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Endorsements for this Idea
Nonprofits and bloggers can formally endorse an idea they support. 13 current endorsements:
- Backstage w/ Supak
- Even The Desert Has Hummingbirds
- Happening Here
- Green Dads
- Worldwidw Sawdust
- DreamActivist
- Sustainable Food
- Queer by Choice
- WebUrbanist - Urban Life, Culture and Art
- 12 hour pills
- Pennsylvania NOW, Inc.
- Feministing.com
- Liminal States
We need political relocation! Harvey Milk won only after gays and supporters MOVED to Frisco. We need to go state by state by helping supporters relocate from hopeless states like AL, where their votes are useless, to swing states on this issue, like CA, VT, etc.
Use The Big Sort
http://www.thebigsort.com/maps.php
Suggested by Alan Ditmore on 02/04/2009 @ 11:36AM PT
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It seems clear that the most important thing we need to do is to clearly separate civil and religious marriages. Whether we make all civil marriages civil unions or address it in some other manner, we need to clearly separate the two. We must be vocal on this issue at all levels of society and government. If we can make this separation clear the religious will have little to oppose.
From there we can address the idea that same-sex couples are bad parents (they aren't) and that "marriage" necessitates parenting (it doesn't).
Once those are dealt with the only real burden is convincing people that gays are not bad, evil, twisted, or stupid. They do not need to change, they do not need a cure. Oh, and you can't indoctrinate children. And none of this is even directly related to marriage equality, it's just a counter to homophobes.
(We can also separate the fight for polygamic, incestuous, and bestial marriages from the fight for gay marriages as these are not same battles. Though, I personally don't think that this ridiculous idea deserves a response.)
Suggested by Colin Foley on 02/04/2009 @ 09:25AM PT
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As a gay man living without my partner for 10 1/2 years, I am appalled that anyone could think that I do not deserve equal rights. Equal rights for immigration!!!!!! My partner came to the US on an H1B Visa as a technical writer. He lost his job due to 9/11 and we have been living apart since. We did everything legally and we are still suffering. We would not endure this pain if we did not feel like we were meant to be together.
I have been a strong supporter of the Uniting American Families Act since it was introduced. But we are still waiting for it to be passed.
I don't care if the word marriage is not included for us gay people. We are not asking for special rights. We are only asking for equal rights. Call it a civil union or call it nothing at all. Just as long as we have EQUAL FEDERAL RIGHTS FOR ALL!!!
There are over 30,000 Bi National gay couples living apart because we do not have equal rights. And many of these couples are forced to move out of the US just to be together. Maybe this is the way of the 'right' to rid us? This is not a small problem anymore. I would like to ask a 'straight' couple how they knew they were in love and meant for each other?????? How they decided that they would be together until they die?
The time for change is now. We have waited far too long. If you think I am less of a person because I am gay, what would you do if your son or daughter were born gay? Would you still send them for electric shocks and therapy and make them feel like they were less of a person? Would you disown them? Would you be happy if they committed suicide, like a lot of gay teens do? How can you 'straight' people be so bigoted and yet call yourselves religious? What ever happened to love thy neighbor? This country is so split between the democrats and the republicans. Isn't it time for a change??????
So, again, my suggestion is to call our "rights" anything you want, as long as we have EQUAL FEDERAL RIGHTS FOR ALL....
Suggested by Arthur Foster on 02/04/2009 @ 07:36AM PT
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I have been reflecting on how to move the debate towards the persuadable, people who are 'open to reason.' It occurred to me that while granting equality under the law for gay people costs absolutely nothing in monetary terms (in fact, may be an economic impetus--weddings, home furnishings, housing market, etc.), the denial of those rights costs plenty.
Just two examples:
1) The single political battle in California over Prop 8 cost over $100 million. What is the total cost of battling for equality (a priority and cost that *must* be borne until we have our freedom) across the world? It must be in the hundreds of millions. What could the economy do with those funds more productively than having a pissing contest?
2) Perhaps many more than 100,000 Americans and/or their partners are living in exile (the 2000 Census number of 36,000 couples is obviously and woefully very far shy of the real number--can we stop using it?). *And most of these folks are paying taxes in those foreign countries!* (Not to mention the outrageous sums they spend on forced international travel to see family, deal with business, etc., nor the vast amount of tuition paid to keep spouses in America as students in lieu of productive, tax-paying work). What is the total economic output of Americans and their American-residency desirous partners that we lose every year? How much in taxes do we lose?
Bigotry costs America over a billion dollars a year or far more.
My suggestion is for us to put a task force of economists and statisticians together to document this number. Money talks, even to bigots.
Suggested by John Buie on 02/04/2009 @ 07:19AM PT
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I have always been a believer that every child deserves a father and a mother. marriage is and should be between a man and woman. I urge you to please pass a Constitutional amendment that clearly defines marriage as a union between a man and woman.
Suggested by Marc Thomas on 02/04/2009 @ 05:21AM PT
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Everyone should write a letter to our President Obama to Push for Congress to pass The Uniting American Families Act”(UAFA) to eliminate discrimination in the immigration laws so United States Citizens can sponsor their loved ones.
I wrote a letter to the President see below a copy. January 31, 2009 President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Barack Obama,
Congratulations! It is a special joy for Americans that you became our President in the White House. I know the first few days in the White House has been busy in fixing the Economic in the United States.
Please don’t forget about the Gay Community and that we have gay discrimination by not having full civil rights. We’re hoping that you will change this type of discrimination for lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgender.
I married my partner Margie on June 2008 in West Hollywood, and after 3 months we had to be separated because Margie didn’t have anymore legal status in the USA. Margie left and went to Mexico because I could not sponsor her for legal status. My Partner Margie came to the U.S from Venezuela on a tourist Visa. Please reverse the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996 to stop discrimination because it’s hurting the gay community in having rights to get married. Everyone should have the same rights regardless of who they choose to love. Also, can you please push Congress to pass ‘The Uniting American Families Act”(UAFA) to eliminate discrimination in the immigration laws so United States Citizens can sponsor their loved ones. You're our only hope to bring this type of discrimination to an end for all Gay & Lesbians and so Margie and I can be together again and be a family. Thank you for being my president and will be looking forward in ending discrimination. Regards, Louise Butler P.S. Here’s a picture below of Margie and I when we were together.
Suggested by Louise Butler on 01/31/2009 @ 12:29PM PT
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Perhaps it would be of benefit to those of us who are not really interested in this cause, to understand what specific rights are being denied to gays who wish to be legally married. It would seem to me there are an over abundance of lawyers who could draft up a document that would specifically address allowing one person to pass on thier name, property, death benefits, insurance benefits, medical decisions, ect. to another, without trying to change our entire social structure, as it has been for thousands of years. Excuse my ignorance of this matter, and define specifically, what rights are gays being denied.
Mostly, from my view of the argument, gays are simply trying to make it illegal for anyone to disagree with thier lifestyle choice.
This may seem like a outragous comparison, but if I chose to be a robber, should I still be entitled to all the rights a law abiding person would have. Or should my choice be considered ok because I've gotten 50 million other robbers together and decided to MAKE the world accept us. I'm sure there are many who look at this choice as a mental illness, to be treated, say, like scizophrenia.
I don't want to stand in judgement of another, because my life has never been squeaky clean, and I'm a sinner until I die. But why should my convictions, as well as the millions of others who would agree with my heterosexual lifestyle choice, be deemed illegal, just because it's what we believe is right?
If gays can convict heterosexuals for disagreeing with thier lifestyle choice, where does it end. Can I convict a gay because they don't agree with my choice?
My point is that heterosexual "marriage" is different from gay "unions". You're trying to make an orange look like an apple. Traditional marriage should remain as it has for centuries, and gay unions should be set up as its own system. The proper legal documents addressing the specifics of the union should be drafted and put into place so as NOT to infringe on traditional marriage. To my knowledge there are no documents in traditional marriage that infringe on gay unions. One system should not be able to dictate any of the rights of the other. I would not expect either to mirror the other either. I would not expect the new union institution to be without flaw and subject to ammendments. I could go along with something as that. As long as it does not dictate how I must act or think. It would have it's own set of legal entitalments, and would remain separate of traditional marriage. The new institution would be out there proving itself everyday, just as traditional marriage has been for thousands of years. Then we could all see if it is a sound institution within our society. There should be laws and consequences just as there are in traditional marriage, to address the unique properties of the union. If you think things through, that is the only workable solution. We could all stop being pissed off at the other, or worse, and let our own respective choice in our institution run it's course, and handle it's results. Just stop trying to stuff it in our face. We don't like it and it makes no sence to us. Not everyone in our society gets the same treatments, based on looks, size, gender, color, smell, tone of voice, sexual preference, etc. Until we lose all our sences, it will always be that way. Then there is education, personal convictions, personalities, amoung the millions of other human traites that make us unique in millions of ways. Are we to make rules and laws that can cover them all? No. We establish some common ground, based on what the majority of citizens deem as acceptable behaviour, based on our beliefs in God as well, who dictates morality in many cases, and then you try to establish a society that is workable. I think we've done a great job for over 230 years. Perhaps we can add another sector to our society to accomodate those who have decided to band together and choose a different personal lifestyle. Then again, how many divisions can we make and still be called a society. What's next? Personally, I think mankind has gone too far in trying to accomodate his deviations from Gods word, and I'm really beginning to look forward to the time he returns and makes it all right. Until then it up to us all to try and get along.
Suggested by Ron Lumsden on 01/31/2009 @ 09:24AM PT
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Everyone should be allowed the right to marry whoever they choose to. Religion should play no part in denying everyone the freedom and the right to marry. Hatred has run rampid throughout all Religions and is not what Jesus would ever do. Give everyone equal civil rights and pass equal rights for gays and lesbians throughout all 50 states to be allowed to marry one another and have the same rights as all same sex couples do. Make a point in letting the world know that everyone is created equal that there are no longer any second class citizens in the United States of America. Love is love, show the world that we will have change, we will have peace and there will be no more hatred allowed or tolerated by any state, religion, individual or political party of any kind. Thank you in advance President Obama for promising change and making it actually happen.
Suggested by Patti and Tami Faith on 01/31/2009 @ 02:23AM PT
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just make all unions of couples civil unions according to the law and leave marriages up to the religious zealots
Suggested by Christopher Toon on 01/29/2009 @ 12:29PM PT
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It is time to put an end to the polarization around this issue. Both sides have a very valid perspective whether we agree with it or not. The religious right want to reserve the use of the word "marriage" for a sacred union between a man and a woman. The LGBT community wants equal recognition and protection under the law, to be included in the social fabric of our society without discrimination. Coming together on this issue means looking creatively for ways that all perspectives can be included.
Here is my suggestion for resolving this issue: Under the law, lets recognize all sacred unions with the same word, like the term "sacred union" All marriage laws will be rewritten and the word "marriage" will be replaced with the term "sacred union". Since most of the issue about calling a relationship "marriage" or not, is a concern for different religious faiths and belief of that faith, some religious groups will call "sacred unions" between gays, "marriage"; other religious groups will reserve the use of the word "marriage" for the "sacred union" between a man and a woman. Therefore the use of the word "marriage" will be determined by the faith of the participants who will use the word "marriage" according to their faith; the word "marriage" will not be used by the government or the law of the land. Instead, the word "sacred union" will be used by the government and in the laws for everyone independent of faith, gender, etc.
Suggested by Malcolm Miller on 01/24/2009 @ 09:51PM PT
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