California's top court overturns gay marriage ban

[Baill Inneraora]

The Iowa Supreme Court on Friday ruled unanimously that gay couples should have the same right to marry as straight couples.

Justices said, “"We are firmly convinced the exclusion of gay and lesbian people from the institution of civil marriage does not substantially further any important governmental objective."
They also said that Iowa lawmakers have "excluded a historically disfavored class of persons from a supremely important civil institution without a constitutionally sufficient justification."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090403/ap_on_re_us/iowa_gay_marriage


This is great news for people that are for equality in this country.



This is great news for people that are for equality in this country.

 

[hedonis]

This is great news for people that are for equality in this country.



This is great news for people that are for equality in this country.

I'm sitting here in Iowa right now, and I have to tell you, on the issue of gay marriage...

I don't care.


It's one of the weird things my conservative friends don't like about my views. If gay people want to get married? So what? Let them now know the joys and thrills of divorce court, and all the other fun stuff associated with it.

My country has spent far too much time on this topic- a topic which, despite what the news shows us all the time, matters to a SMALL group of people. You know, I just can't get all wound up about two guys getting married when we have a president who is running around Europe, trash talking the very country he is the fucking leader of, or a president and congress that are financially destroying the country they are supposed to be leading.

Or how about a multi-governmental body who watches a country test fire a missile that can pretty much reach anywhere with a nuclear weapon attached to it, but despite that said country is BANNED by this multi-governmental body from launching ANYTHING ballistic, this inept, corrupt, impotent bunch of cluster-fuckers won't do anything.

There is conflict everywhere. Terrorists still blow shit up, we are still engaged in at least three military operations right now (Afghanistan, Iraq, and running down Somali pirates), and there are dictators all around the globe who are juicing their military capabilities (Chavez), or working toward some of their ultimate goals (Iran).

Mexico is basically slipping now into anarchy, and it's spilling across the US border in the form of violence and kidnappings (Phoenix, Arizona now has approximately 17 kidnappings a month).

But hey- let's commit the time and energy of our lawmakers and courts to this. I know it's a crazy concept, and it's pretty far out there, but why not just let the American people decide this? Stop letting the courts make law, rather than interpret it (You know, their actual, real function). Better yet, let them get married. I've still yet to see a single reason that gay people getting married would unravel the fabric of society.

But a nuclear weapon fired at Alaska? Yeah, that could be a real problem.

:2 cents:


H

 

[Jason z]

The Iowa Supreme Court on Friday ruled unanimously that gay couples should have the same right to marry as straight couples.

Justices said, “"We are firmly convinced the exclusion of gay and lesbian people from the institution of civil marriage does not substantially further any important governmental objective."
They also said that Iowa lawmakers have "excluded a historically disfavored class of persons from a supremely important civil institution without a constitutionally sufficient justification."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090403/ap_on_re_us/iowa_gay_marriage


This is great news for people that are for equality in this country.



This is great news for people that are for equality in this country.

Great progress indeed. I just wished Obama would come to the aid of allowing gay marriage. That's what we need next. Their must be a way around this hatred. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfPXcCroPJc&feature=channel_page

 

[ChefChiTown]

I've still yet to see a single reason that gay people getting married would unravel the fabric of society.

Neither have I.

All of this equal rights bullshit is never going to end. First, women wanted equal rights. Then, black people wanted equal rights. Then, gay people wanted equal rights. I don't care that those groups of people have fought for equal rights, but...where does it end?

Eventually, every little possible grouping of people is going to be dissected and divide themselves into smaller groups of protest-happy whiners that are going to do nothing but cry about how they (as a group) deserve equal rights.

Child molesters
Rapists
Midgets who aren't tall enough to ride roller coasters
Blind people who aren't allowed to drive cars
Man-made robots

Seriously, where are we going to draw the line for handing out equal rights to everybody? I mean, equal rights means equal rights, so everybody (no matter who they are or what they've done) should have equal rights...right?

 

[Baill Inneraora]

That really is about the most asinine thing I have ever heard.

First you have all these blacks and women and gays wanting equal rights and the next thing you know you’ll have midgets on midgets on the ferris wheel!

 

[BlueBalls]

Neither have I.

All of this equal rights bullshit is never going to end. First, women wanted equal rights. Then, black people wanted equal rights. Then, gay people wanted equal rights. I don't care that those groups of people have fought for equal rights, but...where does it end?

Eventually, every little possible grouping of people is going to be dissected and divide themselves into smaller groups of protest-happy whiners that are going to do nothing but cry about how they (as a group) deserve equal rights.

Child molesters
Rapists
Midgets who aren't tall enough to ride roller coasters
Blind people who aren't allowed to drive cars
Man-made robots

Seriously, where are we going to draw the line for handing out equal rights to everybody? I mean, equal rights means equal rights, so everybody (no matter who they are or what they've done) should have equal rights...right?

Surley you draw the line when the act the person or persons taking part in becomes unlawful.

Yes you could say 50 years ago homosexuality was illegal so why not in 50 years time could child molestation might be legal? It's a fair point but I dont see it happening.

I get what you're trying to say (i hope) that the constant segregation of people into ever smaller groups only divides them from the rest of us, and you're correct. We're all people so there should be equal rights for everyone - as long as its within the law - but as long as the mentallity exists that gays are different to us "regular" people the need to form these groups is going to continue to be there.

The mindset that people are different from one another needs to change first.

 

[ChefChiTown]

Surley you draw the line when the act the person or persons taking part in becomes unlawful.

Yes you could say 50 years ago homosexuality was illegal so why not in 50 years time could child molestation might be legal? It's a fair point but I dont see it happening.

I get what you're trying to say (i hope) that the constant segregation of people into ever smaller groups only divides them from the rest of us, and you're correct. We're all people so there should be equal rights for everyone - as long as its within the law - but as long as the mentallity exists that gays are different to us "regular" people the need to form these groups is going to continue to be there.

The mindset that people are different from one another needs to change first.

Unfortunately, that will never happen.

 

[BlueBalls]

Unfortunately, that will never happen.

Of course it wont, there are to many factors that influence people opinions for that. Whether it be parental, religious, political or any other institution the way we look at the world is never completely our own, its partly an amalgamation of all of those that came before us.

 

[Philbert]

Surley you draw the line when the act the person or persons taking part in becomes unlawful.

Yes you could say 50 years ago homosexuality was illegal so why not in 50 years time could child molestation might be legal? It's a fair point but I dont see it happening.

I get what you're trying to say (i hope) that the constant segregation of people into ever smaller groups only divides them from the rest of us, and you're correct. We're all people so there should be equal rights for everyone - as long as its within the law - but as long as the mentallity exists that gays are different to us "regular" people the need to form these groups is going to continue to be there.

The mindset that people are different from one another needs to change first.

While I don't see the need for gays to attack the obvious existing religious majority in the country (head-on confrontation is the hardest way to go) there isn't any reason either way for marriage to be a legal concept by name.
Situationally, yes...but civil union or marriage, the only difference is in the religious aspect, which is similar to those long held beliefs that Africans were somehow less deserving of human rights, and that women were not the equal of men.
The idea is only a popular commonly held view, not a logical legal concept.
It seems like time is curing that gay rights problem, and since a civil union works legally the same as a marriage, this seems more like a massive hissy fit a large segment of the population is having over "equal name rights now"!
There has to be a better way to bypass the mental brainfreeze of religious groups that see gay as a threat to the sanctity (yeah, right) of marriage.

 

[E-Ann-Hilden]

Pass the law to allow them to marry and let the local church they choose decide if they want to call it a marriage or not. Many church's will sanction it.

They pay taxes just like everyone else, deserve equal rights and I have no problem with it at all.

 

[BlueBalls]

While I don't see the need for gays to attack the obvious existing religious majority in the country (head-on confrontation is the hardest way to go) there isn't any reason either way for marriage to be a legal concept by name.
Situationally, yes...but civil union or marriage, the only difference is in the religious aspect, which is similar to those long held beliefs that Africans were somehow less deserving of human rights, and that women were not the equal of men.
The idea is only a popular commonly held view, not a logical legal concept.
It seems like time is curing that gay rights problem, and since a civil union works legally the same as a marriage, this seems more like a massive hissy fit a large segment of the population is having over "equal name rights now"!
There has to be a better way to bypass the mental brainfreeze of religious groups that see gay as a threat to the sanctity (yeah, right) of marriage.

It seem's strange to me, in the UK we have the "civil partnership" law which gives a homosexual couple just as many rights as a heterosexual couple who are married. I think the term civil partnership was just made up to appease the religious folk, who arent nearly as vocal over here as they are over there and dont have as much influence. But still the concession was made and I didnt hear any protests about it I sure there were but you didnt hear about them. Homosexual couples get married in the curch of England I believe with no bother, its still called a civil partnership but the church nor the couple seem to mind. I cant see why it could be any different over there, I know the church is run differently but maybe that needs an overhaul to.

Either way civil partnerships are working and there have been no complaints. But to hear that people are complaining because they're form of marrige doesnt have the same name as the "other" form to me just sounds like a complete storm in a tea cup. Complaints where complaints arent needed, but its everyones right to do so, so who am I to judge?

Surley you draw the line when the act the person or persons taking part in becomes unlawful.

Yes you could say 50 years ago homosexuality was illegal so why not in 50 years time could child molestation might be legal? It's a fair point but I dont see it happening.

I get what you're trying to say (i hope) that the constant segregation of people into ever smaller groups only divides them from the rest of us, and you're correct. We're all people so there should be equal rights for everyone - as long as its within the law - but as long as the mentallity exists that gays are different to us "regular" people the need to form these groups is going to continue to be there.

The mindset that people are different from one another needs to change first.

Forgive the rather large grammatical errors in this post

 

[calpoon]

Child molesters
Rapists
Midgets who aren't tall enough to ride roller coasters
Blind people who aren't allowed to drive cars

yet all of those people have the right to marry each other, as long as their partner is not of the same sex. So they DO have rights that gays don't.

I've said it before and so have many intelligent people:

Marriage should be a spiritual union, performed by a religious authority and with such appropriate rituals as one's creed dictates and nothing more.

If you want to have a legally binding contract that grants you provisions of state and federal claims, then you can get a secular civil partnership (or domestic union, or whatever you want to call it) that should be available to all adult citizens.

The two should be completely separated from each other.

 

[Philbert]

Pass the law to allow them to marry and let the local church they choose decide if they want to call it a marriage or not. Many church's will sanction it.

They pay taxes just like everyone else, deserve equal rights and I have no problem with it at all.

Ahhh, if it were that simple...this would be a thread about "different terms for testicles".
Imagine walking quietly down a path, and as you pass by a large tree a huge swarm of Africanized Honey bees comes out of the tree and heads for you.
It won't matter how logical you speak to them, or how unaggressive you are being...the bees have the idea you are a threat and are gonna sting you to death...that's their instinctive reaction.
It doesn't matter that you aren't being aggressive, or that you would have been gone in another few seconds...they are wired to treat a threat perceived, probable, or possible the same way.
Consider the deeply held religious beliefs entertained by various Christian and Muslim groups (I don't know if Jews or Buddhists care much, they don't seem to)...no amount of logic or discussion will change those, it's in the Bible/Q'ran that gay is verbotten. The end.
And the bees will swarm everywhere, defending a possible, perceived, or probable threat.
So...it will take time and some end runs to achieve the equal name thing, since the name "Civil Union" doesn't do it for many gay couples.
It's a bump in the road; it will pass.

 

[Baill Inneraora]

I once went to a gay wedding at a Christian Church

 

[BlueBalls]

I once went to a gay wedding at a Christian Church

Soooooo .... dont leave us hanging here Baill, details, details, detail ... :dunno:


My winning streak with unfunny jokes peaks just at the right time, because that ^ was a stinker!!! :throwup:

 

[Baill Inneraora]

Pretty standard wedding. Nothing special except there were two grooms.

Only highlight was being glared at while on the dance floor by my date’s ex husband. By the end of the night I told him that if he didn’t stop, I would slap him around harder than he used to hit his ex wife.

 

[BlueBalls]

I told him that if he didn’t stop, I would slap him around harder than he used to hit his ex wife.

Nice - maybe you should have done anyway.

 

[Baill Inneraora]

Maybe. Although the married couple still probably would have been pissed at me.

 

[BlueBalls]

Maybe. Although the married couple still probably would have been pissed at me.

Oh I dont know, I dont know how it is over there, but most wedding's or at least wedding receptions in the UK (more of the "chavvy" part of the UK to be honest) usually end up in a huge free for all, man verses man/woman verses woman/women verses 8 guys and a wine bottle .... you know the usual stuff.

It's usually looked back on and laughed about.

It would have been something to tell the grandchildren ....

 

[Baill Inneraora]

Maybe..................if I lived in SE Ohio. :rofl: :rofl: