Why should gay and lesbian people be given special rights?

Question

The Constitution provides for the rights of all persons regardless of Color, Race, Religion, or Sex. This covers everyone in the world. So why do the gay and lesbian people feel they should have their own special rights when, by their own admission, they are a sub group of any or all of the four mentioned above?

I never mentioned marriage but since you brought it up, marriage is not considered a right but, is in fact a religious ceremony and is considered a commandment given by God when he said to "Go forth and multiply and replenish the earth" Gay and Lesbians can't do this in the bonds of Holy Matrimony. The rights I am talking about are when people are screaming about discrimination against a gay man because I didn't hire him to work for me. I will not hire gays or lesbians because it is my business and my choice to choose who I want to hire. You can't sue me for not liking to have that lifestyle around my company. But if you put it in the constitution then I am being forced to hire people I don't want working for me.

Being accepted in a community has nothing to do with rights. I can force people to accept me as a gray haired man and you can't force people to accept you as gay. Acceptance is a privelege not a right.

So far Lui, you have provided me with the most thought provoking answer. To all of you that claim I am angry or hating or a bigot, you have only looked at one side of my question and returned your answer with hatred against me. My original question was simple and based on my own personal experience. I have not discriminated against anyone in my business but, merely using that as an example. I do know of a case where a friend of mine was sued for discrimination and the person claimed he was fired for being gay. My friend won the case, after being picketed unfairly by the rainbow coalition, when the courts decided that he did not discriminate. He knew the guy was gay but fired him for being lazy on the job. As to leaving an estate to a life partner, It is called a last will and testament and generally stands up in court. Even hetero people have problems collecting on deceased spouses social security. Lighten up and stop hating so hard!

Answer 1

First, I want no special rights, I want equality.

As for marriage, I do not need holy marriage in a church, just legal marriage under law. There's a difference. Your constitution also separates church and state as I recall, so you should not deny my rights to marry whom I want so long as they're of marrying age.

Also, you are denying people work based on sexuality, with goes against the spirit of the constitution. It basically says you cannot measure the worth of a man by these factors. It's very stupid to use it in your defense, yet go against it.

Gay shouldn't matter. But it's people like you that are making it matter.

I want to get the job because I'm qualified, not because I'm gay. But I also do not wish to be fired because I'm gay, or have that held against me.

What we need is a non-discrimination policy for business. So that you would not be allowed to not hire people based on sexuality.

You are measuring people's worth as a worker based on their sexuality, that's wrong by any standard.

You are oppressing us, that's what needs to stop.

Once it does, then gay is no longer an issue. Then gay just becomes a part of a person.

So make me equal, not different. Because I'm not fundamentally different.

This only speaks to your insecurity, not gay people's ability to work.

Answer 2

It is a simple thing and the answers here are pretty full of hate but are you asking the question out of your own hatred or to try and start problems? It appears that this is an argument that will never end. The gay and lesbian people want recognition and understanding and the christian straight people want to squash anything the gay coalition wants. The only thing I see that may bring any sense to this is when both sides start conversing without hatred and fear. Only then will anything worthwile be accomplished. While I am not gay, I know people who are and are respectable people. What people do behind closed doors is their own business and none of my concern. The only time I have an issue is when I and my family are exposed to two people showing anything more than simple affection. I am not talking about holding hands or even a simple kiss in public. I am talking about groping, petting, fondling, and worse. It shouldn't be carried out in public whether you are homosexual or heterosexual.

I see a lot of thumbs down and thumbs up and I can tell who gave what based on what gender orientation the answerer is. I will probably get a lot of thumbs down because I am not gay and it will show me that there is a lack of tolerance on both sides of the fence. Gay people have (generally speaking) no tolerance for straight people as can be seen in so many of the hateful responses to your questions and the hate filled names that so many gay and lesbian people are using on this and many other sites. So as I see it, there is an equal amount of hatred between both groups.

Answer 3

Well, if they had decided only to provide the rights of all persons regardless of gender, this also includes all people in the world. Unfortunately, it leaves the door wide open for discrimination based on all kinds of other criteria.

The fact that being treated fairly and equally does not constitute a special right is one of the ideas this country was founded upon.

Answer 4

When you said "marriage is not considered a right but, is in fact a religious ceremony", you were wrong ! Marriage is, in fact, a LEGAL binding between two people (currently defined as a male and a female).

A couple (male/female) can only "legally" be married if they are married through the laws of the government of the land. If I were to marry only in a church, with no marriage license from the government, I am not legally married. I can however, go to a judge, and have a marriage performed, in which I am legally married, without ever having religion brought into it.

As far as I know, the only exception to this is in the common law marriage, in which a couple lives together, as a couple, for 7 years. And with this, the government does see this as a legal marriage.

The gays, lesbians, and bisexuals do not have the same rights as straight couples. Consider two lesbians, both in retirement, and one of the lesbians dies, the remaining lesbian can not get a portion of the dead lesbians lovers pension or social security for the rest of her life. In many situations, a straight couple can make this happen.

If a lesbians partner ends up in a hospital, and is only allowed visitation by immediate family, that means her own partner is not allowed in to see her. For straight couples, the partner IS allowed in.

The way gay and lesbian people are treated in the United States (and other countries), they ARE a subgroup of the general community. They just want to be part of the general community, and people like you are trying to hold them down.

Let me ask you this. Do you treat gays and lesbians the same way you treat straight people ? If you answer honestly, you will be saying "No". But somehow, I get the feeling that you will try to tell me your answer is "Yes".

Answer 5

Most gay people I know do not want special rights, they want the same rights everbody else has.

I think it is funny that people use God as an excuse against gay marriage. Does this mean athiests should not be allowed to get married? What about straight people who physically cannot have children? They probably shouldn't be able to get married either, right?

Answer 6

Really?? The Constitution does NOT cover everyone in the world. It only covers the UNITED STATES.

And didn't it take amendments to the Constitution to abnolish slavery and give women the right to vote??

And, no marriage is NOT a religious institution. Ever hear of CIVIL marriages??

And, as long as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 indicates that a person cannot be discriminated against on the basis of their sexual orientation, you as an employer, can be sued.

Answer 7

Well since this country has a thing called, "Freedom of religion," I don't understand that if a church allows gay marriage why anyone else should have a problem with that... It's just all about picking your battles, and I beleive that if you believe the homosexualitie is wrong, than you can go on believing that. Just don't try and push it on to other! We all have our own beleifs!

Answer 8

We don't want special rights - just the same ones as everyone else.

Marriage is a LEGAL matter, not a religious one.

That is a RIGHT denied to the majority of gay people in the world ... and here is a surprise for you: most people in the world live outside the USA.

Why are you so angry?

.

Answer 9

Not allowing gay marriage is discrimination due to sex. Homosexuals must have the same rights to marry the consenting adult they love, just like hetrosexuals do. Until then, unconstitutional inequality exists based on discrimination due to the gender/sex of the individuals involved.

Answer 10

Because the Constitution is not being adhered to. Marriage rights are not being given to LGBT people to marry one other unrelated person of age of their choosing.

Since marriage rights (1000+) are state-given, they are subject to the Constitution. To not give equal marriage rights to all is state-sponsored discrimination, pure and simple.

Thanks for being on our side to secure EQUAL rights that we don't have now!

(Note that ignorant bigots that want to ban same-gender marriage would have to AMEND the Constitution to support their hatreds. Even more support for our point.)

I am just itching for a case involving this discrimination to come before the Supreme Court, when the Constitution can once again be affirmed as the law of the land.

Equal rights for all! Thanks for your help!

EDIT - If you decided not to hire someone solely because they were gay, then you deserve to be sued for discrimination. Just insert the word "black" or "female" into your diatribe to see how bigoted it is.
Equal opportunity is a RIGHT, not a "privilege," in the US.
Perhaps when you get cleaned out monetarily you will become educated.