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Some thoughts on Marriage
© Carlos T. Mock/Enkidu 2005
My cousin twice removed, Elba, phoned a week ago gushing about the
upcoming wedding of her daughter Myrna. I immediately got carried away in
her excitement and requested to know all the details. Myrna is a junior at
Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights. She has known Ernie, her
fiancé, for the last 8 months. They are devout Catholics, so the only
form of birth control they were taught was abstinence only. Needless to
say, they could not abstain themselves. Myrna is three months pregnant and
they are planning a June 28 wedding. I was quite sympathetic, told her to
pray for the best and offered her the number to the closest Planned
Parenthood Clinic. She got offended and hung up. Funny thing about being
Catholic - with ALL that history, they will marry. I give them five years
tops.
Elba called three days ago with more news. The wedding will be at St
James Catholic Church in Chicago Heights followed by a reception at the
Chicago Heights Country Club. After hearing for the next ten minutes how
busy Elba and her husband Berto are with the preparations and how they had
to take a second mortgage to pay for the whole thing. I congratulated her
and told her that that was why my partner Bill and I were very happy with
our two dogs.
Elba had more news yesterday. She had reservations about the whole
thing when she found out that Ernie’s mother is a lesbian who lives with
her partner of 30 years. But they must be doing well, because Ernie
surprised her little Myrna with a huge rock from Tiffany’s. That and the
fact that the lesbians wanted to help pay for the wedding convinced Berto
that this would be a good match. I congratulated them and ask where are
they registered: “Marshall Field’s”.
I'm sick and tired of hearing about Myrna’s wedding, the reception,
her gown and all the other shit. Bill and I don't want to go, but we don't
want to offend her, or her lesbian mothers. I have given thousands of
dollars in gifts over the last 30 years to friends, co-workers and family
to celebrate heterosexual marriage. Yet where are these people to support
us in same gender marriage?
After thinking it through Bill and I sent Myrna and Ernie the following
note:
"Thank you for your invitation to your wedding. Bill and I will
not be attending, nor will we be sending gifts, until marriage is equal
for all Americans, heterosexual and homosexual."
Hit them in their pocketbooks! Of course it's easy for me to say since
I abhor weddings anyway and am probably looking for an excuse not to go!
Carlos T Mock,
MD, Chicago
Author: Borrowing Time: A Latino Sexual Odyssey - Floricanto Press
2003.
Nominated for a Stonewall Award by the American Library Association
GLBT Round Table.
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Los
Martes de Enkidu
[01:01.2005]: 