Comments on: It’s not black and white

By: Mark Barton

Mark Barton — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:17:23 +0000

If Ari chooses to be magnanimous towards people who hate her then I’m not going to be quick to give her a hard time, but I prefer to be magnanimous from a position of strength. Indeed, it’s not magnanimity _unless_ one is doing it from a position of strength, and Ari is probably not mindful of the fact that if, as it seems, she’s in a big city, then she’s in the position of strength that she _can_ take her business elsewhere. I’m less forgiving because I try to keep in mind gay people in small towns where there might not be more than one caterer, or florist, or wedding-cake decorator, or whatever.

By: David Benkof

David Benkof — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 02:03:49 +0000

Ryan- Talk about insincere! I never *said* churches would be forced to perform gay marriages, and none of the (intelligent) people in my side of the debate ever said that either. The Constitution of the United States, through its First Amendment, would prohibit that “free exercise” of religion.

I have two responses to your florists point:

1) I oppose government discrimination on the basis of race, religion, etc., but I think private businesses should be able to do what they like. Today, if a business put up a “no blacks” sign, it would lose a lot of white business as well as black.

2) The issue is not refusing gays; it’s refusing same-sex marriages, which they believe to be counterfeit. I plan to marry someday, but my marriage will be opposite-sex, and that doesn’t make me any less gay.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 02:39:44 +0000

No church has ever been forced to perform a gay marriage, nor will they ever be. The “fears” of the religious right are unfounded and, in many cases, utterly insincere. As for florists, photographers, jutices of the peace, etc. If you feel that they should be allowed to refuse service to gays, fine. But be consistent. They should also be able to refuse service to Jews, Muslims, Christians, couples who have had children out of wedlock, interracial couples, couples who have previously married, or anyone else they personally deem “immoral”. And yet, they can’t do any of those things in this society. So why can they refuse gays?

By: fannie

fannie — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:18:38 +0000

“words cannot descrive how much I dislike Ari the hippie lesbian”

And why is that? Because she cares deeply about peace, justice, and sustainability? Are your “family values” opposed to those values or something? In any event, we should at least give you credit for being upfront about your dislike of hippie lesbians. Others who oppose marriage equality try very hard to disguise such animus.

Moving on, I know many gays and lesbians who share Ari’s view that we shouldn’t patronize anti-gay businesses or “force” them to provide services to us. I certainly don’t spend my money at businesses where I know that the business-owner is anti-gay.

By: Peter Hoh

Peter Hoh — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 05:18:05 +0000

Lima, thanks for making your views so clear.

By: Marty

Marty — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 21:07:48 +0000

The eHarmony example is a good one — and it makes one wonder whether or not Vermont’s “religious exceptions” will be allowed to stand in court. Surely they will be challenged by those who insist on forcing their views down the throats of their neighbors.

By: Lima

Lima — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 17:06:27 +0000

Everybody does not win … only you win Ari the hippie lesbian … society loses … gays should have civil unions … not marriage … marriage is sacred … and don’t go around saying that the divorce rate is this and that whichever … instead of putting a bad heterosexual union vs good homosexual union ( and vice versa ) do the best versus the best of each … the best of one man-one woman union vs the best of anything that is not one man-one woman … I guarantee you that the best one man-one woman is the best model for society as a whole

By: Lima

Lima — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 17:02:44 +0000

Well at least this man is good http://www.theroadtoemmaus.org/RdLb/22SxSo/PnSx/HSx/McKellarJ%20HOPE02.htm

Understand what marriage is about thankfully

By: Lima

Lima — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 16:59:33 +0000

This post clearly shows that once ” gay ” marriage is passed ( or any other thing that is not one man-one woman ) marriage ceases to have importance and purity and becomes ” modernized ” and it’s all about the ” love ” … marriage is about society … not love … and in society men and women need one another … a union that strengthens the relationship between the sexes and the family ( the ” bedrock of humanity ” ) … words cannot descrive how much I dislike Ari the hippie lesbian