The World Beyond BetterMost > Anything Goes
Same-Sex Marriage Issue in MA
Impish:
--- Quote from: Aussie Chris on April 16, 2006, 06:23:05 am --- I don't know if it's the idea of getting married or simply that I want to be allowed to if I was lucky enough to meet someone that I felt that way about.
--- End quote ---
Right! If laws were passed tomorrow that allowed me to marry, I wouldn't be ready to as I'm not in a relationship right now. For those who are in a committed same-sex relationship, some would choose to marry and some would not.... in other words, we'd have the same options heterosexuals do.
Lynne:
Bill, Chris...
Thank you guys for posting on this topic. I have a confession to make [hiding head in shame], but I've been so quiet lately because i have been CHEATING...just sew a scarlet 'A' on me now!
In my search for relevant Movie Resources info, I made my way over to www.davecullen.com/forums and there is just a wealth of thoughtful posts on many subjects of relevance. As usual with a forum of that size, there's a lot of nonsense to wade through, but there are also many considered folk with practical life experience contributing to the discussions. The two topics that really grabbed my interest there were related to the gay marriage issue and the general idea of defining homophobia - how to keep the discussion constructive without language that is inherently divisive. If you're not over there yet, I would recommend the occasional visit. [Phillip smites me now ;-0] Dave Cullen, some moderators, and several active posters have ideas that have certainly helped to broaden my own understanding. There's some discussion of civil unions vs. marriage and whether the movement pushed for too much/too soon with calling it 'marriage'.
I heard elsewhere that the majority of Americans think homosexuals SHOULD have equal rights/protections as heterosexuals which is a 180-degree reversal from 20 years ago. I don't have specific details, but the source was an audiobook by Jimmy Carter, which I've been listening to on my commute. His latest non-fiction book is about the U.S. losing it's moral center. He talks a lot about the hijacking of the Republican party by the religious right who have furthered their cause by focusing on the most divisive social issues to the exclusion of issues that he feels should be forefront in the political debate. This is juxtaposed with his split from the Southern Baptist Convention and aligned with his evangelical Christian beliefs. I've always felt an affinity with him. As a 9 year old, I made my Dad change the channel so I could watch the debates/coverage of the 1976 elections...
And, Bill...my copy of Covering should be on its way from amazon.
-Lynne
Aussie Chris:
--- Quote from: Lynne on April 18, 2006, 04:28:20 am ---Thank you guys for posting on this topic. I have a confession to make [hiding head in shame], but I've been so quiet lately because i have been CHEATING...just sew a scarlet 'A' on me now!
--- End quote ---
Aawww... well ok then. As long as you don't abandon us entirely? I'd love to have enough time to traverse the two sites, but egads I already spend so many hours here!!! ;)
As far as civil union versus marriage question, I don't care what it's called as long as it has the same legal and social significance as "marriage". In my mind, the easiest way that happens is to simply call it marriage and be done with it. But of course "easiest" doesn't always mean "fastest".
Impish:
I just now had the conversation I described above when someone from the gas company came to check why my gas meter is acting so funny.
He said, "Wow, your wife certainly keeps a clean house!" obviously testing me.
I said "I'm a gay man and I'm not allowed to marry."
He took it in stride, just "Oh" and changed the subject, and he remained friendly and cheerful.
I hope he'll repeat our conversation to his wife or co-workers... even if as the butt of a joke. It will at least make people aware that the issue is affecting individual lives.
As for the "civil union" or "marriage" debate, I find that those in the straight community supporting "civil unions" rather than "marriage" don't really want us to have the all the same legal rights and privileges that marriage would provide us. I worry that some in the gay community don't realize that.
So I'm with Chris on this: if I were sure that civil unions were legally identical to marriages, I wouldn't care what they call it. But I'm convinced that there's a reason behind wanting to rename our relationships, so that the government would not have to treat them identically. :(
Impish:
--- Quote from: Lynne on April 18, 2006, 04:28:20 am ---And, Bill...my copy of Covering should be on its way from amazon.
-Lynne
--- End quote ---
Cool! Let me know what you think...
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