Gay advocacy groups press Obama

Why our president Obama, doesn't see that gay people are not born gay that they
choose that way. It is a sin and it is sickness, as a society we should cure the
sickness not to spread it, that's how I see it.

Civil Unions: "Colored only" Drinking fountains of the 21st Century

I am not trying to argue minority against minority, who had it worse, my family wasn't shipped here like cargo to be slaves, though they were Irish, and had their own hard times "no Irish wanted" signs.
I am trying to get discussion going... Read More. Many MANY people don't know that in many States in the USA, one can be fired for being gay. Even in the past 12 months, it has been in the news. Gay's are forced to pay higher taxes because they don't get to file jointly. Gays can't get good home loans or car loans, because under the law, they are not seen as married. Heck, in most states, Gay couples can't even get the "couples" benefit at gyms because they are not a legally recognized marriage under the law.
People think that Civil unions are enough, when they don't understand that civil unions don't grant government recognition under the law, which is what equal rights means.

Now, if the government went and said, ok, no more legal recognition of marriage, that's strictly a religious ceremony, with no legal standing, I would say, fine. If I wanted the word, the Unitarians, Buddhists, and many other major religions would be more than happy to marry us.

I, too, want DOMA repealed so that everyone can enjoy complete marriage equality regardless of sexual orientation. The need to press on with civil rights for everyone is vital and long overdue. That being said, the timing of this pressuring the president is ill-advised and lacking in forethought. While considerable progress has been made by same-sex marriage advocates in nearly all of New England except for Rhode Island, as well as Iowa, there needs to be at least one major population state that passes same-sex marriage laws to truly represent a movement that the federal government cannot ignore. If both NY and NJ move ahead as they seem to be doing, that would be the proper impetus to rightly say that a sizable population are now willing to consider equality in marriage rights on a state-by-state basis with the right of federal recognition for all benefits granted to heterosexual marriage. Given the economic and military challenges facing the nation at present, pushing for the repeal of DOMA right now will get little-to-no traction when compared to other, far more wide-ranging and pressing issues. I would strongly recommend waiting until NY/NJ pass their gay marriage bills AND until the appointment & confirmation of Justice Souter's replacement so THAT doesn't become a focal point of opposition from filibustering conservative senators.

We should just change the constitution to define a marrige between a man and woman

Sorry kids but there just arent enough gays to sway an election and Obama really needs the Hispanics that are mostly against gay marriage; so your group can go and take a hike. Dont you know that Obama is already campaigning for 2012, and you guys were played? Please, Obama isnt all that hot on gays rights he just told you what would get to stay quiet.

Obama doesn't care about gay homosexual marriage. He wants to win elections - gain and retain his power. He knows nonwhites are mostly against, young white communists mostly for. He'll straddle this one for a long time to come. Put that 'change' in your pipe and smoke it!

Stephanie, you see it that way because it lets you justify your prejudice.

Let me assure you, being gay is most certainly NOT a choice. Who would CHOOSE to be ridiculed and degraded, losing out on family and all those things many straight folks take for granted?

I HATED myself for almost 15 years, living a lie, manipulating women and TRYING to be straight. All I accomplished was deceiving good, loving women and wasting a significant part of my life.

So, you go right on continuing to believe being gay is a choice. You go right ahead.

It's funny, though. People like you see me as immoral. It's ironic because I was truly immoral when I lacked the integrity and character to accept my authentic self and instead used women to maintain my lie.

Stephanie, the only "sickness" I see is your intolerance of your fellow human beings right to exist. I'm not sure your "way of seeing things" can be "cured" - then again, you don't see anything wrong with what you've written, so continue to be in your own world of denial.

As for kkf, why should "we" do that?

Doesn't President Obama hold the very same position on gay marriage as that California beauty queen everyone got so exercised about and tried to strip of her title? Maybe we should impeach him for having the audacity to say he is against gay marriage.

I am shocked and dismayed by Stephanie's comments. She can believe what she wants but she does not have the right to smother the rights of others. She is so mistaken and uneducated. One does not choose their sexuality. If so, then why has homosexuality persisted in humans for centuries (and probably in prehistoric times) and exist in all cultures. As a gay man, I struggled with my sexuality during my childhood and my life would be very different being raised in more tolerant circumstances. It is attitudes like Stephanie's that breed hatred and prevents us from being fully accepted in society.

I have heard it suggested that we should do away with civil "marriage" altogether and transfer all the rights and responsibilities of marriage to civil unions. (How this would be done in practice I don't know). Then anyone, gay or straight would be allowed to get a civil union. If you want to get married, go to the religious organization of your choice that is willing to marry you. But you would be legally joined once you filed with the official governmental office. This has the added benefit of taking away civil authority from the clergy and better separating church and state.

And Stephanie, you're an ignoramous. No one would choose to be gay. I feel bad for the people close to you who are gay and must keep it a secret from you.

We have to add 4 different bathrooms in public area. 2 for males(1 for each gay gender) and 2 for females. It's just not safe when a gay man watch me pee behind my back. Think about the shower area in the gym, oh man.
It's just like men do not use the women's bathroom.

To Stephanie, if you are gay and even further don't know anyone closely who is gay, you are in no position to make such statements. Being gay is NOT a choice. It is also not a sickness. Many, many gay people lead happy, healthy lives as very productive citizens and they deserve the same protections under the law that anyone else has. Your comment very much seems like one made out of pure ignorance.

@stephanie - I am sorry that you are lacking in basic understanding of how animals and humans are made. Many several hundred species of animals have homosexual relationships and activity. It is an accepted practice in nature. Humans are the same way. There have been homosexuals around long before the bible, long before any religion. I pity peoples ignorance on something so basic, and easy to prove, yet so hard for a bigot to understand. Homosexuals = gays = born that way. Some are purely same sex attraction..... some are in the middle, they are bisexuals. Others are on the other end of the scale, purely heterosexual.

@KKF - Bigotry and discrimination should NEVER be put into law, which is why prop 8 in CA is so disgusting. I can't wait for 50 years from now when the bigots and the zealots are viewed just the same as slavery defenders are now.

The country needs leadership on the issue of equality and there's no one better positioned than Obama to take a principled stand on equality. However, he seems to have forgotten that leadership is shown by making forward looking decisions that will have the support of history. Failure to makes such decisions hurts the persuasive power of the President: all sides will see him as a politically calculating wimp like Clinton. In contrast, Truman knew the buck stopped as his desk when he made the very unpopular but historically correct decision to racially integrate the military. Obama needs to take a lesson from Truman, not Clinton.

Stephanie - Do you choose to be straight? Implying that people choose to be gay also implies that straight people, like yourself, also make that choice. So when did you consider being gay and then decide to be straight? Was it in kindergarten, or middle school or maybe in those experimental college years...

People do not choose their sexual orientation. I did not choose to be a lesbian any more than you choose to be a straight woman. I would challenge you to seek out and speak to some gay people and ask them about finding themselves & being gay and ask them if it was a decision they made. I think you'll find most say the decision they had to make was whether or not to be honest with themselves.. whether or not to be happy ... not whether or not to be gay.

"We have to add 4 different bathrooms in public area. 2 for males(1 for each gay gender) and 2 for females. It's just not safe when a gay man watch me pee behind my back. Think about the shower area in the gym, oh man.
It's just like men do not use the women's bathroom. "

Better suggestion, Dave.

Three bathrooms: (1) Women, (2) Men, and (3) knuckle dragging Troglodytes.

David May, don't flatter yourself. No gay man is going to watch you pee any more than a straight man is going to watch you pee. Contrary to popoular misconception, gay men don't troll bathrooms for a quick peek and cheap thrill and, quite frankly, just from your statement, I doubt that you would provide much inducement even for a cheap thrill...