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IMO, I think it's time for the government to get out of marriage. Everything that it gets its hands on, outside of its role as protector of Constitutional individual rights and civil liberties, it messes it up. For example, it has involved itself in marriage, hence single people are discriminated against under the tax code and treated differently which shouldn't be the case. Marriage at the legal level should be devolved to just another common law contract enforceable by the courts.
Gay rights is a very serious issue. How many gay people do you know? Got any clue how much homophobia and indifference hurts them? I know plenty of people whose lives were ruined because somebody thougth they were lesser for being gay. As in, losing millions of dollars or being denied veterans benefits (because that's what the military's policy did against gays).
At 76 I have known quite a few over the years. One can hardly live in today's world and be unaware of how much psychological harm is visited upon people who fall outside of certain parameters whether that be race, sexual preferences--even genetic conditions such as dwarfism. Bigotry, for one group or another, will always be with us; it cannot be legislated away because it has its existence in people's minds. Gays--or anyone who is made to feel "lesser" because of some condition that falls outside certain parameters--have need of support structures to help them realize that they are just fine the way they are. What you describe are personal, psychological issues and are best dealt with from that aspect.
Not to be dismissive but gay rights is not the top issue for people who have lost their jobs and/or their homes. I think most people are more worried about their own economic futures than they are about whether gays can marry or not. If, as seems more and more a possibility, we see a collapse of the dollar with individual's net worth wiped out across the board for countless millions, minority issues will pale in comparison.
Last edited by Cunucu Beach; 05-07-2012 at 01:51 PM..
its not an either/or issue. You can worry about your job and the economy without having to choose to throw gays, bisexuals, and transgender people under the bus. In fact, vote Democrat and then you have a party that has devoted alot to economic issues and has historically supported the LGBT community more than the Republicans. Unconflicted voting.
If anything, I know alot of persons in the LGBT community that are hurt disproportionately by the economy. So its not a case of having to choose which issues are more important. Republicans, on the other hand, propose lame solutions to the economy that historically have not worked, and they don't care at all about gay rights. The only support that the LGBT community has for Republicans is among those few gay men or lesbians that don't mind sitting on the back of the bus or being a sycophant to serve their economy interests and throw their romantic fulfillment under a bus. The overwhelming number of gays I've met are libertarian or progressive Democrats.
Mitt Romney might not care about the gay vote because we're only around 5% of the population, but if you include our families and close friends that number would mean that many more people are guaranteed not to vote for you. if you are against gay rights.
i have a mother and father and brother and sister and a close friend, who all would definitely NOT vote for Mitt Romney or MOST republicans and it's all because i'm gay. some of them used to vote republican at least half the time but now they never do if that republican is an anti gay republican in ANY WAY. they vote this way because of ME.
if you figure this in doesn't the gay vote actually go up to close to 30-40 percent of the population?
So you're asking Republicans to forgo their morals/beliefs for a vote?
its not an either/or issue. You can worry about your job and the economy without having to choose to throw gays, bisexuals, and transgender people under the bus. In fact, vote Democrat and then you have a party that has devoted alot to economic issues and has historically supported the LGBT community more than the Republicans. Unconflicted voting.
If anything, I know alot of persons in the LGBT community that are hurt disproportionately by the economy. So its not a case of having to choose which issues are more important. Republicans, on the other hand, propose lame solutions to the economy that historically have not worked, and they don't care at all about gay rights. The only support that the LGBT community has for Republicans is among those few gay men or lesbians that don't mind sitting on the back of the bus or being a sycophant to serve their economy interests and throw their romantic fulfillment under a bus. The overwhelming number of gays I've met are libertarian or progressive Democrats.
Which is it going to be? Gays are to be pigeon-holed into a special "victim" class with special protections and "rights" or gays are to be elevated to full and equal status as American citizens without regard for their sexual orientation? It can't be both ways.
As long as you and your family are doing well enough financially, your gay issues will continue to dominate your everyday life, as is evidenced by the countless gay-themed threads you have started. If the economic woes of the Western world continue on their downward spiral and we have a situation where the money we have in our pockets buys less and less every single day, your priorities may change.
I'm gay and this is what I'm thinking. The broader picture is that our rights are being taken away more and more from BOTH parties. The fact that there is more openness to gay rights in some circles is more than cancelled out by our loss of other civil and economic rights in recent decades.
IOW, I'm not going to care whether or not I can marry my BF if we end up bankrupt like Greece, and that's where we are headed, and neither party is doing anything to stop the train wreck.
Mitt Romney might not care about the gay vote because we're only around 5% of the population, but if you include our families and close friends that number would mean that many more people are guaranteed not to vote for you. if you are against gay rights.
i have a mother and father and brother and sister and a close friend, who all would definitely NOT vote for Mitt Romney or MOST republicans and it's all because i'm gay. some of them used to vote republican at least half the time but now they never do if that republican is an anti gay republican in ANY WAY. they vote this way because of ME.
if you figure this in doesn't the gay vote actually go up to close to 30-40 percent of the population?
Except for those of use who ARE gay and still republican...and all our friends and family. LOL!
Listen. MONEY is power. Not some kooky crap the government decides they can give you (and take away from you at a whim). You cannot legislate tolerance. But if you get to keep your money, you have your own power. I vote for who lets me keep my money.
And frankly, there are too many other important issues to make the whole gay thing the only reason you vote democrat. Too many more important things facing this country.
Besides, making that an issue is a democrat smoke-screen to make you vote for them. They had an EFFIN' supermajority and didn't get crap done about gay marriage when they had a chance. Screw 'em. They are liars and using you for your vote.
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