I'm confused about the gay civil rights movement...?

Question

Are you all trying to get a non-religious civil union legal for gays or are you trying to make it so that a church must marry a gay couple if they want to be married?

Answer 1

The struggle for same-sex marriage WAS NOT...IS NOT...AND *NEVER* WILL BE A RELIGIOUS ISSUE.

For many anti-GLBT rights advocates this is the bone of contention. They believe that when Equal Status for Marriage is granted, the church -- ANY church -- must comply with a same-sex couple who wishes to have a religious wedding ceremony and have it recognized by the government. This is simply not true.

Civil status in marriage and to garner equal benefits in marriage are all we require and is all we ask for. We've asked for nothing more, and certainly nothing less.

Many bigoted religous leaders about 40 years ago when interracial marriage rights were decriminalized by the government, believed that all churches and religious organizations would be compelled to not only recognize but perform wedding ceremonies in their places of worship. That didn't happen then, and hasn't happened today. Any church can deny to marry anyone they wish.

To this day, NO religious organization or church is compelled to perform weddings, nor will they ever be forced to do so. If they were so compelled by law, that would be a clear violation of the separation of church and state and a violation of the constitution.

In short, we are asking for EQUAL STATUS IN MARRIAGE, or in other words, LEGAL (not religious) recognition of the pairing of two people and that it be recognized by the government ... not any church or religious organization.

Best Wishes!
~~~~~~
I approach all people equally. I give them the level of respect and high regard we all deserve by assuming everyone is Gay. ~Me

Answer 2

Don't speak too soon Notoutyet. I'm a married mother of three and I wholly and totally respect and support gay marriage. I believe that gay partners should have the same "benefits" etc that straight ppl are allowed under the law of this country. If religion was taken out of this entire debate, then it wouldn't be such a big deal.
I hate reading stories about partners who have been together for many years and something happens to one of them and they have absolutely no rights to maybe visit their partner in the hospital, claim to possesions, etc.
Homosexuals should have the same rights that hetero's have. I'm just disgusted by all of it.
Most gays have better morals than the majority of the ppl I know, including my family.
A civil union or church marriage is up to the couple that is getting married according to their beliefs, whether they are gay or not. I think it should be a decision based on the couple getting married. But one should take the fact of how it is here in america first according to gays even being legally married before you talk about church weddings etc.

Answer 3

I've not met anyone that said that all churches should have to perfom gay marriages.

In my opinion, the government shouldn't force religious groups to do, or not do, anything.

Basicly, the fight is for legal rights for gay couples.
Straight couples can get married without going to a church...you just need to fill out some papers. Also, ship captains are allowed to do marriages.

My church does gay marriages (and straight ones, of course) but gay couples are not given the same legal rights as straight married couples. In our eyes, the people are married, but not in the eyes of the government.

Answer 4

Neither. When gay and lesbian folks started coming out straight people didn't have a clue as to what to think. So, as usual, when people don't understand things, they jump to their own conclusions and start blabbing their own beliefs. The bible does say that a marriage is the union of a male and female, but it also says that we were not put here to judge other people. Our judgment comes at the time of out death and god is the only one to make a ruling on that. We have always lashed out and either hurt, maimed, killed or ridiculed people who are different than what we think they should be. You probably wouldn't be asking this question if somebody long before you hadn't made a big issue over a gay or lesbian person. Gays and lesbians are not trying to make anyone do anything. They just want what is already out there for them to have.

Answer 5

Churches don't have to marry anyone they don't want to--IT'S ALREADY THE LAW. Being married in Church means nothing. It's legal recognition of civil unions that matters.

Answer 6

They want to be able to be recognized as a union. Just like my husband and I have a civil union. We are not married by the church, but if something happens to my husband I collect his social security, and any thing that was in his name would be mine. They just want that security. If they a stay together and build a life together, why can't they recoup what was invested. Instead of the government keeping it all?

Answer 7

you don't need a church to get married.....you don't get the same rights with a civil union....we want equality.

Answer 8

no one needs a church to marry them. people can do it at city hall. i would have a church marry me, but my womans mother is a minister and their church is down with that. city hall should have to, and individual churches can make their own decisions based on their own doctrines. like boy scouts can exclude gays, but should not get public funds or $$free public space.

Answer 9

Our consitutions says :"Equal rights for every human being." However, this statement is untrue. As you can tell by the political climate in which we are finding our selfs in. Good resources for you to educate your self is

www.hrc.org
www.aclu.org

here you can find answers to your question. Hats up before you for wanting to learn!!!!!

Answer 10

I'm not gay... lol... have to clarify... but I have gay friends.

Basically it's:
Equal rights in all shapes and forms.