I ‘m getting tired of the gay marriage debate in this country. There are no intelligent reasons to deny gay people the right to marry, only homophobic myths. These include: The Bible says homosexuality, and thus gay marriage, is wrong. Gay marriage is harmful to the institution of marriage. It will promote homosexuality, and “turn” young people gay. And gay people don’t need to be married, because civil unions provide the same legal rights as marriage.

First, evidence that the Bible condemns homosexuality is shaky. According to Yale professor John Boswell’s book, “Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality,” “The New Testament takes no demonstrable position on homosexuality.” In the Old Testament, Boswell writes that only two passages in Leviticus clearly forbid homosexuality, calling it an abomination that is punishable by death. However, Leviticus also punishes adultery, cursing one’s parents and being a wizard with death. We better hang Bill Clinton, Gandalf and any kid who swears at mom and dad. Not everything in the Bible should be held up as how society should be.

Second, two NIU sociology professors don’t think gay relationships have caused the decline in the number of heterosexual marriages. According to Kei Nomaguchi, assistant professor in sociology, more gay families haven’t caused a decline in heterosexual marriage at all, but are instead a result of it. Marriage is declining because of changes in gender roles and a tolerance of divorce, which isn’t all bad. Many women won’t put off a career for marriage or tolerate abusive marriages.

Chet Meeks, assistant professor in sociology, reminded me that the tradition of marriage once included polygamy, arranged marriages and legally-recognized spousal battery. Change is often better than tradition. Not all change is good, though. Meeks said marriage is also declining because popular culture reduces relationships to superficialities. When “Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire” or “The Bachelor” links America’s wedding vows with dollar signs or hairstyles, gay marriage is not the institution’s real problem.

Third, homosexuality or gay marriage won’t “turn” anyone gay. A 2002 American Academy of Pediatrics report stated that children raised by couples in a non-traditional relationship do as well as those in traditional marriages. Quoted in U.S. News and World Report, the report found “no increase in depression, anxiety, gender identity problems or adjustment problems” in such children.

Finally, civil unions do not provide the same rights as marriage. The 1996 Defense of Marriage defines marriage as between a man and a woman, for purposes of federal law. It also lets states refuse to recognize same-sex marriages from other states. So gay couples can’t file jointly on their federal taxes or have their union recognized if they move to the wrong state.

These ideas don’t stand up to scrutiny. Myths cannot be allowed to deny people fundamental human rights, like marriage. What is truly pathetic is that I’ll probably get more responses to this column than the ones I did on murder or genocide. If you need something to protest, I’d suggest the ethnic cleansing occurring in Darfur, which has killed more than 100,000 people. But if you still need to worry about someone’s consensual sex life, feel free to hook me up with Angelina Jolie.

Columns reflect the opinion of the author and not necessarily that of the Northern Star staff.