The USA Supreme Court handed down a ruling today that indicates that it will not automatically vote to reject gay marriage.

http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/news/supreme-court-will-not-hear-appeal-on-dc-gay-marriage-law25-ncx-20110118

Today the USA Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal regarding the Washington DC gay marriage law. Anti-gay marriage forces were trying to challenge the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics decision not to put gay marriage up for a vote. By not hearing the appeal, the USA Supreme Court allowed the Board of Elections and Ethics to stand thus handing a victory to the pro-gay marriage side.

Though not an actual ruling, this does indicate that the USA Supreme Court will not automatically move to strike down gay marriage strictly on ideological grounds.

This gives a little bit more hope that the USA Supreme Court may not automatically overturn the Prop 8 verdict strictly on ideological grounds if the appeals ever get that far.

Also, Today New York state has started an attempt to enact laws to allow gay marriage. With Maryland and Rhode Island, that makes three states that my start allowing gay marriage this year. Maryland is most likely, everything I have read indicates that it probably will pass. Rhode Island seems likely as well considering the one road block was an anti-gay marriage Governor which has been replaced with someone that supports gay marriage. I don't think NY is all that likely.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/18/2011 11:36AM by MJ.

Great news!

Baby step by baby step. Bringing society into line with reality. It shouldn't be this hard. But at least we're making progress.

Here's coverage in the Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/18/AR2011011802214.html?hpid=topnews

Note that Bishop Harry Jackson was backed by a "conservative legal group" -- in other words, the anti-gay person who brought the issue before the court is not really an individual christian (or christians), but a well-funded, supposedly non-profit group that gives people like Bishop Jackson money and support. People are being paid to be anti-gay.

My bet is that some of that money comes from mormons, and is laundered through NOM (National Organization for Marriage).

Anti-gay forces are outraged by the recent Supreme Court decision regarding the gay marriage referendum in Washington D.C. They are posting in the comments of newspapers that carry the story. Here's an example:

...research, which irrefutably proves the following about same-sex behavior:
1. Because it involves physiology that's not designed for same-sex behavior, it's highly prone to bodily damage and serious disease;
2. Like every other behavioral urge, homosexuality is subject to social influences, which can trigger this urge. Same-sex marriage is just such an influence.
3. Because of item 3 and because the manifestation of the urge - homosexual behavior - is acted on by choice, homosexuality bears no resemblence, whatsoever, to race or gender. Consequently, it's subject to laws passed by the people or their representatives and not to the courts.
4. "Married" homosexuals are far more likely to divorce than married heterosexuals; and
5. Homosexuals, primarily married, remain non-monogomous, even if they're "married."
     To those, who know that marriage must remain between one man and one woma, please email this post to as many people as you can and ask that they do the same. Also, please email this link (http://pulse.yahoo.com/_HTB4W4CSYDBWN6R2D5ESTASCUQ/blog/articles/270046?listPage=index) as well, since it summarizes the science and the references upon which this post is based. In emailing this post and the link, as I requested above, we can educate the public to keep marriage as it should be: between one man and one woman! [end offensive comment by seriously ill-informed anti-gay commenter]

The so-called "research" is either bogus, or actually does *not* conclude what the commenter thinks it does. More like "summarizes the anti-science and religious mumbo-jumbo."

We have come quite a long way since 1994.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/08/22/weekinreview/0822-marriage.html?ref=weekinreview

As you look at the interactive chart, it is clear the direction gay marriage acceptance is headed. It is only a matter of time. This is very comforting. It may be a few years, it may be 10 years, but it is clear where it is headed.

The LDS church will once again be on the wrong side of history. Just like their treatment of blacks, women and Native Americans. Future Mormons will turn to apologists to try to rationalize current Mormon rhetoric regarding gays, just as current Mormons have to reconcile the past racist doctrines and statements, along with their stance on polygamy.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700059109/Analysis-New-poll-shows-over-time-a-gay-marriage-groundswell.html

"Analysis: New poll shows, over time, a gay marriage groundswell"
"Only Utah is below where national support stood in 1996"

Utah 15 years behind the times!

I'm sorry but in my own personal opinion, homosexuality is wrong.

Race the sexual persersions are not the same fight. This is destroying and dividing our family not so much from the perversion itself as it is from those who oppose the implementation of it. The military will struggle to survive.

Thank you for your personal opinion.

"The military will struggle to survive."
How do you know this? I'm in the military. I'm not sure how the overturning of "don't ask, don't tell" will affect operations, but I'm sure the military will adapt and continue on. I can guarantee that I'll be sitting through one more mandatory yearly briefing than I was before, but the military has adjusted to much bigger changes in the past (draft to all-volunteer force, integrating women, etc.)
I'm sorry but your personal opinion on homosexuality doesn't carry much weight to me. My personal opinion is that there is nothing wrong with it.

Ever consider that if TSCC is a lie and teaches lies, that what it teaches about homosexuality is also a lie?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_animals_displaying_homosexual_behavior

There seems to be an awful lot of countries where allowing gays to marry have caused a problem for the military.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_orientation_and_military_service

It seems the facts do not match your claims.

And it has already been explained to your that your family was not destroyed by having a gay member, it was destroyed by the people being intolerant of the gay member. My family had great family values and I was accepted and loved. My being gay did not destroy our family. There are lots of families like mine. The only families that are destroyed are the families that will not love and accept the gay member.

because you and your family still toe the cult's illiterate, illogical, superstitious witch-doctor penisholder-knows-best hate-rhetoric, now would it? Of course not, none of you ever have, are not now, nor ever will be wrong about anything. Right?

In other words: Mormons have been proven to be stupid bigoted racists who were on the wrong side of every last social justice struggle in the past, but that label couldn't possibly fit you and the rest of your family, would it? NoooOOOooo, of course not.

Far easier to blame LGBT people for merely trying to be human. Far easier to shun little brother than to realize that cult superstitions are cult superstitions. Far easier to blame little brother for willfully embracing such an evil "lifestyle," no matter how illogical that claim is. Far easier to cut little brother out and trash him for "ruining" eternal family, no matter how silly and disjointed Mormon "eternal family" dogma actually is.

And finally, get one thing straight in your hetero-centric little world: LGBT people don't have LIFESTYLES. LGBT have LIVES. Lives just like yours, you confused Mormon freak, only lives far more vibrant and interesting than yours could ever be.

And a bit of arrogance.

It's tearing your family apart because someone wants to impliment a same sex marriage?!? What balderdash. Unless you're a closet homosexual your family (or marriage) isn't in any danger. The only danger to your family is if YOU CHOSE to make it a family destroying event because you're too stiffnecked, self righteous and judgemental to accept another human being's choice to live an authentic life.

In my opinion you have a lot of growing up to do and are in serious need of an injection of compassion and understanding of basic justice.

My parents come from different races and I have had conservative Christian friends tell me the same sort of arguments against gay marriage that were used against interracial marriage. I can remember a college friend nearly going up in flames after he saw my parents after coming for a parent's day visit. "It's un-natural, it's against the Bible, I don't hold with that," etc., etc. Most Western countries have civil marriages. Look at the mess in Israel...only Orthodox marriages are legal. Reform (mostly from the US) and Conservative are not.

I also believe there can be more than one lie.

I'm not convinced TSCC is true nor am I convinced the homosexuality is a correct lifestyle.

Homosexuality is NOT the "correct" lifestyle for most people, but it IS correct for many.

What gives you the right to decide whether a lifestyle is "correct"?

The same reason the stealing to survive is incorrect.

In what way is two individuals of the same sex loving each other and committing to each other comparable to theft? Please ellucidate.

The grieving parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles.

How about the young children of a husband who wonder why he left their mom to go bumjug another man?

You can't convince me even for a minute that their aren't victims. The make their choices, but their choices also affect other lives.

In healthy families, there are no "grieving parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles."

In healthy families there would be no gay people marring opposite sex partners.

Yes, there are victims - starting with the homosexual who was forced by his family's influence to hide who (s)he was, pretend to be something unnatural to him/her, and play "straight" to protect the family self-image.

Families choose whether to victimize their family members, or accept them for who they are. Homosexuality is part of who some people are.

Perhaps accepting people as they are naturally, rather than forcing them to toe the "normal" hetero line would have solved many of those issues.

Thank you so much for increasing my vocabulary, edmarc. I had never heard "bumjug" before.

Colorful.

BTW, if your entire family has to remain ultra conservative in order to stay together, don't you think the emphasis on love and support has been lost, replaced by emphasis on unquestioning obedience to doctrine?

That's not a family, it's a political/religious organization with a binding loyalty oath. Big f**king brother made local and personal.

Somebody needs to break the mold there ... for the good of everyone involved.

Being gay is simply a matter of fact.

As others have pointed out to you, your brother being gay (or the liberals not being conservative enough) isn't the problem. It is the lack of acceptance BY YOUR FAMILY THAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM!

And you contribute to the breakup of your own family by referring to homosexuality as a "perversion".

Sorry, dude, but this is on you and your family and the fact that you are allowing the lds church to dictate your feelings about your family.

I was raised in a very conservative Mormon family. Some have held on to the conservatism. Some are more liberal and tolerant. Because of the differences in opinion in our family, we are no longer able to agree. Had all of us stayed conservative, we would still be together.


Familys are forever? Bull$#!+!!!!

Had all of your family become liberal, you would also have stayed together.
Or, if your family was able to tolerate and accept other viewpoints, it wouldn't matter if you were all the same.

That is NOT the fault of the person being gay, that is the fault of your families F'd up Mormon values.

It's a fact of life.

Learn to adapt and you'll be a lot happer.

And allow a few new thoughts into your head -- you'll be happier then too.

So in order for my family to stay together, we all have to break away from mormonism. Probably not likely to happen. TSCC has them pretty brainwashed.

That is the fault of a F'd up religion.

Its mormonism, not your brother, not liberalism, not conservatism, that's destroying your family.

Timothy

I can't honestly believe that. There are plenty of non-mormons who also consider homosexuality wrong. I have my issues with the LDS church, but I can't blame the church for this one.

Your opinion is all you have. You don't have psychologists on your side, you don't have science on your side. The only reason to buy into the homophobia is a very strict and literal interpretation of a couple of verses in the big book of Jewish fairy tales.

It's ok to be wrong. I really did use to think as you did about homosexuality. I was wrong. Dead wrong. The church was wrong. And ANY AND ALL OTHER CHURCHES who say the same stuff as TSCC are wrong. Just wrong.

God is all-knowing, correct?

God created every living thing, correct?

If such is the case, then it occurs to me that god knew Ellen was going to be a lesbian even before he created her. You can say its a choice, but god, being all-knowing and s**t, just had to know, in advance, what choice Ellen would make, otherwise, god is not all-knowing and therefore not god.

But god created Ellen anyway and is now determined to punish her for being exactly what he knew, in advance, she would be?

Maybe you're right, edmarc. Its not even mormonism's fault your family is coming unglued. Its god's fault!

What a total f**k-up this deity is!

Timothy



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/18/2011 02:22PM by Timothy.

And by what authority are THEY right???

Psychology? No.

Anthropology / Social Behavior? No.

Biology? No.

Next excuse....?

Unfortunately, your church that claims to value the family is actually set up in such a way as to destroy families the moment a member starts to live an authentic life. What does that tell you about your faith?

I think there are several different degrees of unbelief here. some do and don't believe in
GOD
The BofM
The Bible itself
The church itself
Some aspects of the church
Their own biased selfishness to act on their homosexuality

You can tell when something is questionable or when something is outright evil. Just my thoughts on the matter.

... he's outright evil?

I'm sure that makes your brother feel all warm and fuzzy.

WTF, mate?

Timothy



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/18/2011 02:16PM by Timothy.

Your wishy-washy judgment statements might defend your ridiculous opinions in Elders Quorum, but they don't hold up any better than a wet paper bag around here.

"Their own biased selfishness to act on their homosexuality"?????

What about YOUR selfishness in demanding he live his life the way YOU want????? Talk about demanding, controlling selfish behavior, yours is a dictionary definition.

"Their own biased selfishness to act on their homosexuality"

Are you SERIOUS?!?!

What about the biased selfishness you show in demanding that a person live their personal and private life to YOUR bigoted, narowminded, judgemental and utterly ignorant standards?

You sir, are an ass. A hypocritical ass at that. You try to hold your brother to a standard that you couldn't touch with a ten foot pole. It's really easy to tell others how to live their own lives -- what's hard is living your own life as a loving, compassionate, supportive individual. Frankly, you're so retarded in that area I doubt you'll ever join the human race -- although miracles can happen so if you start trying there's hope.