SPLIT--> California's Proposition 8 on Same-Sex Marriage

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i want to know -- what is it that freaks people out so much?

Truly? I think straight people are terrified that their kids will be gay. Terrified. I think they think that if gay people are around their kids, their kids will think being gay is acceptable. And those kids will be more likely to come out if they are indeed gay, instead of closeting themselves and living a life of misery.
 
I think the people are terrified because they think people can be taught to be gay. That acceptance means their kids will think "might try it myself". People don't believe in the biology of the situation.
 
Truly? I think straight people are terrified that their kids will be gay. Terrified. I think they think that if gay people are around their kids, their kids will think being gay is acceptable. And those kids will be more likely to come out if they are indeed gay, instead of closeting themselves and living a life of misery.




straight people: what is so awful -- or, what do you think other straight people think is so awful -- about having a gay child?

be honest.
 
straight people: what is so awful -- or, what do you think other straight people think is so awful -- about having a gay child?

be honest.

Nothing. I've thought my own brother was in the closet for years, he just got married 2 years ago but I'm not convinced. My sister and I still have major doubts.
 
straight people: what is so awful -- or, what do you think other straight people think is so awful -- about having a gay child?

be honest.

I think, in a way, it's a vicious cycle. They fear for their kids being gay because gays still are unaccepted in many ways. So, they vote in ways that keep gays unaccepted, in hopes that their kids will never be exposed to it and will, thus, not be gay.

The problem is that, in the "Yes on 8" voting group, almost everyone in it is uneducated on homosexuality and gay rights. They are being led by a few bigots at the top who actually understand the issues and still allow their bigotry to prevail, to the point where they are comfortable with using scare tactics and deception to move the uninformed into their voting group.
 
For God's sake, it's just a word! So homosexuals can have the same rights as straight married couples, only instead of calling it marriage, it's called a civil union. That will never make sense to me. It's the exact same thing, except that one word!


It's the exact same thing, except that one word. And herein lies the argument.

My dad and I agree and both voted no on Prop 8. However, last night he said to me, "It's just semantics." And I said no, it's not just semantics. You can't say it's "the exact same thing, except" because then it's NOT the same thing. By not being able to call it marriage, you're declaring that it's different and it shouldn't be.
 
The problem is that, with people like INDY who are for civil unions but against gay marriage, they'd rather gays have no marriage rights at all than allow them to have marriage.
 
straight people: what is so awful -- or, what do you think other straight people think is so awful -- about having a gay child?

be honest.


To me: I would worry that he would be treated like shit by people. That would be my concern, my only concern. It wouldn't be awful; it would just add another layer onto the usual parental fears.
 
straight people: what is so awful -- or, what do you think other straight people think is so awful -- about having a gay child?

be honest.

When my sister in law first came out, I think her mom was initially disappointed because it shattered an image of her little girl one day walking down an aisle in a white dress, getting married. I also think she was sad because she knew how hard it would be for her (my S-I-L) in our society. She was in the Air Force at the time and we know how that is. Ultimately she came out there and was discharged due to don't ask don't tell. It was a very difficult time for her and it was hard for her mom to watch her going through this. So for my mother in law, I think her aversion was more that she didn't want her daughter to have a difficult life.

My father in law on the other hand, while he loves his daughter very much, has moral issues with it, I think. He's very conservative and he had a more difficult time accepting it. I think both of them however, just want the best for their daughter and being gay in our culture, while more universally accepted, is still difficult and it's hard to see your child suffer.

For some, a woman who's granddaughter plays soccer with my daughter for example, it's just immoral, against the bible, not normal, etc. and she just thinks it's wrong. She was very supportive of prop 8 because she didn't want homosexuality taught in schools. And parents I think don't want their children looked at funny. Think about the stereotypes and what that comes with. You look at a lesbian like Portia De Rossi, who looks just like a supermodel and compare her to a very "butch" looking lesbian and you'll see that people or a parent would probably be more accepting of the "pretty" lesbian because she looks like she's "supposed" to, she looks like a girl. The same for the gay man with the feminine voice.

Honestly, for the parent that will accept their gay child and love them no matter what, the disappointment comes from knowing that life's road might be made more difficult for their child because they're gay. For the parent that has a moral aversion to homosexuality, I think the disappointment comes from that. They might still love their child, but can not accept the lifestyle as anything more than a sin. "Love the sinner, hate the sin".

I'm so far on the accepting side, that it's hard to fathom a different opinion, but anyway, this is just my 2 cents.
 
what do they mean when they say that "homosexuality will be taught in schools"?

i have no idea what that means.
 
She bought into the argument that if gay marriage was legal then our second graders school books that now show kids and families of all colors, would now have to have a family with two mommies or two daddies and she didn't want that.
 
what do they mean when they say that "homosexuality will be taught in schools"?

i have no idea what that means.

I believe it means that teachers will note that it exists. I believe their ultimate desire is that it isn't mentioned at all, and they think this is one outlet of doing so.
 
Marriage is HIGHLY overrated. Except in extremely rare circumstances.
At least as far as I can tell.

Must be a sign of the apocalypse that I agree with you. I'll keep an eye out for the Four Horsemen.

That said though, gays and lesbians should have the basic human right to find that out for themselves. ;)
 
Must be a sign of the apocalypse that I agree with you. I'll keep an eye out for the Four Horsemen.

That said though, gays and lesbians should have the basic human right to find that out for themselves. ;)

Agreed, they should be as miserable as the rest of us....

uh-oh....:madwife:
 
what do they mean when they say that "homosexuality will be taught in schools"?

i have no idea what that means.

I was really confused about this as well. I went through the public school system and graduated in 2007, and we were never "taught" about homosexuality in a formal context. I mean, at that point, people aren't stupid and know it exists, but it's not like teachers were up there comparing and contrasting homosexuality and heterosexuality. :shrug:
 
True - which is why it was a ridiculous argument and denied vehemently by the State Superintendent of Schools.
 
Agreed, they should be as miserable as the rest of us....

uh-oh....:madwife:

I got rid of the dead weight years ago, I'm perfectly happy. ;)

In all seriousness though, I'll bet that gays and lesbians will considerably bring down the divorce rate, at least for a couple of generations, until they learn to take it for granted the way many of the rest of us do.
 
straight people: what is so awful -- or, what do you think other straight people think is so awful -- about having a gay child?

be honest.

I wouldn't care for one second about having a gay child.

I would love and support them just like I do for anything else.
 
what do they mean when they say that "homosexuality will be taught in schools"?

i have no idea what that means.

The commercials that were played showed a field trip to a gay marriage ceremony. I don't know what the circumstances were but it had to be taken out of context. Schools don't just take kids on field trips randomly they're pretty pre programmed and based on curriculum that has been approved in my experience. They hardly have time to teach math let alone marriage.
 
It was a charter school in SF, the guy was their teacher, it was at lunchtime (?), and the parents gave their full consent.

But, you know that one incident (that was completely okay with the kids' parents) means that the gays will take over and teach all of the kids how to become gay! :wink:
 
The commercials that were played showed a field trip to a gay marriage ceremony. I don't know what the circumstances were but it had to be taken out of context. Schools don't just take kids on field trips randomly they're pretty pre programmed and based on curriculum that has been approved in my experience. They hardly have time to teach math let alone marriage.

It was their first grade teacher's wedding and the field trip was organized by the PARENTS. Every child had to have a permission slip and only a few parents opted to not have their child participate.

On the other hand, the No on 8 campaign did not get permission from any of the parents before they showed the footage and a few of the parents demanded they edit their kids out of the commercial or stop showing it. I believe one parent was actually the principal of the school the 1st graders attend.
 
The ironic thing for me is that with the publicity garnered from this ballot initiative, plus the overall gay rights fight, the issue of gay marriage remains in the media spotlight, thus becoming more visible for all, including children.

If we would just extend to gays and lesbians the same rights that straight people have, then the issue will eventually go onto the back burner and become like everything else that we don't give a second thought to.
 
Olbermann is going to deliver a special comment on this subject on Monday night. :up:

Good for him for taking up the cause.
 
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