Civil Unions in Texas (appointed, living, law)

[beasleb]

Would you support Civil Unions in Texas for gay citizens?

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

Absolutely. Im for the equal legal rights of all citizens.

[k_s]

Originally Posted by justme02

Absolutely. Im for the equal legal rights of all citizens.

Agreed.

[doctorjef]

Although in 2004 when I moved from Texas, the motivating issues did not include the absence of civil unions or marriage equality, developments in other states in the intervening years - including the one where I now live - mean that I would not move back to Texas without the legal protections afforded by either a robust civil unions act or marriage equality. There would still be reasons for my spouse and me not to return to Texas, but the only truly serious, substantive issue is really the current absence of equal protection under the law. Fix that and the other issues would be comparatively trivial matters of personal taste, some of which tend in favour of Texas (e.g., warm climate).

[TexasReb]

Originally Posted by beasleb

Would you support Civil Unions in Texas for gay citizens?

This is an excellent example of what is called a "loaded poll." To wit?

Well, hell..it obviously contains some kind of the usual "silky warning" of how the respondents answers will be "public" on C-D. Also, the wording is about as obvious as a telegraphed punch by an over the hill boxer.

For another? This whole crap is akin to asking if someone still beats their wife. How pathetic.

Why not just have some guts and quit the cutsey little phrasings? Hell, I will give you an answer, right on and up front and whatever...Kerby.

I have no problem in the least with Civil Unions among gay couples. I don't and never will accept it as the same moral equivelent as man/woman marriage...but I have no problem in the least with two people living together and making arrangements in terms of security and all. I have some friends who are openly gay. I might not agree with everything they say...but I honestly never had any problem with being good and congenial friends and all. So? What is your point?

And to keep it going? Guess what? To answer both of your "questions" as to your "poll?" Here ya go!

(Yes, they deserve the same rights as heterosexuals) -- Uhhhhh, Gays have the same constitutional rights as spelled out in the Bill of Rights as Straight people. They can vote, assemble, worship or not, and petition the government, own firearms, own property, etc.

(No, they do not deserve the same rights as heterosexuals).
See above.

Oh yeah, I am going to vote just to spite the spiteful poll itself. Good lord...this is so ridiculous.

But THAT's Ok. See what I voted. Woohoo! I will openly proclaim myself the "homophobic" and "bigot" and "intolerant" and whatever else that you seem hell-bent on "proving" most Texans are.

Now does this make you feel all morally superior about yerself?...Awwww...

[doctorjef]

TexasReb it is sad that you cannot affirm any legal protections for same-gender unions under civil law. I am happy to say you are on the wrong side of history. What we are talking about here is equal rights under the law and not anyone's definition of marriage. No need to channel Michele Bachmann or Santorum. This is gay and lesbian couples having equal protection for their relationships. Get it through your head mate or admit you are happy to make other peoples' lives unnecessarily hard. I'm seriously disappointed in your reply above.

[beasleb]

Originally Posted by TexasReb

This is an excellent example of what is called a "loaded poll." To wit?

Well, hell..it obviously contains some kind of the usual "silky warning" of how the respondents answers will be "public" on C-D. Also, the wording is about as obvious as a telegraphed punch by an over the hill boxer.

For another? This whole crap is akin to asking if someone still beats their wife. How pathetic.

Why not just have some guts and quit the cutsey little phrasings? Hell, I will give you an answer, right on and up front and whatever...Kerby.

I have no problem in the least with Civil Unions among gay couples. I don't and never will accept it as the same moral equivelent as man/woman marriage...but I have no problem in the least with two people living together and making arrangements in terms of security and all. I have some friends who are openly gay. I might not agree with everything they say...but I honestly never had any problem with being good and congenial friends and all. So? What is your point?

And to keep it going? Guess what? To answer both of your "questions" as to your "poll?" Here ya go!

(Yes, they deserve the same rights as heterosexuals) -- Uhhhhh, Gays have the same constitutional rights as spelled out in the Bill of Rights as Straight people. They can vote, assemble, worship or not, and petition the government, own firearms, own property, etc.

(No, they do not deserve the same rights as heterosexuals).
See above.

Oh yeah, I am going to vote just to spite the spiteful poll itself. Good lord...this is so ridiculous.

But THAT's Ok. See what I voted. Woohoo! I will openly proclaim myself the "homophobic" and "bigot" and "intolerant" and whatever else that you seem hell-bent on "proving" most Texans are.

Now does this make you feel all morally superior about yerself?...Awwww...

TexasReb -- Why the sarcasm and hate? If you don't like my Poll (no pun intended), just ignore it. Why waste your time saying all these angry things that only hurt people. Lift people up man. You're a real downer.

[TexasReb]

Originally Posted by doctorjef

TexasReb it is sad that you cannot affirm any legal protections for same-gender unions under civil law. I am happy to say you are on the wrong side of history. What we are talking about here is equal rights under the law and not anyone's definition of marriage. No need to channel Michele Bachmann or Santorum. This is gay and lesbian couples having equal protection for their relationships. Get it through your head mate or admit you are happy to make other peoples' lives unnecessarily hard. I'm seriously disappointed in your reply above.

You and I are good friends, DocJ...and I am proud to say so. I mean that sincerely and you know damn well I do!

BUT...you are very wrong in saying I (or anyone else is on the "wrong" side of history). The final judgement of history (whatever it may be) is revealed only when Judgement Day comes...or Gabriel Blows His Horn...or whever it may manifest in....

Fact is, the moral and absolutely messed up issues of today do not speak very well of anything today being "on the right side" of history, buddy.

You are disappointed in my reply? Fair enough. But you know damn well I have stood right up with you many times when it comes to personal attacks. At the same time, you know damn well I say what I think and I am not going to pretend to believe something that every natural instinct I have says clearly it is simply NOT true I'm sorry (well, not really, but you know what I mean), but IMHO marriage is and always has been between a man and woman, and for two same sex couples to adopt/raise a child of their own from the conception is simply wrong and against every law of nature.

I said, and will say again, I am actually one of those conservatives who believes that one cannot help their sexual orientation. And I don't give a fiddlers damn what consenting adults do behind close doors. BUT...that stops short of pretending to believe something that is simply not true and goes against every law/rule/etc of nature.

If that makes me a dinosaur? Then ok, fine. I will fess up to being a homophobe and racist and bigot and whatever else if that makes anybody feel morally superior.

DocJ, my friend? To come back the full circle, you know dad gum well what I am saying and to spin the table a bit...don't you think that "poll" was a little silly and idiotic?

[TexasReb]

Originally Posted by beasleb

TexasReb -- Why the sarcasm and hate? If you don't like my Poll (no pun intended), just ignore it. Why waste your time saying all these angry things that only hurt people. Lift people up man. You're a real downer.

Sorry. That won't work. Lift up, man. You probably really know better. It has nothing to do with liking or disliking the overall question...just how the answers were obviously loaded and one sided. If you are going to post polls that mature people will want to participate in? Then you need to to learn how to word them right. Word to the wise, as they say!

And again, I voted in the negative. Why are you so hateful? If you don't expect a reply from everyone to a poll, then why post it to begin with? Kinda sophomoric, don't you think? Just asking...

[doctorjef]

The question was posed in terms of "civil unions" , which I take to be different than "marriage", and indeed all the informed population understand these two terms to be different, i.e. Plesey vs. Fergusson -- "separate but equal", tolerable for a time at least, but ultimately hypocritical and unconstitutional. Still, we are talking civil unions here, not "marriage".

My own current state of Delaware now has a robust civil unions law that exactly parallels the marriage law in the state. It provides protections to my spouse and me (previously married in another jurisdiction) that we could otherwise secure only through a long and expensive series of legal documents and even then couldn't feel so sure of.

"You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows", Bob Dylan, 1965.

No need to say more really. Or maybe, " ...Your old road is rapidly changing: please get out of the new one if you can't lend your hand, for the times they are a-changin'."