Maine voters say no to gay marriage
The people of Maine voted yesterday to repeal a state law that allowed two people of the same sex to marry. This leaves Iowa, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Connecticut as the only states in the country where two people of the same sex are allowed to marry.
Though I’m a big fan of democracy, I’m not too enthused over the idea that someone’s civil rights can be striped from them by people in the ballot box. It doesn’t seem right to me. The majority should defend the rights of the minority, not take away rights. The idea that the minority in our country can be denied their basic civil rights via the voting booth seems overly perverse to me.
For all intended purposes, gay couples in this country already live as married couples. They own property together and they raise children together. They are committed to each other in every way. Why should I be allowed to marry the person I love and chose to share my life with, but gay people can’t?
It doesn’t seem right. It doesn’t seem, I don’t know, American.
If Chastity Bono is now a man, is (s)he still gay?
Chastity Bono, daughter of Cher and Sonny Bono and gay-rights activist has released a statement announcing that she is now a man. From CCN:
Chastity Bono, gay-rights activist and child of performer Cher and the late entertainer and politician Sonny Bono, is in the early stages of transitioning from a female to a male and will be known as Chaz, his spokesman said Thursday.
“Chaz, after many years of consideration, has made the courageous decision to honor his true identity,” Howard Bragman said in a written statement.
“He is proud of his decision and grateful for the support and respect that has already been shown by his loved ones. It is Chaz’s hope that his choice to transition will open the hearts and minds of the public regarding this issue, just as his ‘coming out’ did nearly 20 years ago.”
So does this mean that Chaz is no longer gay? If he is a man who is attracted sexually to women, I don’t understand exactly how he can still be a gay-rights activist. Then again, I’m as straight as the day is long and I fully believe gay people should have all the same rights and privileges has heterosexual people.
I’ll be honest and admit I don’t understand the transgendered. I don’t understand how someone can be born a man and feel that they are really a woman. Or vise verse as in Chaz Bono’s case. Then again, I don’t understand the physics involved with a Black Hole or how people can enjoy the music of Jimmy Buffet.
Just because I don’t understand it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
What do you know, all men are not created equal
The California Supreme Court upheld the state’s gay-marriage ban today. The 6-1 decision upholds Proposition 8, the recent ballot initiative that asked California voters if the state’s constitution should be amended to ban same sex marriage.
A “yes” vote to Proposition 8 was saying “no” to same-sex marriage. A “no” vote to Proposition 8 was saying “yes” to same-sex marriage. Confusing? Sure, but that was the intention.
This court ruling makes me thankful that God made me straight and not gay. I didn’t choose my sexual orientation any more than I picked my height, my shoe size, or my skin color.
I’m straight because that’s the way I was born. It’s the way God made me.
I’m lucky. Very lucky. I get to be married to the person I love. Sheri and I are afforded all the rights and privileges bestowed to those who are married. When I came down with pneumonia last year and had to go to the emergency room, Sheri was able to be there with me right at my side. She was able to do this not because she was my official guest or some other hokey designation, but because she was my legal spouse. It was very comforting to have her with me that day.
Being married has it’s privileges.
While I feel thankful that I’m allowed to marry the person I love, I feel bad for people that are not. Life’s hard enough without the government throwing up obstacles making it needlessly harder. The fact that democracy was used to take something away from so many California couples seems especially perverse.
Iowa Supreme Court throws out ban on gay marriage
Iowa has become the third state in the country to allow gay couples to get married. The Iowa Supreme Court yesterday unanimously struck down the state’s decade-long ban on gay marriage.
Good for Iowa. It’s ridiculous that there is still a minority group in this country that we deny basic human civil rights to. Gay people really are the last minority group where discrimination is tolerated and even accepted. It’s wrong.
I didn’t choose to be heterosexual. Gay people don’t choose to be homosexual. Why should I as a heterosexual man have the right of marrying the person I love when gay people don’t?
Not allowing gay couples to marry is truly archaic. If two gay people in a committed relationship choose to solidify their relationship by entering into marriage, why should anyone care? Really, what harm does it do?
Judge overturns Florida ban on gay people adopting
Gay people in Florida can now adopt children.
From the Associated Press:
A judge on Tuesday ruled that a strict Florida law that blocks gay people from adopting children is unconstitutional, declaring there was no legal or scientific reason for sexual orientation alone to prohibit anyone from adopting.
Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman said the 31-year-old law violates equal protection rights for the children and their prospective gay parents, rejecting the state’s arguments that there is “a supposed dark cloud hovering over homes of homosexuals and their children.”
This a huge civil rights victory. I think it’s great that people who want to be parents through adoption are allowed to do so. Adoption is a wonderful thing that should be encouraged, not discouraged or banned.
The sexual orientation of the parents shouldn’t matter. What kid wants to think about their parents — straight or gay — having sex? It’s equally creepy either way.
Now if only all parents of adopted children were allowed to marry in all 50 states.
Orson Scott Card hates gay people that want to settle down and get married
Science fiction writer Orson Scott Card has his secret Mormon holy underpants in a bunch over the idea of allowing gay people to marry. Marriage, that sacred holy union enjoyed by the likes of Britney Spears and Keven Federline and Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley.
Orson Scott Card does not like gay marriage and he chose to argue his views in the pages of the Mormon Times. How brave of him.
Here is some of what Orson Scott Card had to say:
These judges are making new law without any democratic process; in fact, their decisions are striking down laws enacted by majority vote.
No, that’s not what is happening. Massachusetts and California Judges have ruled against laws that discriminate against gay people. That is what judges are supposed to do. They strike down laws that discriminate against people because of their race, sex, religion, or sexual orientation. It doesn’t matter if a majority of voters agreed to deny rights to gay people. There is a difference between a Democracy and mob rule.
Remember how rapidly gay marriage has become a requirement. When gay rights were being enforced by the courts back in the ’70s and ’80s, we were repeatedly told by all the proponents of gay rights that they would never attempt to legalize gay marriage.
It took about 15 minutes for that promise to be broken.
Who promised him that? It’s not that people want to legalize gay marriage. Those of us on the pro-gay marriage side just think that the government shouldn’t enact laws that make it illegal. There is a difference.
My wife and I enjoy the rights and privileges afforded to us because we are married. She is my legal next of kin and I am her’s. If I am ever in a life threatening accident and decisions have to be made concerning my care and treatment, not only will my wife be allowed to remain at my side, she will be allowed to make those decisions. The reason for this is because she and I are married.
This is only one of the many rights and privileges bestowed on married couples. Gay people in committed relationships love the person they are with just as much as I love my wife. Why should my wife and I get rights and privileges that committed gay couples don’t? I hate the fact that we deny this basic right to gay couples.
It’s embarrassing.
And for the record, if I am ever in a situation where my wife has to make a decision about my medical care, I want her to keep me alive any way that medical science allows. Not only do I want to be hooked up to machines, I want them to invent new machines just to keep me going. I want to live!
The choice is her’s though. She is my wife. She has earned the right to unplug me.
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