills that would legalize same-sex marriages in Maine.

On the other hand, one should be wary of head counts conducted by the people that organized the event in the first place. The above paragraph is also incorrect, in that one bill would legalize same-sex marriage, and the other (submitted as an alternative) would essentially create civil unions but would not call it marriage. If the protesters oppose both bills, then their argument is about legal protections for gay relationships period, not about marriage per se.

As usual, the arguments proffered are about God and the sanctity of heterosexual marriage as ordained thereby.

Marta Sisco, 56, a homemaker from St. George, said she believes marriage is actually instituted by God.

"It's largely about the family," Sisco said. "It's his intent to save us as families and that children are entitled to be born in families that have a mom and a dad."

I wonder why Ms. Sisco thinks her beliefs about God are sufficient argument against specific public policy. I wonder why Ms. Sisco fears that my potential gay marriage is a threat to heterosexual marriage. (I would prefer to marry the Better Half, not snag myself some previously-married straight guy. They never buy the right drapes.) I wonder which steps Ms. Sisco is taking to make heterosexual marriage stronger, like maybe making divorce more difficult or mandating that heterosexuals that procreate get married.

Michael Heath of the Maine Family Policy Council, formerly known as the Christian Civic League of Maine, said this is a moment of crisis and people need to band together to uphold traditional marriage.

Heath said family is the building block of society. It exists, he said, for procreation.

This whole argument is a boon for Mr. Heath, whose sole claim to relevance these days is hating gays. His last effort to roll back gay rights in Maine was a total failure. By focusing on the "M word," his flagging ability to attract attention may get a boost, kind of like when roaches multiply when you leave leftovers out in the open. Again, I wonder when Mr. Heath will get around to corralling all the single moms and absent dads and forcing them to marry.

He said same-sex couples are seeking special rights.

"We are for equal rights, not special rights," Heath said.

I love it when people describe the rights that they themselves have as "special" when they are sought by other people. How does Mr. Heath delineate what is merely equal, and what is "special"? Does he support civil unions then, which would confer equal protection for gay and lesbian couples under the law? Because that would be a pretty big change in his tune. Or is he merely spouting meaningless claptrap in an effort to sound less like an ignorant bigot?