Bob Mould is a man always on the lookout for a new challenge. After Hüsker Dü (one of the most celebrated rock bands ever) folded in 1988, Mould would helm another powerful trio, Sugar, before beginning a fascinating, ongoing series of solo releases that have ranged from introspective to danceable, from melodic to nearly chaotic. The enigmatic guitar (and cultural) hero is finishing up what promises to be a fascinating memoir to be published next year and has just released a rock-solid solo disc, Life And Times. Read our new Q&A with him and earlier ones from 2008 and 2002. Mould will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all this week.
Mould: Same-sex marriage. To me, there are at least two things that make it such a polarizing issue. First, the notion of equal rights and protection under the law. It always saddens me to read reports of those who weren’t able to be at the bedside of their significant other in a hospital. What about those citizens who aren’t able to sponsor their overseas partner, while we have movies, packaged as romantic comedies, about “green card” marriages? What kind of signal does that send to people who are truly in love yet are kept apart by the legal system?
The second is ownership of the concept of Marriage™ and how that relates to religion. The arguments between the two sides on this point are exhausting and pointless for me to outline. Instead, I offer up the decision rendered by both the constituency and legislative arm of the state of New Hampshire. It states: “Each religious organization, association, or society has exclusive control over its own religious doctrine, policy, teachings and beliefs regarding who may marry within their faith.”
I firmly believe this precedent should be the main talking point in all future cases. By clarifying and formalizing the right of religious groups to decline participation in same-sex weddings, one of the main arguments has been neutered. By and large, I think most Americans do not care if same-sex marriage is legal; I do think many have a problem with marriages being recognized under their own particular religious belief. If proponents of same-sex marriage can live with the fact that the ceremony may not be allowed into a particular house of worship and those concerned with that very service occurring in their church are allowed to discriminate, can we all work with that understanding and move forward? I hope so.
