Exploiting Children to "Save" Marriage

Why must folks who claim to be for family values exploit children to protect their narrow and religious vision of marriage? Why do their appeals to fear always feature children? Do they have no shame?

A new way of thinking? Goodness, who thought new ways of thinking was so dangerous? If "new thinking" is that families come in many sizes and types, what is the danger in that? If "new thinking" is to celebrate differences, what is the harm in that? Promoting love and commitment between any two people is a good thing.

The only confusion is created by people who refuse mind their own business and let gay and lesbians enjoy the same rights as they freely exercise. Confusion is caused when parents think that the worst thing that could happen to a child is to either have no opinion about homosexuality, are okay with homosexuality, or becomes homosexual. They are so afraid that acceptance would turn their little darlings gay, when most gays I have known came from strict, conservative christian families.

There is no confusion when you say that many men and women meet and fall in love with each other. Some men fall in love with men. Some women fall in love with women. There is no confusion when you teach your children that there are all kinds of families. Confusion happens when a narrow view is taught to them, and it conflicts with reality. Most families are not typical, traditional nuclear families.

It is far better for our kids to be brought up respecting all parents regardless if they are gay or straight. Our kids classmates will have same sex parents, single parents, mixed race parents, foster parents, and divorced parents. All of those families have equal value, and that is the lesson kids need to pick up.

I think it is terrible to implant in a child's mind that "new thinking" or acceptance of the reality is somehow dangerous. I hope my son entertains a lot of new thoughts and challenges traditional assumptions. I hope he has better things to do than work to deny a group of citizens their rights, and will work to protect the rights of others.

One of my measurements of being a good mom is to raise my son being comfortable enough with himself to be able to make others feel good being themselves. He will know his mother supports gay and lesbian rights (as I support rights of workers, women, immigrants, children, and those of color) even though she is a straight, married mother because fighting for equal rights for all citizens is the right thing to do.

Reality-based thinking hold that gays and lesbians being able to marry will have zero effect on heterosexual marriages or the institution of marriage. The result will be more couples will choose committed relationships and that is a good family value.

Sticking Up For My Gay and Lesbian Brothers and Sisters

It really does bear repeating that I fully support equal rights for gays and lesbians in this country. It drives me crazy that there are people in this country who are actually entertaining a constitutional amendment to create special rights for heterosexuals and ban marriage by gays and lesbians. These people want government to pander to their own sense of vanity and desire to feel superior to others. After a horrendous history of success (ie. 50% divorce rate and high rate of domestic violence), heterosexuals have absolutely no claim to have a monopoly on matrimonial rights. None.

I don't see how Americans feel comfortable with themselves as Americans, when there is a group of law-abiding, tax paying citizens who are discriminated against and persecuted as they are. Every American should be ashamed for letting this go on too long.

It is insane to kick gays and lesbians out of the armed forces, especially when they are highly trained and skilled, and are willing to protect a country that denies them basic rights. The argument is that it would undermine troop cohesiveness. So you are telling me that the best trained army in the world can't be trained to be professional enough to do their job rather than worry about the sexual preference of the other guy? If people are not professional enough to handle gays and lesbians they are not disciplined enough to be in the army. Gays and lesbians are not the problem, it is these unprofessional soldiers who have the problem. Their sensibilities are not more important than recruiting skilled professionals.

Occasionally you will get a guy who is so distraught about being hit on by a gay guy. I find these guys very immature. One of the things that we have to deal with is being approached by people who we are not attracted to. Part of being an adult is being able to decline their affections without freaking out and being nice about it, since it could be us who approach someone who isn't attracted to us. If you are not attracted to the person, who cares if it is the member of the opposite sex that approaches you? Be polite and appreciate the compliment, and move on people. It isn't that hard.

More often you find the guy who is just afraid he will be hit on. In many cases, they are giving themselves way too much credit that any gay guy would find them at all attractive. I say to them, get over yourselves and grow up. If the worst thing that can happen to you is to be hit on by someone of the same gender, you are doing great!