To those against prop 8

[Ducy]

Look. There is sooo much bullshit about prop 8 right now. Basically this is what it boils down to.


Should gay marriage be banned?

Its not should we teach our kids its ok to be gay (and what difference does it make their is nothing wrong with it to begin with)

Its not should we tax churches that refuse to marry gay people.

It’s also not about people hating gays.

I’m going to tell you a few stories and then you tell me what you think is right.

Both of these are true btw.

First. There is a girl. Been through a hellish life, constantly wondering about her sexuality. Until one day realizing she was lesbian.

She came out to friends, coworkers, even her closest friend at the time.

They all accepted her and one in particular was very proud of her. But when she came out to her mother, the woman who gave birth to her, she was cursed for it.

And the sad thing is her mother will probably advocate banning gay marriage.

Yet her mother is not really a mother at all. She goes out to get drunk while this girl watches over her little brother, while she cooks and cleans and sometimes even pays bills.

A girl who is barely 18, but has held the responsibilities of an adult for nearly 10 years. A girl who has great potential and is in my opinion, destined for greatness.

Yet how many of you think that she doesn’t deserve to be happy? How many of you think. "Big deal so she took care of herself for nearly 10 years, acts as the parents in her household and is losing out on her childhood.... she doesn’t deserve to be happy."

I for one believe that she deserves everything in the world.... especially the right to promise her love for someone.

But if you are a cold heartless person, keep reading...

There was a man, Patrick Steelman. He was homosexual, and he grew up in a time when being homosexual was seen as a crime against god. People hated him, spray painted faggot on the sidewalks at his home. Even his own father busted him in the head with a chair when he broke the news.

But he worked hard, he was one of the brightest kids in high school (ranked in the top 100 for students in the nation) He became a chef who catered to movie stars. He was even working training to be a doctor. Never hurt a single person.

Then one day he cut his hand really bad in a machine and the doctors had to do a blood transfusion. This transfusion wasn’t tested, and the blood was infected with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome...better known as AIDS.

This man never hurt a fly, never said a mean thing about anyone even though they cursed him in the streets. And yet the fates dealt him a terrible blow. But did he curse the world. Did he give up? No he fought every second of his life. Even though people hated him, he still went through hundreds of experimental drug trials, in a desperate search for a cure. He suffered more than any man should. He would go blind for days at a time, hair would fall out, he would vomit uncontrollably. Even suffer terrible rashes and chemical burns from some of the treatments.

Did he stop? No he continued to fight on. He held on to see his first nephew born. All that time living with the pain of experimental cures and treatments. Then within a few short months of his nephew being born, he passed away.

Patrick fought so hard to find a cure. And many of the experimental drug treatments he went through wound up leading to the drugs we have today. Drugs that hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of people use to help prolong their life. Drugs that many people use to extend their lives hours, years, sometimes even just a few measly seconds.... seconds to spend with their spouses.

His pain and anguish helped make many peoples lives happier. Even if though many still scream faggot when they see two men holding hands.

Now if you can honestly look someone in the eyes and say this man does not deserve to experience the happiness that I share with my WIFE.... my partner whom I swore my love to and MARRIED. If you can respond to this message and say, "Collin, your uncle does not deserve to feel the connection I share with my wife" Then you’re no friend of mine. And as far as I am concerned, I hope you never get AIDS.... because how would it look to your friends when you tell them that your taking drugs some faggot tried back in the 90's so that he could help mankind find some cure?

Wouldn’t feel good would it.... Now just imagine how many countless millions you are hurting by voting for a prop that has no direct effect on you? How many of these "fags and dykes" could become doctors who cure some disease that you may one day contract? How many could become lawyers who fight to protect you from being wrongfully accused?
How many could become cops who save you from a mugger?

Most importantly how many of these men and women could become marriage counselors who save your marriage from falling apart?

[rosebanks]

i personaly think gay marrige is just as acceptable as that of a straight couple.
its a bonding of two PEOPLE
even if your gay your stil a person
it should not be banned taxed slandered or what ever , its for them only, it doesnt mater what anyone else thinks its not thier problem is it

[Ducy]

Exactly but then you got these jackasses on tv with their dumb ass "The teacher said I could be a prnicess and marry a princess..."

Who gives a fuck.

[Mr. Saint]

This whole Prop 8 thing makes me sick. How on earth did these nut cases get it on our ballot? I mean I love that we have a state referendum but this is just sad. A bunch of out of state interests abusing our laws and trying to strip people of there rights, just sad. Personally I am against marriage altogether, but as long as some people can marry then every one should be able to. I have another story if you like, about a friend of mine.

I know this girl from college. She grew up in a very religious Hispanic family. In her senior year of high school her mother caught her fooling around with another girl in her room. She was in that point of her life when she was experimenting with different sexuality. Well her mom freaked out and told her father. Her father promptly proceeded to kick his 17 year old daughter out of the house with out a dime to her name. She moved in with a friend and finished high school, and went on to college. The comedic part of this depressing story is that the girl she moved in with was gay and the last time I talked to her, they where dating. She has also now given up her fate and has never spoken with her family again. I say good for her but it is a sad story of how someone could to this to someone they clam to love.

[DVDBear]

Originally Posted by Mr. Saint

This whole Prop 8 thing makes me sick. How on earth did these nut cases get it on our ballot? I mean I love that we have a state referendum but this is just sad. A bunch of out of state interests abusing our laws and trying to strip people of there rights, just sad. Personally I am against marriage altogether, but as long as some people can marry then every one should be able to. I have another story if you like, about a friend of mine.

Unfortunately not only did they get it on the ballot but it stands a very good chance of winning because of the massive amounts of money they've raised (the Mormon church being the biggest donor). My partner and I lived in L.A. up until four years ago. We are registered as a domestic partnership in Calfornia. We then moved to Oregon, which at the time didn't have anything like that in place (and of course our CA license evaporated outside state lines). After working with the the premier gay rights group in the OR we've finally managed to secure a similar (actually better) domestic partnership law this past year. Those same out of state nut jobs stuck their noses in here as well, but this time got their ass kicked, both by the voters and by the court on their appeal.

Unfortunately even if Prop 8 doesn't pass it won't mean true equality because the marriage isn't recognized on the federal level. What kind of marriage do you have if you move to another state and they don't recognize it? But it's still incredibly important, and one more step toward that goal.

[lnt1103]

See this is where the Full Faith and Credit Clause gets murky for me.

Personally, I consider the Constitution to be meant to OPEN the government to people and to INCLUDE them in those whose rights are protected....not to CLOSE it and EXCLUDE anyone.

[Mr. Saint]

I don’t think that they can get two thirds of the vote no matter how much money they spend. If it does pass there is something very wrong with this state, there is already something very wrong about the country. It is never right for the majority to take rights away from the minority. Just because a pack of wolfs vote on what’s for dinner does not mean it is all right to eat the sheep.

[Buck Naked]

I don't know why this is such a big deal. In Canada it seems being married is a bad thing. I can't tell you how much money my wife would've gotten if she was a single mom and I was just living with her. By being married our incomes are combined and we don't qualify for anything. It's brutal. I knew a guy living with the mother of his two kids and they were getting so much money thrown at them it was ridiculous.

Don't get me wrong, I don't regret getting married. It was my choice and, to me, everyone should get that same choice. It just sickens me that these bible thumpers have nothing better to do then screw over people who just want the same rights as anyone else. Give me a break. I think someone should propose a law that all organized religion should be banned. Then that will give them something to do rather then making life miserable for good people.

[lnt1103]

That's going too far the other way. Not ALL religions or ALL followers of any given religion are like that.

[DVDBear]

I don't want to see anyone's rights restricted. If whatever religion you belong to melts your butter, more power to you. None of my business. But when you start to impose your beliefs on other people because their behavior or faith happens to conflict with yours, then it needs to be stopped, pronto. Unfortunately the influence religion already has on our government and political system is obscene.

I sincerely hope that both the national election and state issues like defeating Prop 8 turn out to make the statement that people have had enough and are starting to take some of that power back.