sigh. this is an actual response I received to posting information about the AFA poll to a poetry listserv:

Marty:

Two points I'd like to mention.

One. Gay marriage is not an issue of special concern to poets. Your logic in sending this message to "Poets All Over" is suspect.

Two. Your call to "unskew the poll" seems to imply that you assume the readers of this list will vote in favor of permitting gay marriage. I have never understood why so many people simply assume that poets, as a group, can be counted on to be social liberals and to blindly line up behind the opponents of traditional values.

Many poets are not social liberals -- myself, for example -- and do not support gay marriage. In fact, I understand that traditional marriage, a man with a woman, is the irreducible basis of any healthy culture and that it deserves special protection under the law. Homosexual narriage, on the other hand, really does threaten this most valuable of institutions. I do know that a lot of stupid people go around spouting hateful opinions on this and similar issues, but, at the same time, traditional marriage really is so important that even reasonable people must agree to protect it.

Thank you for bringing the AFA survey to my attention. I will go directly to their Web site and vote to prevent legalized homesexual unions.

Best regards,

(I've omitted his name).

triple sigh.

on another note, I'm out of the country for the next two weeks, so try not to miss my babbling too much. go read a book, dammit! and tell me how it was.

love & more love,

M.

oh, and in case you're interested, here's what I responded:

Dear Jxxxx:

You are absolutely correct, on several points.

One, I applaud your initiative in voting your
conscience. I believe that we each need to do so.

Two, I do assume, and apparently mistakenly so, that
poets have the intellectual capacity and
open-mindedness to undertand that two human beings who
love one another should have the legal right to join
in union that allows them equal rights (shared
healthcare, hospital visitation, child custody, among
myriad others) as "traditional" married couples.

I would be absolutely fascinated to know how you and
the other poets of whom you speak believe that
homosexual marriages threatens a healthy culture. As a
member of a non-traditional (heterosexual,
inter-racial) couple, I'm interested to know whether
my relationship also threatens said culture.

Unfortunately, I'm leaving the country for the next
two weeks, so I may be slow in responding to any
reply. Trust that it is due to no lack of interest.

yours in progress,

Marty.

*****

There is so much left unsaid and so much poorly said in my response, but I have a flight to catch in a matter of hours, so that will have to do. be good, be safe, come to Bar 13 January 5 if you can.