I do not like Justin Bieber's music. I have no interest in listening to it. The fact that it is popular annoys me. I feel like music such as the Biebs music is a large part of what is wrong with modern music, that kind of plastic, repeated lyrics, easily mocked fluff that dominates the airwaves. If he comes on a show, I roll my eyes and mute it. I won't buy one of his songs, nor would I go to one of his concerts. And it's not that I hate the kid personally, because I don't hate him. I don't KNOW him. I wish him no ill will, in fact, I hope his future is filled with a strong career of less crappy music.
At the same time, while I choose not to listen to Justin's music, I understand that there are people out there who do. I have to admit, I don't understand WHY they like it. I honestly don't get that at all. However, I know it makes the happy. I know it has a lot of meaning to them. I know they love listening to it for hours on end, singing it, and screaming at his concerts. I don't see the same thing in this music that they see, but I know their passion for it is real. The happiness it brings them is real. They have a right to that happiness.
Now, if two of Justin Bieber's fans decided they wanted to get married and listen to his music forever, I wouldn't care. I wouldn't see it as a threat to society. I wouldn't see it as a threat to the future of the music industry (after all, they already like his music). I certainly wouldn't see it as a threat to me getting married to, say, some guy who happened to really like the music I like. The reason I wouldn't see it as a threat is because it has absolutely nothing to DO with any marriage I might have. In fact, someone else's marriage has nothing to do with me whatsoever.
You might, at this moment, be thinking that your religious beliefs about homosexuality are far more serious than my dislike of Justin Bieber's music. I don't know the depths of your convictions, but I can tell you that my dislike for cheesy pop songs is a pretty serious thing to me. Trust me, it just grinds me teeth. You may think that your convictions are deep and important and all kinds of stuff, but, at the end of the day, it still doesn't change the fact that what other consenting adults do is really none of your business. It also doesn't change the fact that when we start denying people rights, we're going against that whole 'this is a country of freedoms' thing. I'm not really that comfortable with that.
I've seen a lot of people talk about how marriage shouldn't be something the government decides. It shouldn't be something that the government interferes with. It's a nice idea, but it's not that simple. A marriage between two people brings about a lot of legal protections. Your spouse can make medical decisions for you when you're unable to. Your spouse is the person who will take care of your children if something happens to you. It is easier to leave possessions, money, and other things to a spouse after you die. A marriage contract is a way to define what rights people have within a marriage and what rights they don't have. It also gives you an avenue for leaving the relationship if that becomes necessary.
I don't think you have to like someone else or want to do the same things they want to do before you can support the idea that they have the same rights and protections as you. I think we can reasonably say that everyone should get the chance to find someone to annoy the shit out of for the rest of their lives. That kind of thing shouldn't just be limited to straight people.
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