Self-expression in a society

Andrew pointed out the irony of Gary Lawrence’s advice to “just be yourself” (reported here): Gary’s son being himself (gay) + Gary being himself (raging homophobe) = family catastophe.

As backwards as it is to call Proposition 8 “pro-family,” Lynnette explains that it’s disingenuous to pretend that gay marriage has no effect on straight families since we’re social animals:

human beings are profoundly social and interdependent, living in complex webs of relationships. Humans form society, but society also forms human beings, as the culture and values in which we immersed play a profound role in shaping who we are. A person is not a completely self-contained, autonomous unit, but a constitutively relational being.

I’ve made a related point myself, that marriage has changed and that’s a good thing!! I was reminded of it again when reading this post about The Duchess. The fact that rape within marriage wasn’t considered rape (and was considered normal and acceptable), isn’t just a myth. Changes attitude across society affect the experiences of individuals, and a society’s attitudes are built of the opinions and self-expression of individuals.