Open Thread: Dec 4, 2009

What is it about gay marriage that scares so many people? Are they afraid that we might just do it better? Better yet, do you think that people will realize that we are just as normal as straight people?



Comments [10]

Joanne Robertson's picture

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MacLass_19's picture

Oh my...

"Better yet, do you think that people will realize that we are just as normal as straight people?"

Did you just say 'normal' ??   Shock

I aspire to be as far from normal as possible... LMAO

Not2Taem's picture

The Algebraic Principle of Sexual Equality

If we are just like them, then they could be just like us. YIKES!

Complex thinking has always given some folks a headache.

TheInsomniac's picture

I agree with Rusty...

...that most younger people are less afraid of same-sex marriage and the laws will probably change favorably over time.

I think the homophobia of older and religious people is ultimately rooted in the even older prejudice of misogyny.

This is a huge over-simplification but basically a marriage between two men implies that one of them will willingly subject himself to the "female" position in sex, etc. and therefore challenges the "natural" order of male supremacy.

Fear of a marriage between two women has less to do with sex (since they can't have "real" sex ) and more to do with the ancient fear that groups of "hysterical" women will cause chaos if their is no man to control them.

I don't think either is going away anytime soon but I'd like to believe that as more women occupy public positions of power successfully, the fears will diminish. Until then, I will be revelling in divine CHAOS!!!

Insomniac

Rusty's picture

Liver spots and dentures

Once the old farts die off it will pass pretty quickly. Age (and religion) are the best predictors of how people will vote on marriage equality.

It's funny that civil unions seem so ho hum today. Even the mormans support them. I doubt it was more than 10 years ago that no one was even thinking about marriage equality because civil unions were so controversial.

From a tactical standpoint "civil unions first" might not be a bad idea. That's the Brown v Board of Ed model. The NAACP did not start out with cases to de-segregate public schools at the elementary school level. That was too scary for white folks. They started with law school (Sweatt v. Painter , 339 U.S. 629 (1950)) and then graduate schools (McLaurin v. Oklahoma State Regents, 339 U.S. 637 (1950)) to make the case that separate but equal was not equal.

"When you look for the bad in mankind expecting to find it, you surely will." ~ Pollyanna

Tex's picture

Several reasons...

Bigotry - groups/people that voice the most opposition are groups that do not offer equal rights to all of their members (race, gender, etc) and are not accepting of the beliefs of similar groups/people

Political - Liberal

Economics - all entities will have to afford the exact samebenefits/employment to all

Ignorance - preconceived/learned notions

Fear - there are more homosexuals in this country than the 5%, ones that will not profess themselves due to fear

Control - keep minorities silent and ineffective

which brings us to:

Religious - all of the above

 

 

Twitter Time @kdhales

yonks's picture

Maybe they want to preserve

Maybe they want to preserve us from the hell they trap themselves into?

just kidding

-Do not follow me, I'M LOST-

camomileroses's picture

the bible says i can be an unwed lesbian mom!

yeah!  they seem to wanna protect our freedoms!  y'know, freedom from divorce,  freedom from dying in afghanistan, freedom from having a roof over our heads, freedom from making money, freedom from wearing a frock.  and, funny thing, but they actually let me be free from the freedom of not having children, cuz i got to adopt one as an open lesbian!  weird.i guess the bible says it's ok for me to be an unwed lesbian mother!

btw, g'morning, you aromatic boi toi!   

"there will never be a technology more advanced than the human mind - fully engaged in the divine process of being. technology is a tool not a destination." me.

yonks's picture

Not to talk about our freedom

Not to talk about our freedom of being imprison in Uganda.

Bonjour you Smile

-Do not follow me, I'M LOST-

Steph's picture

I think part of the reason

I think part of the reason the Civil Partnership Bill passed here without much hullabaloo is because it's called a "Civil Partnership" - it's called something different so the bigots can satisfy themselves that it's "not marriage".  Is that a compromise?  Yes, probably, but in legal terms it pretty much is the same and most gay people who have done the deed do refer to themselves as "married". 

(I personally have no issue with using the CP term - as long as my GF is my legal next of kin, that's all that matters to me.... (which she would be if we were actually Civil Partnered..... must get that sorted!!!))