Why is it so difficult to understand that the only "gay agenda" is equality?

Question

Most of us have no desire to share our sexual orientation with the world at large. Most of us have no desire to change or challenge religous beliefs. Society no longer condones stoning or killing as ascribed in certain passages of the Bible. Yet a few passages continue to brandish us as less than any other sinner.

We are only vocal and "out proud" to show the reality that we are regular people that pay taxes, work productively in a wide spectrum of jobs, dress and act like regular men and women.

We only want full equality under the law, to know we cannot be fired simply because someone finds out we are homosexual, to know that we can be with our partners and make medical decisions for the other when necessary, to receive the same insurance coverage as married people, for our children to receive the the same benefits as those of married people, to receive the same tax breaks as married people, to be legally recognized as a couple.

Why is that so difficult to accept?

I appreciate all ther responses and opinions. That is, all save the ones that correlate homosexuality in any way with child molesting and beastiality. Those are violent acts of abuse and rape. I know no homosexuals who would condone either. In fact, I believe that any studies on the perpetrators show that these are crimes committed far, far more by straight people. If nothing else, please refrain from those analogies - they make your own thinking appear sick and twisted.

Answer 1

thank you for being so open! i come across so many closed minded people that it makes me sick! i wish that everyone on this planet could see that we are all the same and should all be treated as equals! thank you so much, this question is awesome!

Answer 2

First, I believe a person's sex life should be a private thing, it should not be shared with, or imposed upon others. When a person choose to live in a society, they should abide by the laws and expectations of that society. It is not equality to force the majority to submit to the will of a few. I disagree that there is not an agenda to challenge or change religion, I have read where churches are divided because leadership refuses to support homosexuality. I have read where same sex romance is compared to race, gender, or illness. Race and gender is God's choice, sexual orientation is the choice of the people involved. We each choose to be asexual, heterosexual or homosexual, and we can switch back and forth between them at will; not so with race or gender. If one has an illness they go to a doctor for treatment, and the same should happen if someone has a bad case of homosexualitis. An employer should have the right to terminate any employee whose behavior is not consistent with that which is expected. Only if the employer was aware before the hire should they be forced to continue the employment. It is unfair to cause discomfort to others by exposing and imposing the presence of an abnormal relationship. Please know that I have gay and lesbian friends and relatives, I love them, and I have shared these same thoughts with them. I have asked them to visit without their partners in order to avoid exposing their relationships to my children, as I don't want the children to think I agree. At the same time, I want my children to see that I love these people, they are significant human beings just as much as any of us. Years ago one relative chose to stay away, and that was okay, in my heart I loved her still. She has now returned to heterosexual attachments, so she has reestablished family connections (happy ending). I hope this doesn't sound mean, honestly that is not my intent, but the truth of the matter is that homosexual relationships are not the same as heterosexual relationships, and they cannot be. The last question "why is that so difficult to accept", let me turn the question around and ask, why does it have to be accepted? If two people are comfortable in their relationship, why do they need acceptance from everyone else?

Answer 3

I understand you, I really believe that homosexuals should have the same rights as us, the straight ones, but I have to tell you that you're wrong when you say that we should be equal. In a world of homosexuals, the straight ones would be fighting for the same thing, not understanding that they will never win. How can you be equal to someone who is considered to have a normal sexual orientation in this world? How can you be equal to someone who is considered to have a normal sexual orientation in a homosexuals' world if you are attracted to the opposite sex? Then, the straight ones make sure that the human species will continue to exist on this planet. I know, you want to tell me about the artificial insemination and how a couple of homosexuals can be good parents. Actually, we can go back and forth like that for hours. You have to get used to the idea that the majority is heterosexual and that they'll always see the homosexuals as...not normal. That's life.

Answer 4

I trust you've noticed that all the opposition is coming from the religious among us. While I'm not saying that all religious people are bigoted, it seems fair to assume that most people despise homosexuality because their particular religion tells them to. I'm sure that's why you posted it in the religion section.

Some people have stated that homosexuality has a negative impact on society, others have suggested it is akin to child molestation. They offer no evidence for their claims and as such they are mere assertions with no weight. I, for one, am sick to death of this. Violence has been shown to have a negative impact on children and society and yet it is prevalent everywhere we look. This makes me think that a large amount of people have no problem with hate, but are offended by love. It's absurd and backwards.

To those of you who believe democracy = "majority rules," you couldn't be more wrong. Democracy is about individual rights and freedom. This is exactly why we have the Bill of Rights and the judicial system to protect individuals from the "tyranny of the majority." I have no idea why or how people do not know or forget this.

The argument that marraige is defined as being between one man and one woman and should remain that way holds no sway with me either. You might hear people say that opening the door for gay marraige leads to polygamy and other things, but this is surely not evident. Marraige is a social construct that people have defined. Right now we draw the line at one man and one woman. Tomorrow we could draw the line at two people. To think that gay marraige will lead to polygamy and beastiality is ridiculous.

I don't know what else to say, except that I wish I could make all of this "moral outrage" at homosexuality go away. If being moral means that I must relegate an entire group of people to the status of second class citizens, then I can't be moral. I must confess, however, that I'm not that wrapped up in morality anyway. I prefer not to divide the world into the categories of "good" and "evil," as it seems better to classify things as either beautiful or ugly. And folks, love is beautiful and hate, no matter how you try to justify it, is ugly.

Answer 5

You've expressed yourself well and I agree with everything you have said. Here's the problem:

The folks you are speaking to are the same people who will not even open their minds the tiniest little crack to hear you and are the same ones who will never accept the normality of your life and the unfair restraints you experience. It's like a headstrong child putting their fingers in their ears and louding chanting "la la la la" to drown you out. They start with the premise, given to them by their parents and their church and supported by their like-minded friends that you are a sinner who has chosen sin freely and are - frankly - some sort of freak who is trying to corrupt some imagined "sanctity of marriage." This from a crowd who holds marriage in such sanctity that they have an over 50% divorce rate (interestingly enough the highest divorce rates in the country are in the Bible Belt). The worst feature of these folks is the firmly closed mind. Fear, for the most part, prevents them from even THINKING about opening it. All in all it's a sad state of affairs.

Sorry to be such a downer, but I've been participating on the AOL Gay Marriage boards for over 3 years and it's like beating your head bloody against a brick wall. I've actually witnessed two naysayers change their minds after exchanging a LOT of discussion with gay marriage supporters - and that was over this 3 year period.

Now that I've been so very cheery :), I really do wish you the best of everything and peace to you and yours.

Answer 6

Oh vinny... are you ACTUALLY equating consensual adult relations to the rape of children and animals? Do you HONESTLY not discern the difference between the two? That makes me sad. Correction: vinny, I misunderstood, you're not saying that at all. I apologize. Same questions to anyone who actually believes that crap.

As for the question... that's not difficult for me to accept at all. I FULLY support completely equal rights. As for others... some people just can't get over their irrational disapproval no matter how much sense you try to talk into them. I've experienced it... no matter how right you are, no matter how much they might even want to agree with you, their GUT will pull them in the other direction.

We should come up with something that can communicate directly with the GUT in it's own language.

Answer 7

I fully agree with parts of your gay agenda. WIthout question you should have no penalty with respect to citizenship, jobs, pay. You should have the right to associate with the people you want and demonstrate as we all have the right.

I believe you should be able to form a legal union with a partner and have all insurance, inheritance, and rights of any married couple. Many places provide for this now.

When your rights affect my rights, then I disagree. Marriage is a reserved concept. It has been historically defined as a union between a living man and woman.
- Not two men
- not two women
- Not a man and a beloved pet
- not a woman and a houseplant
- not with a dead partner
you get the idea. It is reserved concept. To extend it to include exceptions diminishes it for the rest of us. When we extend the meaning, why shouldn;t it be extended for others who have deep convictions for their preferred "partner". Frankly, the concept of marriage is cheapened this way. The gay community has to get used to this, IMHO. It has religious implications, it has legal implictions. It has biological implications.

I think the world has come a long way to accept that this is not an illness, but it is "normal" for some people. I think you should rejoice your successes.

I understand this is a polarizing subject, so be it.

Answer 8

If you look at those goals you mentioned they are not equal, they are more than heterosexuals enjoy. So your first statement is not accurate.
Your second says 'that most of you have no desire to share your sexual orientation with the worlds at large." Yet most of you define yourselves to us by your sexuality. You present yourself as first and foremost a homosexual.
Your movement certainly does attempt to change religious beliefs. In Canada radio preachers have already been warned that their words constitute "hate speech". Here religious leaders who disagree with you are labeled as hate mongers.
The bible does not say that you are less than other sinners and neither do most religious leaders. Homosexual activist continue to portray themselves as victims. Often the finger is pointed at the Christian who had nothing to do with your suffering.

You are "out proud" in front of our kids, with no regard for their well being. Your acts are not like regular men and women. Regular men do not kiss men, or regular women kiss women.

You want more than equality. If my behaviour is detrimental to my employer and hinders my effectivness on the job, I can be dismissed. Yet, homosexuals want to work for church based charities who serve children. You want to make it so that even they could not fire a person for their behaviour which is contrary to what the children are being taught. Medical decisions can be arranged for through other legal means that are available to anyone regardless of their sexual choice. Why should homosexual couples or heterosexual couples be given the same insurance benefits as married couples. Married couples contribute benefits back to society in ways that non married couples do not. A more stable future generation.

The decision to live a homosexual life is based on selfishness. This is evident in your question. The whole thing is about what you think society owes you. The negative effects of homosexuality are completely ignored. And it is not just homosexuality , but all types of immoral sex. Kids suffer the most. They then grow up with a distorted view of sex. some become sexual criminals, others have marital problems. Either way, all of society suffers.

Answer 9

Those who oppose gays can no more "accept" them than they would accept child molestation or fornicating with barnyard animals. To them, they are all unnatural, sinful, abominable acts. Why don't gays understand this? ;)

thelastdragon said "i wish that everyone on this planet could see that we are all the same and should all be treated as equals!"

We are not all the same. There are bums, arsonists, drug dealers and dictators in the world. Still think we are all the same and should be treated as equals? You are treated no better or worse than the person doing the "treating" feels about you. And a lot of people don't feel so good about gays.

You can keep trying to convince the opposition that they're wrong, but hitting them over the head with it won't win them over.

Answer 10

I think equality is good. I do believe homosexuality is wrong but I also think arrogance, greed and lust are wrong and I wouldn't want someone to have less rights because they struggle with a particular sin. However, I think good marriages between a man and woman are the cornerstone of society because they are the best place to nurture a family and raise children. To keep them from getting a marriage licence is not taking away their rights. It is only keeping homosexual marriage from having a stamp of approval by society.

Answer 11

sweet ivy got it, if you keep yourself dumb you'll defend dumb causes. It's such bull crap that we still have these arguments in America. Especially if it is religious, a preacher isn't forced to marry anyone. And that it doesn't benefit society is ignorant too and a faulty argument. Potato chips don't benefit society, those are still legal, but hey, we need potato chips more than two people should be able to solidify their love, bull crap.