Quote:
Originally Posted by sketchyt
This comment explains a lot about you. It's pretty narrow and it tries to break things into two columns with nothing in between. It reminds me of a petulant 14 year old.
I hope you realize gay people include black people, women, etc... people of all kinds. The whole point about this ridiculous debate between homosexuality and religion is that there are no columns. When taking negative action towards gay people, you're doing that to everyone. It's basic, straight-up intolerance.
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It pretty much sums it up on him.
There are so many issues why this is actually important, because many places in the US are trying to limit the rights of gay people under the guise of marriage. If it were "ok, you guys can't marry, but everything else is equal" then it wouldn't be an issue, but right now it's:
- not allowing pensions or benefits to long term partners, (check out the late Sally Ride - American hero, and her partner of 27 fricken years isn't able to get survivor benefits)
- not allowing hospital visits for same sex partners,
- allowing people to be fired for no other reason than they are gay (or perceived to be gay)
- allowing bullying to be protected under Freedom of Speech
- not allowing same sex couples to go through US customs together
I added the last one in because of an issue my roommate and his long-term boyfriend years had right here at YYC. Basically he and the bf went up to US customs at the airport for their vacation to Cali - like they've done many times - and were told they could not go through together as they were not "members of the same family." Fair enough.
What happened next was pretty shocking, the bf was taken into a room alone and grilled for 90 minutes about why he didn't have a copy of the itinerary with hotel names and return flight details, etc., and why he let some other guy pay for his trip (because my roommate wanted the points, duh). When he told them to go get the information from his partner of 6 years (at the time) they refused, and continued to berate him. Finally, with 5 minutes left before boarding, they let him go to get through security and make the flight. Of course, my roomie was beside himself when he found out what happened. Now they always take two copies of everything for the simple fact they might not be able to go through a line up together.
The point of that story is that not everything is equal, and by allowing gay couples all the same privileges as anyone else, it will help prevent people from abusing whatever authority they feel they have AND provide recourse when they do.
It's not about making everyone embrace gay people, but it does ensure that everyone is treated fairly and equally, something which is currently not happening in the so-called Land of the Free right now.