I suppose my greatest disappointment is that the Fat Boys only made the one movie.

[twicketface]

As you probably know, the Senate is debating the merits of an amendment to ban gay marriage. I find this to be utterly ridiculous and here's why.

First of all, sexual orientation is not a choice. I didn't choose to be heterosexual any more than a gay person chooses to be homosexual. It may be a lifestyle that you disagree with, but making it illegal won't stop it. All people deserve equality. Plain and simple. Making gay marriage illegal won't mean that there won't be gay people anymore. They'll still fall in love, date, live together, raise children and so forth. An amendment to prevent rights to certain groups of people is a dangerous precedent to set.

Look, I don't drink. But it's not my goal to prevent everyone from drinking just because I don't. Prohibition didn't work at stopping people from consuming alcohol and banning gay marriage won't stop gay people from being together. If you don't like it, don't do it.

Those who point to the Bible and say that it's wrong are justified in doing so, if that's what they believe. But all that should mean is that THEIR church of THEIR denomination doesn't perform gay marriages. The church I go to believes in and performs gay marriages, which is one of the reasons we attend services there. As we (theoretically) live in a country that has a separation between church and state, the government shouldn't be using religious reasons to deny gays (or bisexuals or transgendered for that matter) the right to marry. Marriage licenses are issued by the state, not the church.

Those who think that it will negatively impact the sanctity of marriage need to realize that marriage has very little sanctity left, due to how ridiculously easy it is to get married and get divorced. If you want to increase the chances of successful marriage, get involved with pre-marital counseling in your area. My parents did this for four years, counseling couples before they would get married to make sure they knew what they were getting into and to think about the different challenges it will present. Marie and I went through it as well and we both found it to be beneficial. Marriage is not "dating+", it's a commitment to another person, through thick and thin, forever. FOREVER. And there's nothing to say that two people of the same sex can't have that level of commitment to each other - they've never even been given the chance.

Besides, I find the idea of a man and a ferret getting married to be adorable.

Comments

[mysti.livejournal.com]

I have absolutely no problem with gay people. In fact, most of my friends are gay. I do, however, have issue with gay marriage. And I simply have not found a way to properly convey my concerns to where the other person understands it.

It's a hard place to be, too. I'm absolutely for committed homosexual couples having benefits, the same as heterosexual families. And I'm happy that more and more companies are offering those to same-sex relationships.

This is making no sense, is it? I'm going to stop now. :-D

[twicketface.livejournal.com]

Is it the term 'marriage' that's the issue for you?

[mysti.livejournal.com]

I suppose that running with as many gay people as I do has torn me down the middle on the issue. Of all the gay people I know (and the number is pretty up there, mind you), only 2 have managed to make long term relationships work. I am one of the "sanctity protection" people. And my problem with it lies in the fact that yes, straight people cannot be trusted to protect the sanctity of marriage any longer. I'm not going to trust a bunch of gay people looking to make a point, too.

It sounds harsher than I mean it to. I just hate the state of relationships nowadays. People no longer work at them. And I think they're one of the most beautiful things we can work toward - a harmonious union. All of my gay friends stay committed for what they call "a hot minute" - which means until a better looking boy/girl asks for oral treatment in the bathroom at the club. It disheartens me to hear about incidents like that every 5 minutes.

Do you hate me? I'm pro-choice. Does that restore any measure of affection for me as a person? :-D

[twicketface.livejournal.com]

I think it's more an indication of society, as I know many straight people who are the same way. I guess I see it as incenting relationship-jumping in homosexuals by banning gay marriage. If you knew you couldn't ever be married, would you be as likely to commit to someone?

And I'd much rather have people who visit here with opposing viewpoints than preaching to the choir each time. I'm more than willing to admit when I'm not right (eek!) and think that we all exist in the search for truth. It's our duty to help others find truth via dialogue and experiences.

[mysti.livejournal.com]

I guess I can see valid points in both the "fors" and the "againsts." I'm constantly torn on every issue, because I'm a strange mix of extreme conservative and extreme liberal ideas and beliefs.

My family is from Texas. And southern Baptist/Assemblies of God. Know how fun that is? ;-) I'd say I'm doing well to not have turned out like them.

[twicketface.livejournal.com]

It must make for interesting dinner conversation :)

As long as you're thinking for yourself, it's all good.

[vivisectasch.livejournal.com]

All of my gay friends stay committed for what they call "a hot minute" ...

That just sounds like all your friends are immature and don't know what they want. Or maybe they DO know what they want ... some people are just like that.

But that's not an inherently gay trait.
It's an inherently human trait.

I agree with you 100% that people don't seem to really work at relationships anymore. Everything is so much more out in the open.

But, again, this has nothing to do with gay/straight.

[mysti.livejournal.com]

Oh, I agree that it's not an inherently gay trait. I didn't mean to fully imply that. And, it must be taken into account that I'm dealing primarily within the gay clubbing community. We know how mature any bar fly crowd is.

I suppose I don't know how to fully express my stance on this matter. I know what I mean, I just can't properly say what I mean.

[hexkitten.livejournal.com]

Of all the gay people I know (and the number is pretty up there, mind you), only 2 have managed to make long term relationships work.

I sometimes wonder if stuff like this is due to the fact that gays don't always have a lot of acceptance in society. I think they're constantly bearing the implication that you chose to be this way and should "be straight". Since they know this isn't a choice and can't conform, I think they're kind of bumbling and trying to make their own sort of rules. Does that make sense?

[htothem.livejournal.com]

I also think that growing up gay has to be a very difficult and often painful experience. I'd imagine one gets very used to rejection or at least the idea of being rejected, especially during any coming out phase. That's not particularly conducive to forming healthy long term relationships.

But, I think that's just heterosexism in action. If we weren't a homophobic culture, there could be a lot more stable gay relationships.

That being said, I know quite a few lesbians who have been together 10+ years.

[twicketface.livejournal.com]

I wonder if the current crop of shows with openly gay characters on them (Queer Eye, Queer as Folk, etc) is doing more harm than good, as they are promoting themselves solely based on the sexuality of the characters.

I think all too often people, as silly as it sounds, believe the stereotypes of television until they learn otherwise, if they ever do. So if you grow up believing that gay people are a certain way without ever having met one, it's like homophobia is almost inevitable.

[htothem.livejournal.com]

I love Queer As Folk. It's a bunch of hot guys making out. It's better than internet porn! Even though the shows aren't representing homosexuality realistically yet, we've still come a long way.

There are a ton of things that I only know about from watching TV. E.g. police investigations, dead bodies, what a car exploding looks like, what gunfire looks like, how a trial goes, etc. I think that's a very valid argument.

I went through a phase where I thought it was really normal for women to keep a shirt on during sex. I wondered if I was being odd by not doing that. Then I realized that only women on TV or in the movies do that because they don't want the world to see their breastests.

I was president of the gay club at my college.

[twicketface.livejournal.com]

I think that progress is being made, but not at the rate in which I expected for the 21st century.

But then again, I'm still pissed that we don't have personal jetpacks yet.

And *I* want to see their breastests!