Nothing whatsoever, but if you are going to ask the people to vote on it, this is what you get.
More like if the opposition ask people to vote on it, that's what's gonna happen. Gays and lesbians really underestimate the fearfulness and the taboo that this issue is the Black, Brown and Asian community. Also, 77% of the out of state funding for the Gay Marriage Ban in California came from the Mormons.
This allows Christians & everyone in California to become comfortable with Mormons, "We think like you, we oppose gay marriage too!"
They are not interested in religious conversion, they simply need blacks & others not, to freak out & regard them as a cult. You know the saying:
The enemy of my enemy is my friend. And that's all it took to get those hooked to follow. Which is probably the 20,000 people converging on the headquarters is happening. Hell, it's growing in number too. I can only imagine the Mormons trying to ask for civility from those who they helped to reverse their right.
I know I keep saying the same thing over and over when this type of thing comes up but it simply amazes me how people use this argument (...and no I don't give a dayum what ya'll got to say about me taking up for gay people). I don't know where I stand on this issue biblically becasue Leviticus does not apply to anything in our life in 2008. However, just to make a point about the above in bold, yes, you can abstain from heterosexual sex but you will still be straight. So just because a man/woman abstains from homosexual sex will not make them not gay. In other words, I don't think your reasoning is logical. Sexual orientation is not an act. I would assume that you were straight before you ever had sex.
Gay marriage? I really don't see the point. I am not up on the laws but if they can get civil unions or wills drawn up, I don't see the need to get married.
Because civil unions don't equal marriage by a long shot. Hell I though about a civil union cause I wasn't/ain't thinking about marriage. But after looking at what they are, they're about a close to marriage as a a car with lots of missing pieces, and I do mean A LOT.
Let me expound. When people marry, they tend to do so for reasons of love and commitment. But marriage is also a legal status, which comes with rights and responsibilities. Marriage establishes a legal kinship between you and your spouse. It is a relationship that is recognized across cultures, countries and religions.
What is a Civil Union? Civil Unions exist in only a handful of places: Vermont, New Jersey and Connecticut. California and Oregon have domestic partnership laws that offer many of the same rights as civil unions.
Vermont civil unions were created in 2000 to provide legal protections to gays and lesbians in relationships in that state because gay marriage is not an option. The protections do not extend beyond the border of Vermont and no federal protections are included with a Civil Union. Civil Unions offer some of the same rights and responsibilities as marriage, but only on a state level.
Domestic partnership? Some states and municipalities have domestic partnership registries, but no domestic partnership law is the same. Some, like the recently passed California domestic partnership law comes with many rights and responsibilities. Others, like the one in Washingtonoffer very few benefits to the couple.
the differences between Civil Unions and Gay Marriage?
Recognition in other states: Even though each state has its own laws around marriage, if someone is married in one state and moves to another, their marriage is legally recognized. For example, Oregon marriage law applies to people 17 and over. In Washington state, the couple must be 18 to wed. However, Washington will recognize the marriage of two 17 year olds from Oregon who move there. This is not the case with Civil Unions. If someone has a Civil Union in Vermont, that union is not recognized in any other state. As a matter of fact, two states, Connecticut and Georgia, have ruled that they do not have to recognize civil unions performed in Vermont, because their states have no such legal category. As gay marriages become legal in other states, this status may change.
Dissolving a Civil Union v. Divorce:
Vermont has no residency requirement for Civil Unions. That means two people from any other state or country can come there and have a civil union ceremony. If the couple breaks up and wishes to dissolve the union, one of them must be a resident of Vermont for one year before the Civil Union can be dissolved in family court. Married couples can divorce in any state they reside, no matter where they were married.
Immigration:
A United States citizen who is married can sponsor his or her non-American spouse for immigration into this country. Those with Civil Unions have no such privilege.
Taxes:
Civil Unions are not recognized by the federal government, so couples would not be able to file joint-tax returns or be eligible for tax breaks or protections the government affords to married couples.
Benefits:
The General Accounting Office in 1997 released a list of 1,049 benefits and protections available to heterosexual married couples. These benefits range from federal benefits, such as survivor benefits through Social Security, sick leave to care for ailing partner, tax breaks, veterans benefits and insurance breaks. They also include things like family discounts, obtaining family insurance through your employer, visiting your spouse in the hospital and making medical decisions if your partner is unable to. Civil Unions protect some of these rights, but not all of them.
But can’t a lawyer set all this up for gay and lesbian couples?
No. A lawyer can set up some things like durable power of attorney, wills and medical power of attorney. There are several problems with this, however.
1. It costs thousands of dollars in legal fees. A simple marriage license, which usually costs under $100 would cover all the same rights and benefits.
2. Any of these can be challenged in court. As a matter of fact, more wills are challenged than not. In the case of wills, legal spouses always have more legal power than any other family member.
3. Marriage laws are universal. If someone’s husband or wife is injured in an accident, all you need to do is show up and say you’re his or her spouse. You will not be questioned. If you show up at the hospital with your legal paperwork, the employees may not know what to do with you. If you simply say, "He's my husband," you will immediately be taken to your spouse's side.
Defense of Marriage Law?
Even with lesbian and gay marriages being performed and recognized in some states, the Federal Defense of Marriage Law prohibits the federal government from recognizing gay and lesbian relationships. This puts gay and lesbian couples who are married in a legal limbo. How do they file their tax returns? Do they have to pay the tax on their partner’s health insurance? How do they fill out legal and other forms, single or married?
Creating Civil Unions creates a separate and unequal status for some of America’s citizens. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial court ruled that creating a separate class for gay and lesbian citizens is not permissible and that is why they have voted that only marriage equals marriage. The precedent was set with Brown v. The Board of Education regarding segregation in public education. Ironically, Massachusetts marriage law went into effect on the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education.
The United States Constitution guarantees equality for all. As you can see, marriage and civil unions are not the same. Creating equal access to marriage is the only fair way to ensure equality for gay and straight couples alike.
So, what if someone tomorrow discovered and could PROVE that (biblically) sex between a man and woman could ONLY happen if you were trying to have a child and that ALL other sex had to be homosexual. Are you saying to me that you can just change to homosexual tomorrow? I REALLY want you to answer that question. Can you choose to be a homo if the bible told you to?
