[WesternPilgrim]

Originally Posted by ehenningsen

I don't think many gay couples care about the religeous term 'marriage', they are not centered on be recognized by churches they do not go to...

They are more or less looking for legal rights in which civil unions can provide the equality they are looking for and if any churches recognize that, then that very church can deem them married..

Well, that's what they used to tell us in California before we had civil unions. We believed them. They got their civil unions. But it turns out that wasn't good enough. They still felt like "second class" citizens because they couldn't call it marriage. Civil unions were just a stepping stone.

Now, I don't know whether the homosexual activists in California deliberately lied to us, or if they just changed their minds later, but either way, they were not ultimately satisfied with civil unions.

[SurfOmaha]

Originally Posted by WesternPilgrim

Well, that's what they used to tell us in California before we had civil unions. We believed them. They got their civil unions. But it turns out that wasn't good enough. They still felt like "second class" citizens because they couldn't call it marriage. Civil unions were just a stepping stone.

Now, I don't know whether the homosexual activists in California deliberately lied to us, or if they just changed their minds later, but either way, they were not ultimately satisfied with civil unions.

Because civil unions are not equal to marriages.

[ehenningsen]

Originally Posted by SurfOmaha

Because civil unions are not equal to marriages.

Exactly Surf, there is much more to the story than just obtaining the terminology.. There must have been a true gap between the two 'legally'

[Burning Silver]

Nebraska is one of the most conservative states of the north. You have to understand that although Omaha may be slightly more liberal than most cities here, there is still very deep seeted religious and republican values that the rural small towns of Nebraska share too.

It's certainly no San Francisco here but it takes time to adapt anyone to feeling comfortable seeing too people of the same sex married, gay, let alone holding hands or leading around children here-especially here.

I have many gay friends but the only thing I'm sort of offended by is that gay people EXPECT all these conservative types who have been RAISED (They cannot help that) on these beliefs that its wrong to sort of just accept it.

People are going to hate other people for a plethora of reasons no matter what you try to convince them. People are going to hate someone because they are asian, muslim, hell even like the color pink.

And I don't think it should be expected for everyone to be tolerant because its just not going to happen when cultural beliefs and morality come into this. I'd say gay people should just fight for the right to accepted first and be seen as 'okay, I've been exposed to this enough and if thats what they like to do then good for them' rather then full blown expecting rights left and right.

You gotta rub and coax your cat before you can give it a treat.

[ehenningsen]

Originally Posted by Burning Silver

Nebraska is one of the most conservative states of the north. You have to understand that although Omaha may be slightly more liberal than most cities here, there is still very deep seeted religious and republican values that the rural small towns of Nebraska share too.

It's certainly no San Francisco here but it takes time to adapt anyone to feeling comfortable seeing too people of the same sex married, gay, let alone holding hands or leading around children here-especially here.

I have many gay friends but the only thing I'm sort of offended by is that gay people EXPECT all these conservative types who have been RAISED (They cannot help that) on these beliefs that its wrong to sort of just accept it.

People are going to hate other people for a plethora of reasons no matter what you try to convince them. People are going to hate someone because they are asian, muslim, hell even like the color pink.

And I don't think it should be expected for everyone to be tolerant because its just not going to happen when cultural beliefs and morality come into this. I'd say gay people should just fight for the right to accepted first and be seen as 'okay, I've been exposed to this enough and if thats what they like to do then good for them' rather then full blown expecting rights left and right.

You gotta rub and coax your cat before you can give it a treat.

Yeah, I guess all of us homos should understand when people say things out of spite and bigotry.

[mattpoulsen]

Burning,

I am going to have to say that is a pretty broad sweeping and close minded view of Nebraskans and Omahans. Nothing better than watching someone accuse an entire state of being close minded and they themselves not recognizing the hypocrisy in such a statement.

Further, there is nothing about the republican party values that excludes gay marriage and gay rights. Quit painting all republicans as though they are Rush Limbaugh! You are being just as close minded and unable to think of people as individuals as you are accusing others. And if you truly think that republicans must by definition be religious zealots and anti-gay then you don't actually understand true republican values...you only understand the version spoon fed to you by the extremes of both parties.

[Raphael07]

He's still new, give him time, he'll learn.

[trailerguy]

Originally Posted by WesternPilgrim

You could also read it this way: 66% in Omaha oppose same-sex marriage. Which is a much higher margin than we had in CA with Prop 8.

The "liberalism" of California is way over-stated if not utterly fabricated. Prop 8 showed how they really think. I--for one--was not at all suprised. I feel much safer in the Midwest than I ever did in the San Francisco "golden ghetto".

Apparently, two-thirds of people in Omaha--conservative Christian family values and all--are perfectly happy to let gay couples live in peace and protect their rights. They should be commended for their common sense.

The great majority of gay people in the Midwest just want the right to live their own lives and legally protect the people they care about. Only a small portion of gay radicals get their panties in a knot about this whole "marriage" thing. I just want to know if I have to go to hospital, my partner can see me, consult with my doctor, make an end-of-life decision for me, if necessary, and that I can leave him my property with a reasonable likelihood my wishes will be respected. I belive most "straight" midwesterners are perfectly comfortable with this.

Most Californians have a prurient fascination with "alternative lifestyles" and love to be titillated with the details of other people's private lives, but they are not willing to accept gay people as equal citizens. They are about as tolerant as inquisitors, which is now apparent to everyone.

Midwesterners don't give a darn so long as you don't get up in their faces about it. I'll take Omaha over San Francisco any day.

[Burning Silver]

Originally Posted by mattpoulsen

Burning,

I am going to have to say that is a pretty broad sweeping and close minded view of Nebraskans and Omahans. Nothing better than watching someone accuse an entire state of being close minded and they themselves not recognizing the hypocrisy in such a statement.

Further, there is nothing about the republican party values that excludes gay marriage and gay rights. Quit painting all republicans as though they are Rush Limbaugh! You are being just as close minded and unable to think of people as individuals as you are accusing others. And if you truly think that republicans must by definition be religious zealots and anti-gay then you don't actually understand true republican values...you only understand the version spoon fed to you by the extremes of both parties.

lol. I never called all republicans religious zealots or anti-gay. It is what it is. Nebraska is a red republican state and usually that means that its conservative. I never attacked republicans. God, you say one little thing on this board and people blow it up as if its a personal attack on their very lives. Put your big boy pampers on and take it like a man.

@ehenningson: You should. Was Civil Rights an easy movement? No.
Gay people shoud expect people to not be always accepting because in the real world-not everyone likes/accepts homosexuality. Sad but true.

[mattpoulsen]

"Nebraska is one of the most conservative states of the north. You have to understand that although Omaha may be slightly more liberal than most cities here, there is still very deep seeted religious and republican values that the rural small towns of Nebraska share too."

You then state: "...all these conservative types who have been RAISED (They cannot help that) on these beliefs that its wrong to sort of just accept it."

You make these statements and then infer that Nebraskans do not accept gays or the idea of gay marriage (based on their republican principles).

You know exactly what you were saying. And I am simply saying "republicans" are not all anti-gay. And you are just as guilty of the narrow minded pigeon holing that you accuse others of.

I am an agnostic republican AND am pro-gay marriage and I am thoroughly sick and tired of small minded people like yourself putting me and other republicans in the same category as Anne Coulter and Rush Limbaugh.

You are a child and apparently have little experience in actual life. Instead of understanding the issue as a thicket of hundreds on intercrossing sub-issues its simpler for your mind to simply classify people as "liberal" or "conservative." So maybe you should put the "big boy" pants on and actually learn something about what it means to be conservative, republican, liberal and democrat besides what CNN tells you in a poll.