Traditional meaning of marriage now "outside American consensus"?

This just in from Chicago. Francis Cardinal George has spoken out against the Windy City's windy mayor’s recent comments on Chick-fil-A.

Rahm Emanuel said previously that if Chick-fil-A wasn't welcome in Boston (because of CEO Dan Cathy's stand against homosexual "marriages"), it wasn't welcome in Chicago either! "Chick-fil-A’s values are not Chicago values," Hizzoner said. "They’re not respectful of our residents, our neighbors and our family members. And if you’re gonna be part of the Chicago community, you should reflect Chicago values."

So does being a Chicagoan (or Bostonian or American) mean you can't question the morality or rightness of homosexuality? Here's what Cardinal George has to say.

"Recent comments by those who administer our city seem to assume that the city government can decide for everyone what are the 'values' that must be held by citizens of Chicago. I was born and raised here, and my understanding of being a Chicagoan never included submitting my value system to the government for approval.

"Must those whose personal values do not conform to those of the government of the day move from the city? Is the City Council going to set up a 'Council Committee on Un-Chicagoan Activities' and call those of us who are suspect to appear before it? I would have argued a few days ago that I believe such a move is, if I can borrow a phrase, 'un-Chicagoan'.

"The value in question is espousal of 'gender-free marriage'. Approval of state-sponsored homosexual unions has very quickly become a litmus test for bigotry; and espousing the understanding of marriage that has prevailed among all peoples throughout human history is now, supposedly, outside the American consensus." [My emphasis. Walt]

"Was Jesus a bigot?" Cardinal George added. "Could Jesus be accepted as a Chicagoan? Would Jesus be more 'enlightened' if he had the privilege of living in our society? One is welcome to believe that, of course; but it should not become the official state religion, at least not in a land that still fancies itself free. Surely there must be a way to properly respect people who are gay or lesbian without using civil law to undermine the nature of marriage." [My emphasis, again. Walt]

Footnote: Rahm Emanuel is taking some time away from his onerous work as mayor of the USA's third-biggest city to co-chair President Barack Hussein Obama’s reelection campaign.