Luke: Gay marriage is inevitable

Washington state voters stand poised to become the first in the nation to approve same-sex marriage with polls showing R-74 enjoying widespread support heading into election day. KIRO Radio’s Luke Burbank couldn’t be more thrilled.

“I want to say I am from the first state in America where the popular vote has affirmed the right of two same-sex people to marry,” Burbank says. But even if the polls are wrong, Burbank argues gay marriage is inevitable. He has a message for opponents.

“You can dig your heels in, but this country is moving towards broader acceptance of gay people and I think it’s a great thing. And whether or not 74 passes this time around, gay marriage will be legal in this country very, very soon.”

Washington is one of four states with same-sex marriage measures on the ballot. Maine and Maryland are voting to legalize it, while a referendum in Minnesota would make same-sex marriage unconstitutional.

But Burbank argues the tide is turning as more people realize gays are no threat to their own lives, especially when they learn people they know or love are gay.

“When people come up against the reality of knowing a gay person or being related to a gay person, they find out usually pretty quickly ‘Oh yeah, they’re pretty much exactly like me, a non-gay person.'”

Co-host Dave Ross agrees and he’s baffled by people who worry so much about homosexuality.

“They think it spreads. You allow gay marriage and suddenly it would change the gene pool in some way.” Ross says. “I want to reassure them that while homosexual couples do indeed have children, at some point, they have to mate with a female in one way or another, so there’s really no danger of homosexuality somehow spreading in the gene pool, unless God wants it to happen.”

Burbank puts it more bluntly to those concerned of the spread of homosexuality.

“I would ask them, ‘Would it be possible for me to talk you into having sex with a man, sir?’ The answer would be ‘not on your life.'”

After talking at length with his 18-year-old daughter, Burbank is convinced the younger generation is far more tolerant and accepting of gay marriage, a trend he predicts will ultimately lead all states to approve it.

“We will look back ten years from now and we will ask ourselves ‘How ever was it the case that two loving adults weren’t allowed to marry each other?’ We’re just going to be amazed that was the law here,” he says.