The San Antonio city council is getting ready to vote on a bill that would extend health care and other benefits to domestic partners of city employees—a move that 
would shift away from current Texas state law, which opposes any extension of benefits to domestic partners.
According to station KENS 5 in San Antonio, the change would cost about $300,000 a year—or “less than 1/10th of 1% of the city’s budget”—but that’s not stopping right-wing protesters from trying to block the bill.
…A local group calling itself “Voices for Marriage” protested the proposed change on Monday outside city hall. The group, citing religious views and current state law, opposes any extension of benefits to domestic partnerships.
Pastor Gerald Ripley issued a “fact sheet” to those in attendance, listing 14 reasons why the group opposes the change. The document said, “We believe marriage is a legally binding relationship between one man and one woman” and “a vote for domestic partner benefits is a vote against upholding the institution of marriage”.
How long before these people start saying that just allowing gay people to walk around and breathe the same air is against traditional marriage?
To his credit, San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro dismissed the group’s concerns as a “smokescreen for their dislike of gays and lesbians.” He smartly couches it as a business decision: Adding domestic-partner benefits will make San Antonio more competitive in terms of landing gay-friendly corporations and top LGBT talent.
How about we take this to the next level?
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In other words, “It’s the economy stupid.”
slanty
I bet they had 13 reasons ready and then bumped it up to 14 when they saw how many they had. You know how superstitious Christians are.
Jim Hlavac
Um, many of the crazies have already said allowing gays to walk around and breathe is against traditional marriage and well, just against everything — that’s why Bryan Brown, Rick Santorum, Rick Perry, Tony Perkins and others of this ilk are calling for making even our so much as cuddling a federal felony. And a nut job named Linda Harvey wants to just shut down all the gay bars; so we can’t even meet each other (as if we only do that in bars; the moron.)
Many of these loons are quite intent to bring in the police state, arrest us all, and incarcerate us all together at an untold cost of billions of dollars and a greater cost in inhumanity — they will call this punishment — and we will call it the weirdest “Club Ted” ever devised by the folly of man.
TMikel
Is there actually some sanity in Texas? God knows they have enough members of the LGBT community though why anyone would choose to live in Rick Perry’s benighted state is beyond me.
Jim Hlavac
@TMikel: Well, the mayor of Houston is a lesbian, married for 20+ years, and there’s some fine places all over the state — and there’s the same sort of nuts jobs in every state — to which then do you suggest we all move to? Yours?
Of course, in my more radical moments I think we should all move to Florida south of Gainsville, declare it a Gay Republic, secede from the Union (oh, I think they’ll let us go,) and be done with it. Think, “Speedolandia” and the um, shape of things to come.
slanty
@TMikel: I’ve heard from friends that some of the large cities in Texas are gay-friendly. Still, I would never go there personally.
Jose R.
Good for San Antonio and Mayor Julian Castro. They have compassion, common sense and a rational thinking mind! It’s true. My partner and I ONLY travel to areas and parts of the country that A.) recognize some benefits for same sex couples. Period. We figure if our relationship and love is not good enough for them, neither is our money. ALL our lesbian and gay friends think and do the same. They only spend where they know it’s gay friendly and at the very least forward on gay rights. And yes, we have the money to spend….the gay community has the money to spend. So the economy of the argument in favor of extending gay rights, is not a dumb one to make. For MANY gay individuals…they only shop where they are appreciated and they know it’s a welcoming gay friendly environment.
New York City has us and 2 other gay couples we have as friends for an entire two weeks of spending, fun and sight seeing thanks to the rightful passage in NY.
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Hmmm… “The cost of extending benefits to domestic partners… is less than one-tenth of 1 percent of the city’s budget”. Do homeowners want to continue paying higher property taxes to provide free health care for the uninsured? Pastor Gerald Ripley: “We believe marriage is a legally binding relationship between one man and one woman”… “a vote for domestic partner benefits is a vote against upholding the institution of marriage”. Should government enforce the views of a particular religious group? Mayor Julian Castro: “There are not going to be any second class citizens in San Antonio.” Is Relationship Orientation a Requirement for Citizenship?