and, while we're defining things...

turns out, it's got LOTS of definitions:

mar⋅riage

   /ˈmærɪdʒ/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [mar-ij] Show IPA Pronunciation

–noun

1.	the social institution under which a man and woman establish their decision to live as husband and wife by legal commitments, religious ceremonies, etc.

2.	the state, condition, or relationship of being married; wedlock: a happy marriage.

3.	the legal or religious ceremony that formalizes the decision of a man and woman to live as husband and wife, including the accompanying social festivities: to officiate at a marriage.

4.	a relationship in which two people have pledged themselves to each other in the manner of a husband and wife, without legal sanction: trial marriage; homosexual marriage.

5.	any close or intimate association or union: the marriage of words and music in a hit song.

6.	a formal agreement between two companies or enterprises to combine operations, resources, etc., for mutual benefit; merger.

7.	a blending or matching of different elements or components: The new lipstick is a beautiful marriage of fragrance and texture.

8.	Cards. a meld of the king and queen of a suit, as in pinochle. Compare royal marriage.

9.	a piece of antique furniture assembled from components of two or more authentic pieces.

10.	Obsolete. the formal declaration or contract by which act a man and a woman join in wedlock.

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Origin:
1250–1300; ME mariage < class="ital-inline">mari(er) to marry ¹ + -age -age

also...


(side note: the saddest thing i have ever seen. please note the first ad listed when dictionary.com is asked to define "marriage.")

just for shits and giggles:

PDF, and the ability to read one.

the invisible knapsack, part: 2

another PDF file, found while trying to find the last one i posted.

This article is based on Peggy McIntosh’s article on white privilege and was written by a number of straight-identified students at Earlham College who got together to look at some examples of straight privilege. These dynamics are but a few examples of the privilege which straight people have. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer-identified folk have a range of different experiences, but cannot count on most of these conditions in their lives.

i don't entirely agree with ALL of the points listed (i can't possibly be the only person who's ever been asked to represent the entire heterosexual population, can i?), but again, another good read; can be found here.

the invisible knapsack

this is an article a coworker gave to me a few months ago that i've been meaning to post:

Through work to bring materials from women's studies into the rest of the curriculum, I have often noticed men's unwillingness to grant that they are overprivileged, even though they may grant that women are disadvantaged. They may say they will work to women's statues, in the society, the university, or the curriculum, but they can't or won't support the idea of lessening men's. Denials that amount to taboos surround the subject of advantages that men gain from women's disadvantages. These denials protect male privilege from being fully acknowledged, lessened, or ended. Thinking through unacknowledged male privilege as a phenomenon with a life of its own, I realized that, since hierarchies in our society are interlocking, there was most likely a phenomenon of while privilege that was similarly denied and protected. As a white person, I realized I had been taught about racism as something that puts others at a disadvantage, but had been taught not to see one of its corollary aspects, white privilege, which puts me at an advantage. I think whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privilege, as males are taught not to recognize male privilege. So I have begun in an untutored way to ask what it is like to have white privilege. I have come to see white privilege as an invisible package of unearned assets that I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was "meant" to remain oblivious. White privilege is like an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools , and blank checks.

the author, peggy mcintosh, goes on to list "daily effects of white privilege" in her daily life, some of which are even mildly amusing (#46, "I can chose blemish cover or bandages in "flesh" color and have them more or less match my skin," for example). all in all, it's a great read, and something to definitely be considered.

warning, it's a PDF file. i don't know why you need to be warned about this, but i figure i'll cover my bases, just in case.

i promise that, eventually, i will move on to posting about other subjects. for now, though, please watch the following video--it's an excellent discussion between jon stewart and mike huckabee about the subject of gay marriage. both men make good points and frankly, if you're going to argue your point on the subject, you should get to know the opposition and understand where they're coming from. this has been a mission of mine for quite some time and, while i will continue to argue that things like semantics and "what God says" are not solid points against homosexuals getting the same rights as we heteros when it comes to legally binding unions with the people we love and the rights promised therein (what whaaaat not dropping the "M" word!), i feel like i maybe understand the opposition a little bit better. which you have to do to win--am i right?

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Mike Huckabee Pt. 2

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

in closing, i'd like to give a shout out to my future husband, jon stewart, for being a great ally and making me wish, once again, that i was smarter than i am. oh, well.

also a head-bob to Marriage Equality RI for bringing this particular clip to my attention. keep fightin' the good fight, boys and girls.