Is Discrimination against gays and lesbians okay?

Question

I'm beginning to wonder if this is how some people still feel in this day and age. Why are Gays and lesbians forced to accept unequal rights?
I will readily admit that I am in a conventional marriage, so it doesn't really affect me. But being a caring individual, I'm struggling to understand how we can live with denying someone the right to happiness.
Considering that 50 percent of all marriages end in divorce, and the number of serial brides and grooms out there (Liz Taylor, Larry King, Rudy Guliani, Newt Gingrich, Rush Limbaugh....just a few who come to mind) and the number of serial philandererers (Bill Clinton, David Vitter) I've come to the conclusion that we don't have the right to judge on gay marriages. Marriage isn't perfect, and I don't see how it is up to us to judge people if it is right or wrong.

No, Marriage isn't a constitutional right, but aren't all created equal and gauranteed life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?

Grumpy old man: What does marriage between a brother and sister have to do with gays and lesbians getting married? That's a whole 'nother issue.

Answer 1

You are right, unfortunately those who feel that discriminating against gays and lesbians is alright are ignorant and scared, this is the same line of thinking that brought slaves to this country, the same line of thinking that people like Martin Luther King fought against. Perhaps in a hundred years everyone will look back at this issue and wonder how we could have been so arrogant and barbaric.

Answer 2

Marriage is not a constitutional right, however equal rights are.

I don't care how two or more consenting adult chose to define their relationships. If somebody wishes to dedicate their life to another and obtain legal partnership rights that is wonderful. It is not my business, it will not diminish my marriage.

To hear that Marriage is a Church institution is a weak argument. Many people are married in a secular ceremony. Their marriages are still recognized even with the absence of god. I

I agree that it is none of my business, it does not effect me in either way, and my marriage will not be diminished by the fact that Steve and ted we legally able to commit to each other legally.

Answer 3

For those who want to preserve the "sanctity" of marriage.....they shouldn't be trying to outlaw gay marriage, they should be trying to outlaw divorce.

Tom and Ted or Mary and Marie, want to play house ?...fine by me. It doesn't affect the validity of my marriage, or my values.....matter of fact it doesn't affect me in any way whatsoever.

As long as the court systems in this country continue to provide the service of non-denominational marriages..or "unions".... They have an obligation under the constitution of the US NOT TO DESCRIMINATE ! Additionally I have yet to hear an argument against gay marriage that is not based on ideology.

Churches on the other hand have every right to descriminate against whoever they want to... that is also in the constitution.

As for the government, they are willfully sidelining equal rights outlined in the constitution because of the ideological activists in our judicial system.

ADDED_

Just wanted to add that ...whether or not the majority of America approves/disapproves of gay marriage, makes NO DIFFERENCE ! The majority DOESN'T RULE ! If the majority ruled, then there would be alot of minorities without equal rights still. The constitution says the government cannot descriminate.... Nowhere does it say, "unless you are gay".

Simply put. When the government provides a service, it has to provide it to all citizens without descrimination.

Answer 4

I assure you, as an out lesbian myself, it is anything but "okay." Yes, lesbianism is fetishised because of porn. It's the biggest shared fantasy in the world: two "bad" hot girls going at it. Great, right? But while the porn lesbians are okay, actual lesbians? Not so much. Lesbianism as a fetish is accepted. But actual living, breathing lesbians, the ones of us who are in love and in relationships and have no interest in exploiting ourselves for the camera, experience just as much discrimination as gay men do. We too are called f*ggots. We too get things thrown at us. We too get murdered for expressing our love for each other. We too cannot get married, serve openly in the military, or adopt children. We too get hounded on the streets for holding hands with our partner. These things happen to lesbians too, with almost as much frequency as they happen to gay men. And, because of the porn industry, we lesbians have a trial to deal with that many gay men do not: men approaching us thinking we are porn stars. Yes, my fiancée and I are very attractive women. Not porn-star attractive, but yes, attractive. We have been together a long time and do express that we are a couple in public. We feel no need to hide it. However, this has not come without its problems. Men will approach us, offering to pay us money to have sex in front of them, or for a threesome. They will come up to us in public and start talking dirty to us, like we're the "bad girls" they've seen in porn films. A more extreme example? There have been TWO separate occasions where she and I narrowly escaped being raped--and who knows what else--on the subway because we refused to indulge a group of men in their fantasy. They saw us and figured, hey, lesbians, they're hot, they'll do it. We politely refused. And when we did, they surrounded us and tried to gang rape us. It was terrifying. And, besides. If lesbianism was "okay," it would be only gay men who didn't have rights. In case you've missed something, lesbians don't either. Lesbianism is not considered okay. Lesbian couples are not seen as equal, and real lesbians are seen as disgusting or only as fetish objects. The only way that lesbians are more accepted is because of porn, and that brings its own problems.

Answer 5

Personally I couldn't care less.It seems more a battle of semantics to me.What I do care about is government involvement.It's not a Constitutional question at all.It's really a States rights issue.Let the individual states decide.Which is slowly happening right now.If you are Gay and want to be "married"move to a state that allows it.Some states call it civil union,so what.Like I said it's all semantics.The majority has a right to make it's own laws.No matter how stupid.That to me trumps Gay rights.

Answer 6

It is not some people. You are in the vast minority. Most states voted on this issue a few years ago. Same sex marriage was shot down very decisively. I guess the majority doesn't matter anymore. If it did we wouldn't be saying " holiday tree ". And if the pursuit of happiness included marrying your brother or sister, you would be okay with that also?

Answer 7

No.

It is not discrimination to refuse a group of people a right nobody else has either.

They have every right in the world to marry someone of the opposite sex.

Answer 8

Clearly, we are not created equal. Our challenge is to treat people equally in spite of unequal circumstances. I agree with most of the rest of your post.

Answer 9

Homosexuality is a behavior. We discriminate against all kinds of behaviors (murder, theft, drinking, speeding, jaywalking, etc.). Obviously we should not discriminate against things people can't change (sex, race, etc.), but any behavior can be changed.

And for those who are saying "they are born that way", that's just dumb. Your genes will give you legs, but they can't make you use them to walk, jump, run, or ride a bike. Those are behaviors that you have to choose to engage in. Your genes will give you genitals, but you choose what to do with them.

If society judges a behavior to be bad for society, it discriminates against it (rules and laws). Stealing might be what makes you happy, but society has deemed it inappropriate behavior, so we pass laws against it. If society deems homosexuality to be harmful, then society can discriminate against that behavior, even if it is "what makes you happy".

Any behavior can be discriminated against, because all behaviors are a choice.

Answer 10

Absolutely not!

As Janie B mentioned, something that doesn't affect another's lifestyle should not be their business.