Gay marriage returns to the political spotlight

How have heterosexuals suffered in the states that have legalized gay marriage? Have young children been exposed to anything different than my own young children have seen coming from a state that does not recognize gay marriage? Seriously, stop the hate! Legalize gay marriage!

I have to agree with Tasha on one point. "Apparently some people didn't learn that no means no in kindergarten."

The bible thumping Jesus freaks in our country have been told “No” repeatedly, and yet, still don’t seem to be able to grasp this. No, you don’t get to strip away the rights of other citizens and human beings in this country due to your religious bigotry. The evidence has clearly established the facts and yet there are those who refuse to acknowledge the truth.

Homosexuality is NOT a choice. Even if it were, which it is NOT and nobody has yet to show any credible evidence that it is, so what? Religion is a choice. If your religion demands bigotry then maybe you should consider another religion instead of attempting to control, dictate and dominate the lives of others.

Homosexuality is NOT a crime.
Homosexuality is NOT a disease.

Yet repeatedly, time and again, we have the same group of individuals attempting to control, dictate and dominate the lives of others. Your acceptance, approval and permission are not required. I find it most striking that other minority groups including blacks and women, and especially black women, that have been deprived of their freedoms and rights under the banner of religious bigotry would adopt this same ideology and do a “one-eighty”, go turncoat and pull a Benedict Arnold on another minority group being religiously disenfranchised, marginalized and persecuted just as their ancestors were, once their own freedoms have been established and their own rights have been secured, and in the process flushing down the toilet any consideration or respect for the sacrifices and struggles of others in the process. This is perhaps the penultimate slap and spit in the face of civil liberty and justice.

I can’t help but wonder, “Were we wrong?” as you seem to display no appreciation, regard or respect for others where you clearly should. Perhaps we should return to the days of “tradition”, where blacks and women were traditionally disenfranchised and marginalized until you “get it”. Maybe you really are as dumb and slow as straight white men “traditionally” thought you were. Prove me wrong. Please. I’m begging you. Show us you have somehow managed to hold onto and retain even a fraction or a sliver of your humanity or reason, rather than buckling, caving in and allowing yourselves to be infected by this insanity.

"There's a myth that history is on a trajectory moving toward same-sex marriage," Brown said. "There is no such momentum."

Uhm, that's just a lie. Five years ago we had zero states with marriage equality and now we have seven. That's called "momentum"!

Freedom sir is what I am talking about, not right or wrong, moral or imoral. Marriage is a religious or spiritual or, personal agreement between two people. If two can be married then to be fair, any two consenting adults should be able to married. Remember; Freedom for all, not just a few. Legal (civil contracts are another matter) Government has no business involved in allowing some and not others. . In this country, freedom means freedom for all. Not just the religious right.

As for any so called benefits that married couples receive from the "Government": The Government grants benefits to one at the expense of another. In other words Government officials steal from one to give to whom they think is more worthy than the one who earned. it. This should not be so. This is forced charity and jackboot enforcement.

For you good folks who have apparently removed the proverbial beam from your eye and feel free to make condemning sanctions against others not so fortunate, give it some room. If a food is evil to you then don't eat it but, don't deny the starving man a bite. Salvation is by God, not the condemnation of men. The great commission is to spread the Good News. Not as many believe, to point out the evil news.

Once again, Freedom sir is what I am talking about, not right or wrong.

I don't understand the purpose of a state making a law if the next elected officials come in and change that law to fit their "party"? Is this not 1 step forward 2 steps back? I see this going on for a long time with several states. Why not just have a federal rule on it?

All of you Bible-quoters need to remember one vital point of fact: the Bible has no standing in a court of law. So for legal purposes, it doesn't matter a hill of beans what the Bible says. Our laws aren't based on the Bible - they are based on the Constitution. And nowhere in the Constitution is the Bible - or Jesus - mentioned at all.

No matter what your religious beliefs are, you are required to live by the rule of American law. The Bible does not trump the Constitution; neither does the Koran, or any other religious document.

Read your Bible if you want. Live according to what it says if you choose to. But at the same time, you had better be prepared to obey American law, or else you're going to wind up in prison, no matter what your Bible says.

The true meaning of "Family Values": Newt Gingrich using his daughters from his first wife to attack his second wife who attacked his third wife. And they wonder why other countries laugh at us.

Arguments against gay marriage:

"Marriage is a sacred religious institution".

Not true. Marriage in the U.S. is a civil contract. It's only religious for those who choose to make it religious. If this is the defense, why are atheists allowed to get married? Why isn't everyone required to get married in a church?

"Marriage has always been defined as between a man and a woman".

Again, not true. Prior to the enactment of DOMA (The Defense of Marriage Act) marriage was not defined. There have also been societies prior to ours that embraced same-sex marriage or similar, such as Ancient Greece or Rome. It should also be pointed out that marriage laws have changed more than once in our country. For example, it used to be illegal to marry outside of your own race in the U.S.

"Being gay is a choice".

I honestly can't see what this has to do with anything. If being gay is a choice, so is being straight. We have freedom of choice in this country. Regardless, there is zero evidence that sexual attraction is a choice. If it were truly a choice, everyone would be bisexual.

"Gays can't procreate."

This argument is completely invalid when it comes to marriage. There is no requirement for people to have children in order to get married. And it's not as if a gay person is gonna say "Oh I can't marry the love of my life? I guess I'd better go marry someone of the opposite sex and have babies." They're not going to start procreating just because they can't get married.

"Being gay is against my religion."

This is the oldest argument which can't logically be used in a court of law. The government doesn't dictate personal morality or religion. The first amendment prevents this. If you find it morally wrong to be gay, don't be gay.

And I think this is one of my new favorites: "Gays already have equal rights. They can marry someone of the opposite sex just like everyone else. This law applies to everyone equally."

This statement is completely illogical and people who say this have zero comprehension of the concept of equality. Any law can apply to every citizen, but it doesn't make it equal. The logic of that statement could have been used to defend segregation by saying "Blacks and whites must be separated at all times. This law applies to everyone equally, therefore blacks already have equal rights". Or it could have been used to prevent women from voting by saying "Males over the age of 18 can vote. This law applies to everyone equally, therefore women already have equal rights". It's illogical and is contrary to the concept of equality in the United States.

When it comes down to it, not allowing gays to marry is harmful to gay people and their families. It turns them into second class citizens and that is contrary to American values. Allowing gays to marry doesn't harm anybody. If the anti-gay marriage side can't show any form of harm, where is there legal argument? Personal opinion, personal morality and religion, the "ick" factor, etc... are all irrelevant when it comes to the law.

So when did it leave?

Why do you think Republicans in the past decade have been obsessed with passing constitutional bans on gay marriage in every state they could, as well as a federal one? They knew the tide would soon turn and soon the number of those who support it or are not opposed was growing and would soon become a majority (which they have in the past year). They also knew constitutional amendments are a pain in the a $$ to overturn, which allows them to count on the homophobic vote for a few more years, while there's still a homophobic vote to be had. (Once that well dries up in a few years, however, and the nation ceases to be predominantly white, they're really screwed!)

Can someone point out a single marriage that the stupid "Defense of Marriage Act" has actually protected? Has it prevented a single divorce?

The list of right-wing red herrings grows longer and longer. This is akin to the Romans putting on bigger and more violent shows in the coliseum to distract the citizens from the fact that the emperors were corrupt and the empire was failing. Now we have the "right" saying, look at gays, look at Muslims, look at the poor, look at immigration, do not look at our failure to provide leadership that addresses the real problems of this country. Unemployment, favoritism towards the rich and powerful individuals and corporations, a healthcare system that allows millions to go without even basic medical care, no matter how badly needed, are all ignored by the "right". Instead, hatred and prejudice are encouraged, in the name of a religion which, at its core, stands for the exact opposite.

Maria • Houston, Texas • 19 hrs ago
"Are there any traditional families left?"

I hear this one all the time.

you mean like the ones that beat their kids into submission, their wives into the kitchens, their under educated, disenfranchised ethnic minorities into the coal mines, cotton fields, factories and railroads to do the dangerous dirty work, and their homosexual family members into the closet so not to embarrass the family? THOSE "Traditional Family Values" that bigots of all shapes and sizes sit around drooling, fantasizing and mentally masturbating about "the good ol' days" when they had the easy life and everybody, including you "Maria" served THEM? if you really find that so appealing, then go make me a sammich ... feel better now?

Until gays and lesbians have the full rights of American citizenship, including marriage and the tax benefits that come with it, why should they pay full federal taxes to support their oppressors?

What an absolute joke this republican party is. Each one is a nuttier theocrat than the next, with genious statements like birth control is bad because it allows you to do "what you ought not to do". Brilliant logic! These people are so clouded with religious dogma that can't think like rational logical human beings. If you don't like gay marriage, don't gay marry. Live & let live!

No one opposing gay marriage has yet to prove that it would in any way, shape or form, diminish heterosexual marriage. Nor has anyone put forth proof that a "god" established what is now regarded as conventional opposite sex marriage. Please read your bible to see many bizarre marriages and relationships that were described in your "word of god". For starters, if the bible is the literal truth, we all are products of extreme incest, i.e., brother-sister matings.
PS, I believe in God, but not the bible or religion which are clearly the creations of men seeking power over other men (and women).

"Returns to political spotlight"?! Now,there's an all-time shocker for you!!

Read the Supreme Court decision in Loving v. Virginia. The argument then was, "black people have the right to marry other blacks, and white people have the right to marry other whites, so everybody has the same right, so what's the problem?"

The Supreme Court, in a UNANIMOUS decision, struck down that logic as being flawed. The Supreme Court affirmed the right of each American to marry the partner of his or her choice, subject only to conflicts with violations of the civil rights of others (so, for example, an adult couldn't marry a minor).

So when straight people get to marry the partner of their choice, but gay people can't marry the partner of their choice, then there is a fundamental inequality. The Supreme Court has already ruled on that issue, which is why when this case gets elevated to the Supreme Court, gay marriage supporters will win. The Supreme Court isn't going to reverse itself on a unanimous decision unless there is a very, very compelling argument to do so - and so far, no one has ever presented any kind of argument demonstrating how allowing gays to marry each other would violate anyone else's civil rights.

God is happy and gay.

Allow gays to marry, decriminalize all drugs, keep abortion legal for those who choose, decriminalize prostitution, lower the legal drinking age to 18, mandate ethics clauses for all publicly elected officials, raise the minimum wage to above poverty line, promote education above all, make jail a "living hell", not luxurious, and for God's sake CREATE REAL incentives that promote good behavior, and lastly, stop wrist-slapping white-collar criminals. Example; take a look at the Fed Correctional Inst where Madoff is livin' it up on MORE OF OUR MONEY! Google FCI Butner Medium.

To summarize; I'm not gay, but I'm glad as h3ll the government doesn't conduct arranged marriages. I might not have been permitted to marry my soul mate, like many gay couples aren't. Off soapbox...