Sure, while running for the Illinois Senate in 1996, Barack Obama stated he was for same-sex marriage. But he’s said nothing since then to suggest he wants marriage equality. In fact, his official stance is marriage is for one man and one woman. So why do his supporters think deep down, behind the political speak that apparently runs the risk of offending some, rests a man whose convictions have him supporting marriage rights for gays and lesbians? When Obama’s official position is no more pro-equality than, say, John McCain’s, why does anyone believe Obama is more in favor of gay marriage than Republicans who say they are not? New Republic‘s James Kirchick:
People cannot conceive that such a cosmopolitan and eloquent man as Obama would disagree with them on an issue that they consider a no-brainer.
This is convenient for liberals because it allows them to deflect blame from politicians they like onto those they don’t, namely conservatives, the sincerity of whose opposition to same-sex marriage they never challenge. If only Republicans desisted in their homophobia, this narrative goes, justifiably timid liberals would come out of their closets of prevarication, so to speak, and support gay marriage unambiguously.
Framing gay rights as a strictly partisan issue also allows liberals to obscure the awkward fact that while they are more likely than conservatives to support same-sex marriage, a key Democratic constituency, African Americans, overwhelmingly opposes it.
Obama’s history on the issue does have a complicating twist. On a 1996 Illinois Senate race questionnaire, Obama (or more likely a staffer) wrote, “I favor legalizing same-sex marriages, and would fight efforts to prohibit such marriages.” Liberals take from this revelation the assumption that Obama’s apparent flip was insincere.
M Shane
That’s a stupid peace of political rhetoric, which sounds like something that Carl Rove dreamt up. Queerty , you’ve really pulled your skirts this time.
Best Short answer: Republicans hate gays altogether and would put us all in jail if they got the chance. They are the base of all this Family Values crap. They rely for their voter base on the Christian Right.
Obama never said that he was for “marriage” but for Civil Unions. He has repeatedly pleaged is support for gays and performed token things thusfar. In a country that is largely Right wing, and considering that he has to satiate the Black Christains to save face, he can only go as far as Congress lets him in reversing DOMA and creating as many rights as possible. He is not about to take on those issues and alienate everyone until he gets some otherthings done.
So ask a stupid question and you’ll just get an answer inclusive of what confusions you contribute.
unclemike
I absolutely am convinced that he is not interested in marriage equality as a cause, but I also firmly believe that if congress removed DOMA or if SCOTUS ruled in favor of marriage equality, he would not fight against it.
InExile
Actions speak louder than words. This man’s actions do not match his words, so here we are with nothing happening for equality from the White House. Would John McCain be worse than Obama, I am not so sure? Of coarse there would be no cocktail parties, no awards for Harvey Milk and so on, but would it make a difference as far as true progress for gay people? Cocktail parties and awards are nice but they are not equal rights.
InExile
@M Shane: Why has Obama NEVER mentioned Civil Unions since elected? I would be happy with just Civil Unions with the Federal Rights but he has not taken a leadership position on his own promise.
SM
@InExile:
If Obama started preaching about “civil unions” how the heck are you going to win back “marriage” in California?
B.
Something to keep in mind about Obama’s apparent foot dragging.
1. He’s trying to get health care passed.
2. There’s a chance that the Republicans would use any gay-rights legislation as an excuse for a diversion to block programs they don’t like, and the Republicans have actively exploited homophobia in several recent elections.
3. Getting health-care through is time critical – we may not have a Democratic majority two years from now and slowing it down when things are aligning so that there is actually a chance that we might get something passed will give the Republicans more time to figure out how to block it.
4. The best time to get gay-rights legislation through is when there is not something important to all of us going on that the Republicans really want to stop. The Republicans are unprincipled and are more likely to oppose gay rights when there is a tactical reason involving diverting attention from other issues.
Obama’s been in office for less than 7 months. He has to prioritize issues because he can’t do everything at once and some things are more likely to get done if they are done before the expected opposition can figure out a good way to gum up the works.
Given him a little more time. If they won’t do anything once health care is out of the way, complain then.
AlwaysGay
In 1996 Obama didn’t have children. After he had kids his relationship with his wife changed, at that point her career took a backseat to his and she became the primary caregiver. Having children changes heterosexuals outlook (to a more traditional setup if they weren’t that way to begin with). Obama might have become more restrictive as a result of the changes. You will notice that heterosexuals’ opinion of gay people decline sharply when they are 28-38 years old, the time most are raising children.
The study “The Gender belief system, authoritarianism, social dominance orientation, and heterosexuals’ attitudes toward lesbians and gay men” explains anti-gay bigotry.
edgyguy1426
@M Shane: what? you didn’t read N0. 6 in his questionnaire in the link? “I favor legalizing same-sex MARRIAGE and would fight efforts to prohibit such marriages”
edgyguy1426
@B.: but there will ALWAYS be something in our way…you’re right about the Dem majority in 2 years.. would you say waiting for a smaller majority will make it more likely/less likely to get our civil rights. Because if getting our civil rights is inversely proportionate to the Dem majority, then we might as well wait for another GOP takeover. Umm, that last part was sarcasm for those of you who failed to get the humor gene.
wondermann
@B.: great point
wondermann
@InExile: You’re wrong, he has mentioned civil unions. I’m not going to find it for you, you need to.
M Shane
No. 4 · InExile I don’t think that it should be of any suprise to most gay people that the Marriage/Civil Unions issue will be a very very difficult fight for Obama. I agree with Uncle Mike (above that his heart is in the right place.
However, anyone with any knowledge or savy about political logistics should realise that he is not going to give the enemies of gay interests any more time to arm themselves
against moves before they happen.
ESPECIALLY when he has a few really critical fires in the iron which would without any doubt be jeapordised if the religious right was to deny him anything if he was to make showboat a declaration of intent at this stage. You have to ask yourselves if you want healthcare and the environment
primarily to take a hit first and them additionally for the Right to have time to build momentum to colapse his entire program.
It is naive to believe that this is not a house of cards for him and that the difficulties are greater than the advantages in seeking such legislation.
The fact is, logistically, if he has wins on these other fronts I would think that it will push public backing to his side.
Why can’t he do all this at once. Because as in Bridge or any game requireing strategy, you play your cards at the right time or you may as well not play them at all.
I think he , as a representative of the people will get what he can. He had the most liberal record of any legislator in the senate. I believed in him because most of the most savy liberal writers, e.g. Naomi Klein and N. Wolf etc,. backed him.
Schteve
If Obama truly opposed same-sex marriage deep down, I could see him opposing DOMA on that whole “interfering with states’ rights” front, but then he wouldn’t dream of calling it “wrong” and “discriminatory”. It’s only discriminatory if you think gay couples should marry. Duh.
That said, I think the quoted article brings up an interesting issue. If Obama can support marriage equality in his heart of hearts but eschew it publicly, why can’t the same be true of Republicans? Sure, many of them might actually hate The Gays completely, but does it occur to anyone that others might actually be in favor of it, just unable to express their opinions because of their staunchly conservative constituents? I mean, there ARE Republicans who’ve voted in favor of it in those states whose legislatures passed same-sex marriage bills.
Rob
@B.: I don’t accept this explanation of the Democrats’ delays. A large majority of Americans support repeal of DADT. A large majority of Americans support legislation protecting gay people from discrimination in employment. (There’s even greater support for legislation protecting gays from discrimination in housing, but for reasons beyond my grasp, such legislation is not on the table at the Federal level). How, exactly, would the Republicans use a bill that has broad public support to prevent health care legislation from passing?
Brian Miller
He’s a politician. If the polls showed a supermajority demanded gay marriage, he’d make sure a DOMA-repealing bill was passed as quickly as the TARP legislation (which had less than 25% popular support but passed within 72 hours — so much for the “building support takes time” argument).
If a majority of Americans wanted to execute gay people, Obama would call for a compassionate execution scheme where gays “feel no pain,” and his partisans would be praising his compassion and dignity for gays.
The real fools aren’t those who are skeptical of a slimy two-faced politician — it’s the people who thought this hard-fisted Chicago machine politico who got on to the ballot by using dirty tricks to knock off his rival is somehow going to “change and elevate Washington politics.”
You might as well believe that you can look 30 years younger by rubbing expensive chemicals from a jar on your face, or get a Queerty Morning Goods body by using a Bowflex just twice a week for 20 minutes a day, or that your bank cares about you and wants to help you with your mortgage. Gullible, gullible, gullible.
hand
good article. the dishonest dems are terrible.
vote for politicians who will actually represent your interests
SM
@Brian Miller:
Wow…Obama has said over and over what it will take to change Washington and it was not him. Learn to listen.
Obama gave you a chance at the Democratic process again. Learn to use or go to another country.
SM
The good, the bad, and the ugly. Obama made over 500 Campaign Promises to different Americans.
Track them. Anyone who thought going to the polls and electing Obama would solve their problems without work is living in a fairy tale world. Our Founding Fathers did not set up this country up to exist by voting on campaign promises every 4 years. Anyone who thought Obama could change the political climate in Washington alone and in 6 months is insane. That place is a political war zone.
Obama’s Campaign Promises.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/
Name (required)
My husband and I don’t see our selves supporting Obama in 2012. He can keep his cocktail parties, awards and oh beer parties. He really hasn’t done anything for health care or the economy. Oh I know, he’s only been in office for 200 days, but he needs to stop campaigning and having his numerous press conferences and vacations and sit in his office and get something DONE.
Harriet N
Maybe Obama is just trying to underscore his African-American credentials by opposing gay marriage.
InExile
Why do people judge Obama on what he may or may not have in his heart? Do any on you even know if this man has a heart? Thus far he seems like someone out for himself and himself alone.
Why do his promises like the repeal of DOMA drop off his website? Why has he not given a speech on civil rights like the one he did on racism? He said he would immediately start the process to repeal DADT once elected (on day one), he has not. He campaigned on the platform of civil unions with full federal benefits but has failed to mention the issue at all.
The actions do not match the words period. Faith is for people that live their life based on religion, not reality.
SM
Some of you all crack me up. One day you will wake up and realize you have someone on your side living in the White House. Obama has even set up your precious Hillary to be President after him if she wants. Secretary of State means foreign policy experience no Republican can beat. First lady, US Senator, Secretary of State.
You all have tunnel vision instead of help your President vision.
TANK
@SM:
Why don’t you stick to what you do best, SM? Gaining weight.
SM
@TANK:
You just can’t stand the fact that I refuse to live my life being a negative person 24 hours a day like you. I also don’t let the Religious Right have so much power over me that it turns me into a bitter, assclown.
No weight gain here. Yea!
TANK
@SM:
Shut up, fatass.
TANK
If only gay rights could be decided in an eating competition, sm. That is literally the only way you could do something for us–by eating your way to our rights.
Andrew
“Civil Unions” sound a lot like “back of the bus.” Obama couldn’t possibly suggest that? Could he?
duttybarb
In case you were wondering my position on this, here it is: Obama is not our real president. He was born in Burkina Faso. He is also cursed by God. See 2 Nephi 5:21. He is an evil socialist. But at least he isn’t gay.
TANK
@duttybarb:
You’re a birther? That’s the cherry that tops the shit sundae that you are… LMAO!
B.
edgyguy1426 wrote, “but there will ALWAYS be something in our way…you’re right about the Dem majority in 2 years.. would you say waiting for a smaller majority will make it more likely/less likely to get our civil rights. Because if getting our civil rights is inversely proportionate to the Dem majority, then we might as well wait for another GOP takeover. Umm, that last part was sarcasm for those of you who failed to get the humor gene.”
I’ll refer people to
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/07/31/national/w165836D92.DTL
which notes that, “President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats are looking ahead to a health care showdown on the House floor in September following a key committee’s passage of sweeping overhaul legislation.”
I think we can wait two months to give higher priority to something as critical as health care. Then they can try to fix DOMA and DADT between Thanksgiving and Christmas, when the Republican base is distracted with shopping. 🙂
John Smith
Queerty said something nice about an article written by James Kirchick? It’s getting chilly down here in Hell.
Brian Miller
@SM:
Wow, you’re a great example of a deluded Obamabot, aren’t you?
Obama “gave me” nothing.
He did give JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Wachovia, US Bank, etc. trillions though. I guess that’s the “democracy” you’re talking about!
B.
Rob asked, “How, exactly, would the Republicans use a bill that has broad public support to prevent health care legislation from passing?”
What they’d do is to argue about it in the House and Senate. It doesn’t matter what they say, it’s the time spent on it that would be the problem. Just delaying things provides more time for the insurance companies to mount PR campaigns to try to kill health care legislation, so just delaying the vote helps them.
Remember the time scale – we are just talking about a couple of months. Meanwhile, I would hope that the generals have been told that DADT is on the way out and that they should take care of any necessary planning for training, policies, or whatever else they need to do to make it a success.
schlukitz
@TANK:
With DuttyBarb’s bigoted, homophobic views and the comment she just made about Obama, she would most certainly be disqualified from serving on a jury.
Yet, this same person is allow to vote.
Is that an enigma, or what?
schlukitz
@duttybarb:
In case you were wondering my position on this
We weren’t! We never think about you.
He is also cursed by God.
Izzattafactnow?
So how come all of you Christers, Baptists and Mormons voted for him?
schlukitz
@Brian Miller: @Brian Miller:
He did give JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Wachovia, US Bank, etc. trillions though. I guess that’s the “democracy” you’re talking about!
And that was right after the JP Morgan Chase fat cat CEOs bilked my retirement portfolio (read life savings) out of half of what was in it a year ago.
Is America a great place, or what?
youcanthandlethetruth
Obama has more more important priorities on his list than even thinking about redefining marriage for homosexuals.
And that list includes trying to build bridges with the Muslim world and winning re-election in 2012.
youcanthandlethetruth
@schlukitz: It’s time to make “Christer” a banned word, along with the “F” word and the “N” word.
After all homosexuals don’t have a monopoly on being offended.
Or do they?
Rob
@B.: Congress does most of its work in committee. It’s reasonable for the House Education and Labor committee to hold off discussing ENDA until there’s been a committee vote on health care. But the House committee that needs to be involved in DADT repeal is Armed Services. If the House Armed Services Committee were to get started on DADT repeal now, that would not in any way delay action on health care.
thomasAlex
He has only been in Office 8 months, slow down.
Dennis
@youcanthandlethetruth: #38
Tone it down drama queen…when is the last time a Christer was physically bashed or murdered by a gay person in this country because of their religious beliefs? Name it, when? Where are all the bashed and murdered Christians, this epidemic of violence against your fellow sheep?
You can claim your desired ‘victim’ status when we are allowed to bring back the Roman’s motto circa 0 A.D.
“So many Christians, so few lions”….
schlukitz
@youcanthandlethetruth:
The only thing that needs to be banned here, is YOU!
You’re a pathetic, little wimp. YOu can dish it out, but you can’t take it, can you?
I’m glad you’re offended. You deserve it. People like you have no heart, just ice-water running through their veins.
B.
Rob wrote, “@B.: Congress does most of its work in committee. It’s reasonable for the House Education and Labor committee to hold off discussing ENDA until there’s been a committee vote on health care. But the House committee that needs to be involved in DADT repeal is Armed Services. If the House Armed Services Committee were to get started on DADT repeal now, that would not in any way delay action on health care.”
Except that the health-care bill is nearing a vote. If you get the Armed Services Committee bogged down in a DADT argument, the members of that committee will have less time to argue for health care (their work on that committee is only a part of their responsibilities). It is going to be difficult to get health care passed. We need everyone who is willing to help and have to keep other issues off of their plates.
Reverend Boony
Well, with obama having so much to get done and so many republicons against him…
I figure its gonna take all 4 years of his first term just to get maybe half of his campaign promises implemented so while Im not at all happy with how his justice department responded in regards to D.O.M.A., I still believe that he has america’s best intrests at heart.
That includes gay rights.
As far as the argument about his being a citizen or not…Seems to me that if the republicons were able to prove that he wasnt born in america then they would have done so…Dont you think ?
Robert, NYC
Obama is no progressive, in fact he’s a moderate conservative. What is even sadder is that there are gay republicans (log cabiners) numbering more than one million who vote for and support a party that continuously discriminates against us. They actually believe they can change their party from within. Hmmmm…..can they name one piece of equality legislation their party has authored, coauthored or likely to sponsor in the future? Why isn’t the leader of the Log Cabin group allowed a place on the platform to address the party on equality? So much for the party of inclusiveness.
osocubano
@duttybarb:
This explains a lot.
Landon Bryce
Jamie Kirchick is a nutjob who consistently shows the same sort of intellectual honesty his conservative compatriots like Hannity aand O’Reilly use.
John McCain just argued vociferously against hate crimes legislation. He is in favor of discrimination against gay people.
He supports DOMA.
Obama wants gay people to have all the federal rights of marriage in a separate but equal fashion.
Neither one is a friend to the gay community. Obama lies when he says he is and the gay people who believe him are self-deluded. They are not, however, as deluded as anyone who believes that John McCain is not an avowed enemy of gay people.
Shads of gray are so hard to see that people keep denying the obvious:
The Democrats don’t like us but the Republicans hate us.
Homo Erectus
@TANK: Classy argument, TANK! When lacking valid points, make it personal. Keep it up!
Leland Traiman
@M Shane:
3 Clicks for Equality! Go to http://www.NationalMarriageEquality.com to email your representatives for Federal Marital Rights.
galefan2004
Rather we like to admit it or not we are still in a political climate where straight out stating you are for same sex marriage when running for president is political suicide. Hell, in many states in this country its straight out suicide to endorse same sex marriage while running for post master. Its just not a wise political strategy to straight out endorse it.
That being said, I don’t think Obama completely supports our rights, but he has done more for the gays in terms of actually hearing them and talking about them than any president up to him, so at least we do get lip service. Even though just getting lip service sucks, keeping the matter in the national spot light does at least require people to continually think about it.
schlukitz
@Reverend Boony:
As far as the argument about his being a citizen or not…Seems to me that if the republicons were able to prove that he wasnt born in america then they would have done so…Dont you think ?
If you are referring to DuttyBarb’s dumb comment, I would have to say to you, consider the source and let it go at that. She’s not the sharpest pencil in the box. ;o)
schlukitz
@Robert, NYC:
What is even sadder is that there are gay republicans (log cabiners) numbering more than one million who vote for and support a party that continuously discriminates against us.
Masochism is a deeply ingrained aspect of human sexuality.
Rob
@B.: The people who are in a position to influence the content of the health care legislation and the votes of their colleagues are the House leadership and the members of the relevant committees. Rank and file Congresspeople who are not members of the relevant committees don’t have either the expertise or the influence to work full time on health care right now. They can devote their full time to health care when it actually comes up for a floor debate and a vote. That debate will be measured in hours, not weeks. In the meantime, they should be devoting at least some of their time to other legislation.
youcanthandlethetruth
@schlukitz: The only thing that needs to be banned here, is YOU!
You’re a pathetic, little wimp. YOu can dish it out, but you can’t take it, can you?
I’m glad you’re offended. You deserve it. People like you have no heart, just ice-water running through their veins.
_______________________________________________
Oh look another tolerant homosexual who believes homosexuals have a monopoly on being offended!
B.
Rob: regarding your comment that “Rank and file Congresspeople who are not members of the relevant committees don’t have either the expertise or the influence to work full time on health care right now. They can devote their full time to health care when it actually comes up for a floor debate and a vote. That debate will be measured in hours, not weeks. In the meantime, they should be devoting at least some of their time to other legislation,” you need to check what is going on right now.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/08/02/MNRJ192629.DTL has a reasonable article about what Nancy Pelosi is doing (trying to get everyone on the same page working together to get the legislation passed). It starts with the observation: “As tourists in flip-flops snapped photos of the sign above her Capitol office last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spent 14-hour days mediating a sprawling health care bill among the warring factions of her 256 Democrats.”
What is going on is not just an internal discussion in one or two committees, and if they don’t get nearly all the Democrats to go along with it, the Republicans will be able to stop the legislation from passing.
Reverend Boony
@schlukitz:
True and good point.
Reverend Boony
@youcanthandlethetruth:
Awwwwww did the poor little bible thumper get his panties in a twist ?
Well, it aint the homosexual community trying to deny equality based on religion and using lies and misrepresentation of the facts along with the bogus tatic of “Letting the people vote” therefor, if you bible thumpers do get offended then I consider it justified.
youcanthandlethetruth
@Reverend Boony: So you won’t mind if opponents of homosexual marriage happen to offend you?
Great, then we are all in favour of equality.
Rob
@B.: Your point isn’t responsive to mine. You say Nancy Pelosi is working 14 hour days talking to her fellow Democrats about health care. I agree that Pelosi should be working full time on this. But what about rank-and-file Congresspeople who don’t belong to the relevant committees? Show me an article that says rank-and-file Democrats are spending 14 hour days lobbying each other.
hyhybt
@Rob: I don’t know what’s going on, but I do know that, to get legislation passed, you do not need support from “A large majority of Americans.” That’s no use at all. You need support from a majority in the House and Senate, which is wholly a different thing.
Reverend Boony
@youcanthandlethetruth:
Well, since you idiots already are an offence, I figure it doesnt matter to you bible thumpers whether your offensive or not although I take issue with your idea of equality.
planetspinz
Heterosupremacist in Chief Obama during LOGO TV presidential debate promised preachers he would make sure they wouldn’t go to jail if they refused to perform wedding ceremonies for same-sex couples. Those preachers told their sheep that if Prop Hate did not pass, the preachers would go to jail. Prop Hate passed by Obama supporters.
Now Obama’s administration interefered with the balance of power stopping SCOTUS from ruling on DOMA (Discriminatory Offensive Marriage Attack) and now intereferes with Congress passing legislation overturning DOMA.
Obama does not want to have to face vetoing or signing a bill ending DOMA, because he does not want to piss off his tyrannical theocRAT voters, who believe as he does, that our rights depend on their approval, acceptance, tolerance or agreement.
Reverend Boony
@planetspinz:
Well…What most folks forget, and thats assuming they knew in the first place, is that unless a church is getting federal funding, they wont get in trouble for refusing to perform services for those they disagree with…So whether president obama made those promises or not doesnt really matter.
As for the preachers telling their congregations what they did in order to get proposition hate passed…No surprise there.
I suspect that our president is trying to get the most good out of his first term that he can whi mitigating the power and influence of the republicons as much as possible…I mean, it aint just the rights of the homosexual community that he has to deal with…He still has 8 years of bush’es bullshit to undo and a lot of republicon idiots that will continue to fight him tooth and nail every step of the way.
Seems to me we should be standing with him and giving him our support on these other issues.
Deonte Harris
http://www.sun-sentinel.com
FORT LAUDERDALE – To the South Florida gay community, Jonathan Bleiweiss was a pioneering, openly gay Broward sheriff’s deputy who fought discrimination within that agency earlier in his career.
But court documents released Tuesday portray Bleiweiss, 29, as a manipulative sex offender who preyed on illegal immigrants too scared to contact authorities. He would act like a jilted lover when the men would not return his calls or text messages, according to those records, based on victims’ accounts.
Bleiweiss, arrested Monday, faces 14 charges, among them three counts of sexual battery by a person in authority, four counts of battery and one count of stalking. He’s accused of intimidating at least eight men in his Oakland Park patrol district into performing sex acts with him during traffic stops.
Investigators said they opened the case in April, after learning a deputy was committing the assaults. Officials on Tuesday declined to say when Bleiweiss became a suspect.
He was removed from road patrol in mid-July, only after there was substantive proof to make a case, said Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Veda Coleman-Wright.
The court documents state the men positively identified Bleiweiss from a photo lineup starting in July.
Eric Schwartzreich, the deputy’s attorney, said, “I do point out that they are allegations by undocumented aliens, that at this point in time I’m not seeing any physical evidence to support the allegations.” During a bond hearing on Tuesday, he said it was too early to fully comment on the case.
Court records show most of the alleged attacks followed a pattern: The victims were fondled during pat-downs following early-morning traffic stops.
Some were coerced to give up cell phone numbers and agreed to meet for future sexual encounters. In all cases, the men told investigators they felt they could not refuse the uniformed deputy’s demands without a reprisal.
Reverend_Boony
@Deonte Harris:
And your point is ?
If he’s guilty then he should be punished accordingly…
Just as I would want any heterosexual cop to be punished.
Speaking of which, if were gonna be using “Law abiding” as a litmus test for whether or not to give equal rights then we should also apply that same benchmark to heterosexuals in which case, none of us would have any rights or equality for the simple reason that every group of people has a few bad apples within that group…Including us heterosexuals.
Brian
If some of you continue to insist that Obama is your “Gay Messiah” that isn’t going to mix well with his Christian beliefs that Jesus is the one-and-only Messiah. Maybe if you simply referred to him as “God’s other Son” it wouldn’t offend his beliefs and the many faithful.
He is praying for us and about us. He said last month (to a pack of Catholics) that he is “struggling with his beliefs.” That pesky belief that “homosexuality is wrong” keeps getting in the way.
Maybe we should fight the belief INSTEAD of the believer, even if the believer happens to be the President (and God’s other Son).
Reverend_Boony
@Brian:
Seems to me thats what weve been doing…
The only problem is that there are a lot of brainwashed bible thumpers that insist on believing that homosexuality is wrong
and/or a lifestyle.
Ironicly, that wouldnt be such a problem if they didnt go around lying to those who may not automaticly be against equality but
all the same, are ignorant of the truth.
schlukitz
@Reverend_Boony:
The only problem is that there are a lot of brainwashed bible thumpers that insist on believing that homosexuality is wrong
and/or a lifestyle.
That belief, in and of itself, would not be quite so bad, were it not for the fact that these people consistently state, without any empirical proof of their charges, that LGBT people indulge in incestuous relationships, pedophilia and bestiality.
And, people like DuttyBarb keep repeating these lies, over and over and over, until people start to believe it and there seems to be no legal way pf stopping this libel and slander and no one seems to care, one way or the other.
Could anyone imagine the uproar that would be created if Italians, Germans, Asians, blacks or any other ethic groups were treated in this fashion?
And while we are on the subject, I have to say that I am appalled that Queerty itself, seems to be supporting the likes of DuttyBarb, YCHTT and other straight, religious queer bashers, by allowing them to come onto a site, dedicated to gays and dump on us in the manner that they have.
I don’t know of one other gay site that allows it. Why is it being allowed here?
Reverend_Boony
@schlukitz:
True and perhaps queerty lets them stay because theyre such a good source of laughs whenever they spout their nonsense…
Anyways, another website that has a high tollerance for idiot bible thumpers would be topix or as I call it toxic…
Doesnt make it right but its good to know.
schlukitz
@Reverend_Boony:
Thanks for the link. I’ll check it out. ;o)
Shame on M Shane
@M Shane:
M Shane, your rant demonstrates you to be as myopic and closed-minded as those your criticize. “Republicans hate gays altogether and would put us all in jail if they got the chance.” Not so. Certainly there is a segment of conservative/Republicans who think that way – just as there is a large segment of liberal/Democrats who do as well, as the author pointed out.
However, there is a clear majority of Republicans who hold Libertarian views, which says Government has no right to be involved in peoples lives this way at all.
“Marriage” is religious rite that the government got involved in to administrate custodial and property rights.
Yes, there should be a civil union that the state recognizes for these purposes. But, Libertarians believe you should be able to marry in a church that will do it, of which there are many, and the government should butt out.
Peoples sexual proclivities, use of recreational substances, and private property of the sole purview of individuals, not the government.