My view on same-sex marriage has changed throughout my life. I attended a Southern Baptist Christian School in Hawaii, which preached “The Sins of Same-Sex Marriage and Same-Sex Relationships.” We were taught as kids that same-sex couples who fell in love with each other were going to hell. I know what you’re thinking: that form of teaching is “a little” radical. I tend to agree. It could even be considered hateful.
So where do I stand now? Here’s a quick Q & A that will answer of your questions.
Are you, Steven Young, gay?
Nope. I’m 100% straight as an arrow.
Are you religious?
I don’t go to church. I watch football on Sundays. But, I am a God-fearing Christian who believes Jesus Christ is awesome, all-powerful, and has paid the ultimate sacrifice so a sinner like you and me can go to heaven.
Do you believe that gays are sinners?
They are most definitely sinners! But so am I, a heterosexual! So are you! So is that minister preaching in his church on Sunday morning? Everyone is a sinner. I find it ironic that many Christians act as though they are above other sins.
Is a gay lifestyle a sin?
Biblically, one can definitely make the argument that a same-sex lifestyle is very sinful. But let’s also not forget, that biblically, a heterosexual lifestyle is also very sinful.
Do you believe gays are going to hell?
I am not going to sit on the White Throne and do Jesus’ job for him. I can’t even tell you if a minister is going to heaven or hell. I can’t even tell if you, or I, are going to heaven or hell. So that answer is way above my pay grade. I’m a wedding planner, not Jesus.
Why do you perform gay weddings? Were you forced to do so by a lawsuit or the State?
My company has been performing same-sex marriages five years before they were legalized in Hawaii. They were called civil weddings bak then.
There is something on the books that states that ministers and wedding companies have to perform same-sex weddings. I don’t agree with that law, purely on the basis of Freedom of Speech. A company should be allowed to choose who they do business with. A company should be allowed to offend, and they should live and die by their own sword.
Quite frankly, I do turn down business from couples, though – and it has to do nothing with their sexual preference. If a client shows hints of being a Bridezilla or groomzilla, I’m not accepting their business. I do same-sex weddings because I want to. It’s really as simple as that.
Do you think a same-sex couple is gross?
Nope. I do find over-the-top public displays of affection inappropriate and gross. I don’t care what their orientation is. Don’t you hate it when you’re at a park or a movie theater and a couple is just eating each other’s faces? Man, that’s horrible. Get a room.
Do you think same-sex couples can raise good children?
Raising children has nothing to do with a parent’s sexuality. They can do a good job or a horrible one.
Do you think same-sex couples are prone to divorce more than heterosexual couples?
Same-sex couples are regular couples, so they are going to have regular problems. And it’ll take hard work to keep that relationship, new, alive, and fresh, like all relationships.
Any last words on gay marriage?
Legal marriage should not exist. It still bugs me to this very day why a couple needs a marriage license to tie the knot. Married couples unfairly get taxed more, and unfairly get tax breaks. In a way, if you really think about it, marriage, in the eyes of the government, has a lot to do with taxes and citizenship. If we fix immigration and fix our tax code, legal marriage should become something of the past. Let people live. Let them marry who they want to marry. And if they want to marry more than one wife or husband, let them do that too.
Is anti-gay-marriage speech, hate speech?
It seems that if you disagree with anything these days, you are considered a hater. I honestly just disagree with the entire theory of hate speech. A person’s statement may be offensive and hurtful, but do they actually hate?
Most institutions or companies that do not cater to same-sex couples are not filled with hate. If you view it through their eyes, they want a same-sex couple to be straight, so those strangers can receive eternal life. That’s not hating. If anything, they are guilty of loving too much, and not thinking about how their actions are hurting those that they want to help. A little bit of irony there, right?
Steve Young
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