Many conservatives were skeptical when State Senator Gary Stevens (R-Kodiak) claimed that the Democratic-controlled bipartisan coalition in the Alaska Senate would avoid divisive issues and stick to things like passing a budget and funding essential services.
Stevens is the presumptive Senate majority leader for the upcoming legislative session. His comments last month were an attempt to assuage concerns that eight Republicans joined nine Democrats to create a ruling caucus rather than harnessing the 11-9 GOP advantage to forge a Republican majority.
It now seems that at least one member of the left-leaning ruling coalition has little interest in avoiding hot-button issues. As reported by the Alaska Watchman, new Senator-elect Forrest Dunbar wants the Legislature’s upper chamber to push for a constitutional amendment to undo Alaska’s definition of marriage as the “union of one man and one woman.”
Outside of abortion, there is perhaps no other cultural issue more contentious than the radical LGBTQ movement and its push for full social, political and religious acceptance of same-sex “marriage.”
It appears that Dunbar wants to test the waters to see if Republicans are still intent on defining marriage in the traditional manner. Some Republicans, like Representative-elect Jesse Sumner, seem ready to wave the white flag, as indicated in a recent Twitter exchange with Dunbar.
ALASKA WATCHMAN DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX
To be fair, removing the constitutional language defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman would not change actual practice in Alaska. The state’s definition has not been enforced for nearly eight years due to federal court rulings. That does not mean, however, that those who maintain that marriage is, in fact, only possible between a man and a woman should capitulate to hard-leftist demands that we change our constitutional language.
Alaska can, and should, preserve its definition of marriage in the event that Congress or the courts permit states to, once again, decide for themselves what constitutes an authentic marriage.
To suggest, as Sumner did on Twitter, that the traditional understanding of marriage is no longer worth fighting for, is a betrayal of the GOP platform and of the conservatives who continue to back the party.
The views expressed here are those of the author.
23 Comments
Mr. Sumner, is gutless! He has no spine and is so far out of touch with what the people want it’s amazing the people on the Mat Valley voted him in, in the first place. If he read this column he’s know all the people that are against LGBTQ+ and gay marriage. It’s really that easy but he obviously refuses to read this column.
Alaska Watchman readership is what 250? Religious fanaticism is NOT in the majority in Alaska, although probably is in Wasilla. If you christians don’t want to marry someone of the same gender, don’t, but leave the rest of us the hell alone.
Words mean things. The constant push to change the meaning of words to confusing jargon debases society. You are left with the logical conundrum of: “It’s absolutely true that there is no truth”. Calling a homosexual living/life arrangement “marriage” mocks the institution and reveals a shallow understanding of its purpose. Burn down something else. Foundational blocks should remain, it keeps the building strong.
I beg to differ. It is not whether religious fanaticism is in the majority, but which religious fanaticism is in the majority. I would agree that the religion of earth worship and decadence is becoming more popular as our civilization collapses. However, it isn’t the Christians who are taking cake bakers and wedding photographers to court for not actively participating in mass delusion.
Last I checked recognizing the reality of the biological differences between men and women was not “religious fanatacism”. If anything, it’s science.
Sorry but the horse left the barn long ago and it’s is already in the next County.
In the past, we’ve seen a world where marriage didn’t exist at all, we’ve seen marriage with multiple wives (including in the Bible), marriages without children, marriages that have ended, remarriages, and marriages that existed strictly for economic and political reasons. So what makes the current incarnation of the institution so sacred? If two people are in a loving, committed, and caring relationship, who are you religious-types to force your narrow views on them? Just because you practice it a certain way, doesn’t mean that others must follow your example. And by the way, God doesn’t care either.
The institution of marriage developed over thousands of year, basically defining both culturally and legally the relation between a man and a woman and supporting the development of the family.
I have nothing against gays or any others, if they want to have civil unions that’s fine with me – but maybe they should spend at least a few hundred years developing the concepts of their own relationships, and not subvert or shanghai “Marriage” to their interpretation.
Dare we hope? Maybe they’ll all perish in a 3 day earthquake and we can start all the way over. Too much to hope for?
I think that it is interesting that the left dumped a bunch of outside money into knocking down the Alaskan People’s choice for a Constitutional Convention; then turn around and want to make an amendment to the Constitution. Who could have seen this coming? Outside interests had no business dumping money into Alaskan issues and the Governor/Lt. Governor should have addressed this outside money controlling Alaskan issues. But, they seem to have been controlled by the left on certain issues with the Constitutional Convention being one of them.
FDA PHIZER CAUSES BLOODCLOTS…. POISON MRNA PUSHERS MURDER? YES.
Can I just say… My heterosexual marriage to a woman is not threatened or diminished *in any way* if two gay men choose to marry.
I find it strange that certain people on the far right are so threatened, so insecure in their own marriage, that they feel the need to interfere in the relationships of others.
The same actors who pushed for masking, termination, lockdowns and even wished death upon the healthy unjabbed denizens! How’s that jab workin out for y’all?
Once they get their first amendment through, what makes any of you think it wont have all kinds of riders,etc? Altho, dunbar does know that most alaskans are stupid, easily manipulated, and he just loves to give himself power. After all, he and the Anchorage ASSembly perfected the art of the amendment to give themselves power and reduce we the peoples input (one Tuesday at a time). We voting citizens are becoming irrelevant, and with only 44% even bother to vote… we get what we deserve. Conservatives need to start getting out the vote and standing up for those of us that are losing our voice, one election at a time…
Pilot: the issue isn’t biological differences but fairness.
Marriage as an institution, is a defined process of procreation from the joining of two equal and opposite contributors (read man and woman, male and female) who then become a family unit and promote a like model to the contribution of population, to promote survival of the species and develop human societal norms. Until 40 or so years ago, that was the case globally. Nowhere in creation do males procreate with males, or females with females. Fairness has not entered into the equation. Even the philosophical argument of survival of the fittest eliminates fairness from the onset. It is a wise being who created the concept of marriage. But through human interference, man has taken it upon himself to play creator and has begun to manipulate the species with test tubes and IVF, and now gene manipulation to produce ex-utero growth and birth. I can only imagine what frankensteinish monstrosity this will produce.
It comes down to jealousy; the homosexual is jealous of the monogamous, heterosexual relationship and the benefits of marriage, to include the benefits derived from such relationships, i.e, familial legacy, and the things society offers to those who are married. Civil unions were then recognized, but that wasn’t enough. Gay couples argued they couldn’t get legal benefits or recognition with only civil unions. No, it had to be all or nothing and they had to highjack the concept of marriage and redefine what it means to fit them. But that too was not enough. No, there must be a redefining of genders, a complete overhaul of what it means to be male or female. You can’t be satisfied with being what you were born to be, but rather to selfishly become something you simply are not or both; sky’s the limit, regardless of the need for psychotherapy as a part of the process of redefining oneself. The rest of us see it as mental illness, but if you change the DSMV it only goes away in their mind, not in reality. If enough people begin to think like them, then they will win society over. So, they promote indoctrinate children throughout the educational spectrum, Drag Queen story hour, library infiltration doctrine through children’s books and pedophilia indoctrination, and they castigate anyone who disagrees or declines to convert. The left refuses to see the lie it is promoting. But God will only humor them for so long, then He will judge. You won’t like the outcome. From Romans 2:5-7 – “But because of your stubbornness and unrepenting heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each person according to his deeds…to those who by perseverance of doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness; wrath and indignation.” Believe or don’t believe, but God’s truth will not be altered by public opinion, a vote or manipulation. May God have mercy on those who repent and those who stand in His truth.
Your post was too full of incorrect statements. These are just a few points.
Actually in nature, multiple species of animals can change genders. And many species reproduce asexually. Male seahorses are the ones that carry fertilized seahorse eggs to term before they are born. Hundreds of animal species also have homosexual pairings including many species that ‘mate for life’
Humans have more DNA inside them than just their chromosomes…there is NO EVIDENCE Whatsoever linking what we call X and Y chromosomes to biological sex in the bible. The bible talks a lot about males and females, but NOT AT ALL as equals. The bible never says that male and female are the only genders. In fact it talks more than once about unics as if they are a different gender because they are treated differently in many different contexts.
The Alaska Constitution did not ban gays from marrying until 1998. That means TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE in Alaska permitted gay marriage. We had a whole court case about it.
Lastly, the entire Christian religion is based on the belief that the VERY FIRST woman to exist was the flesh of a man that became a female. Its one of the most basic tenants of the faith. That all things are possible under the Lord. It is blasphemous to claim a man cannot become a woman. Even if your science tells you that chromosomes mean boy/girl, God tells you otherwise.
Independent: Thanks for the lengthy explanation. You write well. I disagree with your definition of marriage. I don’t believe in your god and as an atheist, I’ve never sinned. No need for me to repent. Your bible has commanded christians to unfairly treat everyone who loves another of the same gender. Love is love. I don’t see how gay marriage threatens you. Also, the left has no interest in indoctrinating children; that’s an awful lie promoted by Qanon followers. But its a visceral accusation so serves its purpose.
Why is everything always about “fairness” to the lefties? A person either lives by what is right and fair according to the Almighty Creator’s Word or they live according to their lusts and the ways of this world. In the end God Almighty wins.
Your god has nothing to do with my reality. S/he has messed up your compass. You lost critical thinking when you gave up.
You know what isn’t fair? You leftist trash indoctrinating and grooming children! You’re all sick in the head and I pray for the judgement dya to hastily come, because even if I don’t make the cut to get into heaven, at least I’ll see you sickos burn first. I may be a lot of things, but in not a sick groomer like you. Disgusting.
Thank you mom and dad for guiding me toward atheism.
I was raised Southern Baptist and -saved- and all that good stuff. But now I settle somewhere around Spiritual Agnostic. My religion definitely believes in gay marriage, so no govt has the right to deny your marriages or mine. Bottom line is if you don’t support gay marriage, nobody is forcing you to get one.
“Bottom line is if you don’t support gay marriage, nobody is forcing you to get one.” Exactly!