Mixed Marriage

Ari at the Ruth blog blogged about the play, Falsettos. It is about a married man who leaves his wife and son for a same-sexed sexualized relationship.

In part, Ari wrote:

I’m sure those people who authorized, produced and participated in the making of the play are quick to scream, “HATE, HATE, H8!!!!” at those who differ with them over marriage redefinition. I’m sure they would say that the Jew hatred evident in the play is nothing but affectionate teasing.

Ari linked to a video that shows part of the play as presented by high school students.

It is worthwhile to read Ari's take on this play's content and its presence in public schools. The comments of SSMers there seem to skirt the issues he raised, but my focus here is on the following:

In the discussion that followed a frequent pro-SSM commenter, Emma, said:

Just for example, any individual member of a white supremacist organization might argue that he does not “hate” black people, he just thinks that mixing of the races is abomination.

And:

Even if their motive isn’t “hate” as such — say it’s “fear” instead, unfounded as that may be — the rhetoric they choose to employ is still hateful. A behavior can be hateful regardless of the underlying motive, can’t it?

I responded:

Does not this play suggest, strongly, that mixing of sexual orientations in marriage is just as wrong? Yes, I think so. Hence the lauding of the decision to abandon marriage and family. If sexual orientation is supposed to be like race, then, how is such a view not also like racism, Emma?

Now, maybe that view is not like racism. Maybe Emma or someone else can explain the difference as a difference in kind rather than degree. That is, that view might be deemed of a different type rather than merely more benign.

But either way, howso?

See Ari's blogpost: "Jews Bad. Sexual Promiscuity Good." The discussion that followed provides the context for Emma's remarks as quoted above.