Prop 8 Passed. We take a step back.

Last night Proposition 8 was passed in California. For those who havent heard of Prop 8 it was to ban gay marriage.

This is some of the most disgusting news I have ever heard. I always thought growing up that we were so much ahead of the fifties and sixties because we accept people for their differences and we let them live out there lives, I thought we had learned from the reckless hate and idiotic segregation of the past hundred or so years.

I was proven wrong when I found that prop 8 had passed and a new type of segregation would live on in the place of the segregation against black America.

I dont understand why people have to be so narrow minded, prop 8 might of well have been called jim crow and it still would have passed.

I am disgusted with my home state and our concept of freedom and equality.

That's too bad.

I'd have thought California would have been one place where this could have been more acceptable. I guess sterotypes just don't fit anymore.

One day the human race will evolve beyond our petty differences and we'll look back and laugh at the antiquated notion of marriage only being between a man and a woman.

The sanctity of marriage has become more about the legal protection afforded me through a piece of paper endorsed by the state. Or if I were gay, the lack thereof.

What about civil unions?

I don't see any signs saying "No Gays" so I hardly see it as segregation. True it is wrong to deny someone a piece of paper saying they love someone else.

Personally, being a straight man, I love gay men. Because for every gay man out there, there's 2 more women for me I hope that someday people will not be persecuted for who they choose to love.

This is what democracy brings... I thought you would know that.

On the same night, people claimed that it was a brilliant new era for democracy when Obama was elected. This is true in many ways of course.

But what about when Obama enacts an AWB. Or when he raises taxes on the rich minority simply because he can?

Why is it OK for the will of the majority to be imposed in those cases, but when the majority express their distaste towards gay marriage, their opinion is suddenly chided as fascist and bigoted?

You cant have it both ways. Either protect all minority interests from the crushing weight of the majority (including racial, socio-economic, geographic etc differences); or embrace democracy in total and don't spew venom when the majority strike down any minority group.

My first thought is that this vote reflects the Latino culture that is so prominent in your state. My impression is that Latinos, as a group, are more reticent to accept people who are openly gay than non-Latinos.
Its a shame at any rate. Very backward. I was very happy to hear Obama's inclusive remarks towards "gay and straight" people; that they are both a part of the American reality he supports.
To people in California who are gay and wish to marry, please don't give up the fight. Your time will come too. I hope this is only a temporary setback.

I'm so sorry...

Gay equality is at that stage of "stops and starts" that precedes real movement. There are a couple states that have gay equal rights, but sadly, most are not ready to take the step. Fear motivates them to resist movement. But, 2 steps forward and one step back is many times the way it starts.

California has just experienced a "one step back", but it's not over. That's not the end of movement toward a more equal America. "Civil Unions" may be the pathway to true equality. It may not be ideal, but if it works to move the roadblocks, then it's a tool that should be employed.

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It saddens me to hear this news! I'm not gay, hell I don't even understand the attraction. For that matter I'm not so sure I get the whole marriage thing, but shouldn't common since tell us that if a piece of paper offers security, comfort, and peace of mind to the people involved, then they should have it? Why is stripping the rights of people who are different from the majority so important? And, I'm really curious why some think that marriage between two people of the same sex is in anyway a threat to strait marriage.

I'm so sorry to hear that. A dear friend of mine and his fiance were making plans to move to CA so they could get married - they just found a place to live.

I would love to say we'll move past all this nonsense one day, but it just seems like we're moving further and further in the wrong direction

This is discrimination and segregation because without the marriage license gay couples, regardless of how long they've been together are being denied the rights given to hetero couples such as visitation rights, adoption, inheritance, power of attorney etc.

Just because it's illegal to stop gay people from eating at the same dinner or drinking from the same water fountain does not mean that denying gay people a simple and fundamental right is not discrimination and segregation.

Looks like hypocrisy is the way we're kicking off Obama's "Historical election", big surprise there.

reply to post by Shadowflux

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Marriage and adoption rights are not sacrosanct natural rights.

Nobody has an automatic right to marry or adopt.

What does one have to do to "gain" the right to marry?

What is their fundemental right? Their right is based soley on what type of sex they have. Can you prove they are a different race of people, no.

I say give them the right to be in a union and then make them sign a contract agreeing to shut the hell up for good. Dont call it marrige, call it...[SNIP]...lol.

Mod edit: Removed offensive wording.

[edit on 5-11-2008 by Gemwolf]

As it stands, apply for a license to marry. At least as far as I'm aware...
Its even more overt with adoption; every adopter has to be vetted.

Dont get me wrong, I have no opposition to people doing whatever they please, but for the time being democracy has suggested that gay marriage is not an acceptable proposition.

I accept that decision as much as I accept that Obama has a mandate for whatever change he wishes to enact.

Say what you want, when you reduce homosexuality to it's simplest form, it is about SEX! Open the door to gay marriage and I say why not open it to polygamy.

And ignorance? If you prefer to have gay sex and believe you should be afforded special rights for so, then open the door baby, because it shouldn't stop with you! Equal rights for all... Yes even farmers!




*snip*

[edit on 11/5/2008 by TheRooster]

Offensive link removed

[edit on 11/6/2008 by Badge01]

They may not be God given natural rights but denying those rights to some while giving them to others is blatant inequality, bias and totally un-American.

If we were to suddenly say that black people are no longer allowed to get married or adopt there would be riots in the street.

I can't possibly see a justification for the denying of rights to gay people that isn't homophobic or religiously based.

NO WORRIES...Obama is now president. If you noticed in his VICTORY speech, he mentioned --Gay,Straight, we are one people, one nation. It wont be long till we all get back to the REAL constitution where ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL.