[gay_1]

I think we need to be treated equal like others. I don't care if we are black, white, gay, straight ect.. WE NEED EQUAL RIGHTS!!!!!! I think that the people of the state or of the U.S should do something to help gays with rights. I think we all (yes this means you!!) should protest or something like that because we are losing right from under ower nose. Bush has no right. I don't understand where the saying "Land of the FREE" went. Bush just needs to get out of office and let everyone in the world be and treated the same. I know that some places are allowing same-sex-marriage and I think that this is what needs to go on more. The whole US needs to be a whole. NOT none of this part of the popualtion of the US in gay and the other part is straight. I don't care what you are, because I myself am gay and think that everyone (including bisexuals and transgenders) need to be like each other. Ending the hate and making the world a more better place!!!

[1advcte4u]

I think that gays need equal rights too! Although most of the people in the gov't aren't doing anything about it, or either they are trying to take away the rights that we don't officially have yet! being a glbtq person, you constantly have to defend yourself and what you stand for because people in the world want to say that who we are is immoral and "nasty"... but what they don't understand is that we're just like straight people although we just are attracted to the persons of our own sex. We go to work and school just like straight people, we can love, laugh and whatever, but yet who we love and are in our bedrooms with, is what we get judged on... isn't that hypocritical on thier part? Most people (whether they be straight or not) have some things in thier lives that other people would think are immoral or "nasty". Gays do need to equal rights, but because of the points that i've just made, it's going to be hard for us to get them because most of the people in the gov't are straight and have STRONG feelings against homosexuality!

--*Eric n VA*--

[Trotsky]

Because we're all equal in His eyes (that is if you're religious). Because I'm no better than anyone else, and nobody is better than me (for the secular).
However, I live in a country that already has gay marriage and legislation against discriminating gays, but I'm sorrily disappointed about what that means in practice. I find myself confronting an attitude that gay is something that only happens between the sheets, and sex is private, so keep it private; back into the closet. There's also the attitude of "you're equal now, so stop moaning", which amounts to denying problems we may encounter because we ARE different, even though it's not always visible (I've had my experience with inlaws [from hell], the police and therapists}.
The Amsterdam gay scene is being sanitised. Recently there was a big pooha about the rainbow flag, the council tried to prohibit it, referring to general (for all) rules about commercial displays. In different parts of the country cruising areas are being closed, and there's even talk of closing most of the darkrooms (again with reference to general/for all rules). The annual gay pride canal parade is under threat, again. Subsidies to gay groups have been slashed, even to a group that's encouraging a dialogue between the gay community and the Muslim one, at a time when an extreme Muslim mosque published a book admonishing believers to throw gays off the highest tower. Etc. etc.
Equal rights yes, but the price to be paid is to be considered as equal, meaning that we're to be submerged in the grey masses.
Recent events and experiences only remind me of things 25 years ago. Gay marriage was first rejected by the politically active, arguing that it's not about copycat living but about recognition, that it is not about the licence but about the goodies attached to the licence. In the 80s we made a lot of headway in detaching the goodies from the licence; they've now been reattached.
In achieving full legal equality (and there's still things to fight for in the Netherlands), we run the risk of losing our social and gender distinctiveness.
But I suppose, it is also a matter of what is politically feasible. There are too many heterosexuals who still think that we're sinners, so the best thing to expect is for heterosexuals to think that we're a same-sex version of them.
The issue is not so much equality. It is more about the removal of all legal, social and cultural obstacles that stop us from living as intended, as felt, as needed, and above all as defined by ourselves. Equality only comes into play when the law favours some groups over others. It is not about integrating, it is about emancipation; and anyway, integration is not possible without emancipation. There's still a lot to do in terms of emancipation.
_________________
Harry Trotsky

[venreth]

My personal beliefs are based in our Constitution. That we are ALL CREATED EQUAL. That we all are guarunteed certain inailenable rights, such as Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.
At the moment, there is a huge push from the "Family Research Council" in pushing for a Ferderal Marriage Amendment to perminenantly ban Gays and Lesbians from legal marriage recognition. If this were to go through it would put all citizens at risk. Not just gays and lesbians. Mainly because the FMA is based solely on one set of religious ideals. Religious ideals we are protected from being force fed.
It also puts children at risk.
Our children.
It sets an example that we are parents are legally descriminated against.
It throws out every lesson of morals and familiy values we would attempt to teach our children.
Schools still do not see same gender partners as parents of non-biological children.
It allows health insurence companies to deny our non-biological children health care coverage under "family" plans.


It puts our own aging community at risk. It allows for a tradition of government interference in healthcare decissions, visitation and estate planning. Not to mention retirement living arrangements and long term care.

There are still over 1,100 rights, protections and priveledges which we as same gender couples are denied simply because we do not have legal recognition as ligitimate "FAMILIES."
This is humanistically, morally and ethically wrong!

50yrs ago Blacks were not legally allowed to marry whites.
100yr ago women were not allowed to vote or own property.
150ys ago women were not allowed to sue for divorce.

And here we are in the twenty-first century and we claim to live in a free society, yet we still allow descrimination based in ignorance and fear.
_________________
All those who believe in physcokenisys, raise my hand!

[BiteMe]

[fossil]

i think we need equal rights because otherwise its like being told that they are better than us and that we should be ashamed of who we are. i think that everyone is equal and no one should have the right to say otherwise.[/b]

[BiteMe]

[lpfan760]

Its also kinda funny how Bush says he wants to unite americans, and yet he proposes a constitutional ammendment to discriminate against gays. its all bull if you ask me. Eventually we will have casinos though.

[lpfan760]

Its also kinda funny how Bush says he wants to unite americans, and yet he proposes a constitutional ammendment to discriminate against gays. its all bull if you ask me. Eventually we will have casinos though.

[BiBabe]

Homosexuals and Bisexuals are people, too. they/we are no different than straight people, so why shouldn't we have the same rights?

We have been having discussions in school centered around this subject, and their are a lot of "Bible Thumpers" who are totally and completely against it. (These are the same people who stare at me like i'm a disease when I wear my rainbow flag pin!) They think that being gay is a sin and that people choose whether or not to be gay. I've tried to ask them if they chose to be straight or if they just are straight. But, they just don't get it.

I don't understand why people have to tell other people how to live. I also don't get why people tell gays not to "flaunt" their sexual orientation. How about they stop flaunting theirs? How about they leave us alone and mind their own business?

[hershey]

What i dont get is why theres a problem in the first place. ALL people deserve equal rights. This is just goin to turh out like the civil rights movement, people will try and try and we will finally win. i just hope its soon because everyone deserves to get married.

[Mojo]

I recently had a gay woman tell me that we needed to stop fighting for equal rights. She claimed that by fighting for equal rights we were making our lesbian/gay relationships less important in society and that by marriages being banned it made us unique. I told her she was crazy and haven't spoken to her since. It is not a matter of us feeling as though we need equal rights because we are special, we need equal rights because we are equal. Straight people need to open their eyes and realize that love is love, no matter if you love a male or female. The fight against same-sex marriage and the gay populous in general is just a waste of time, we are not going away and we are not trying to hurt or "recruit" anyone. Eventually we will have equal rights and then our oppenents will just have to live with it, just as they have done with racial discrimination and all the other ridiculous laws that have been in place....::getting off soapbox now::
_________________
Be who you are, say what you feel, Because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind- Dr. Suess

[barcabbas]

It's funny, as long as I've been out I'm 55 I have never wanted a house in the suburbrs,
a station wagon and 2.5 dogs.

There are tons of people who want to live the sububurban dream lifestyle and they do despite the fact that we don't have equal rights.
These folk are in many ways pioneers, they've gone ahead, staked out their land and made
themselves a home, and along the way they have shattered many stereotypes about gay
people and in many cases have become the pillars of their communities.

I guess I've said all of that to say: It doesn't matter whether you're a country boy, or city boy
or a suburban boy or girl or bi or tranny.
We work and pay taxes (many times on programs we can't use) and we should be able to
interpret our collective and individual dreams like any other American citizen.

Oh hell yeah, we need free at last, free at last

Barcabbas
_________________
"The Fool Dressed In Velvet"

[Sefronia7]

We are all one.
_________________
Life happens when you are making other plans

[gennee]

While much has improved, there's still much work to do. No one should be mistreated because they are different. People need to stand up and defend what they believe in. It is equally important to know WHY you believe in what you believe.

I am African-American, transgendered, a transvestite, Christian, and part Native-American. I know what bigotry and hatred is up front. All of us need to work for the things we believe. We must not be hateful or antagonistic to those who don't agree with us. I may not agree with you, but you are entitled to your own opinion and I respect you for standing up for your beliefs.

Laws will never change what others feel about us, but the heart needs to be changed. I do pray for those who hate me because of my race, sex, or gender. In the end, I may win an ally.

Gennee