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180798 Responseshttp://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/lgbt-class-question-five/LGBT+Class+-+Question+Five2010-02-17+02%3A17%3A39Sam+Richards to LGBT Class – Question Five
The question posed was, "After today's class, how could anyone still be opposed to gay marriage?" The answer is quite simple actually. Gay marriage is clearly a very controversial issue that probably won't be resolved in the near future. Many people have strong feelings for or against gay marriage, and a lecture won't change many people's minds. It is also important to note that those for and against gay marriage both have many valid and solid points. With an issue like this, there is no clear consensus. If there was, this issue wouldn't be an issue and it would have been resolved a long time ago.
Personally, going into the lecture I was against gay marriage and I am still against gay marriage. Like I mentioned earlier, people have strong feelings about this issue, and a lecture isn't going to change my views. Although I am against gay marriage, I have nothing against gay people. They have every right to be together and love each other. However, marriage is defined as a relationship between a man and a woman and should remain that way. Why? Because that's how society has defined the word "marriage." I don't really consider myself a religious person, I just believe in the definition of marriage that has stood for thousands of years. Gay people already have every right to be together and have a family, so I cannot understand why they can't just be happy with that. They're just seeking attention in my opinion. I understand that there are certain benefits gay people would gain if they got married, but a marriage is between a man and a woman, not a man and a man or a woman and a woman.
I kind of have a problem with the questioner and her question. When it comes to gay marriage, people often accuse people like myself who are against gay marriage of being close-minded. I don't think that I'm close-minded at all. I listened to the lecture and thought it was a well presented lecture. Just because I am against gay marriage doesn't mean that I don't understand why people would be for gay marriage. I even have a friend who's gay. However, by posing the question, "after today's lecture, how could anyone be against gay marriage?" the questioner clearly appears to be the close-minded one. Although I am against gay marriage, I am aware that other people have different views on the issue and I respect those views even if I don't agree with them. The questioner on the other hand, appears to have no acceptance for opposing views. It's as if she feels that gay marriage is the only acceptable view on the issue. Clearly there are multiple views on the issue and both sides have valid arguments. The questioner clearly fails to see and acknowledge this. It's a shame that some people are so clueless.
I find an enormous contradiction when dealing with this question. The “American dream” and the foundations upon which this country was structured all seem to indicate the validity of gay unions and marriage under the construct of the constitution. We must remember, however, that the document was founded under Christian beliefs, and therefore America and its “Dream” were founded under similar principles. I believe I can state with relative accuracy that the founders never dreamed of the extent to which the document would come under such close scrutiny. If we were to analyze it loosely, we could say with certainty that there is no legitimate reason why the question of whether or not gay marriage should be legal is in existence at all; however, the neurotic formalities and inspections of this are due to the fact that the county was in fact founded via theological beliefs, so that influence is constantly hanging over the head of interpreters and have rarely (until recently) come into question by the governmental system. This could be due to the fact that a religious (read: Christian) politician is viewed as more trustworthy than a politician of another religion. I find this interesting because the main religions all maintain the same god and for the most part follow the same guidelines. Gay marriage threatens the linearity of American culture and the idea of perfection we strive to achieve. Morality does not come in play; the inspection is strictly one of rhetoric, focusing not on the ethical aspect of “right and wrong,” for in any circumstance such a matter becomes that of opinion and therefore irrefutable, being legalized, due to interpretations of language. In our present situation the construct of marriage is still majorly based upon “outdated” ideas – that is, the ideas of Christianity and strict interpretation of the Bible. Today’s society (especially it’s younger generations) rarely classify themselves in a strict religious group, which I believe is why such formerly taboo subjects are beginning to come into question. Whether it began as a rebellion from the norm via historical occurrences or influence from elsewhere, were it not for this lack of religiosity or religious identity I believe that many injustices would continue to be disregarded due to the perpetuality of governmental theology, creating a cycle that revolves around itself. Until we can make a solid break from this circle, the question of the legitimacy of gay marriage and many other social inequalities will continue to go unaddressed. We need to continue on our path to break down the government system and diversify it in its religious aspects, for if we continue to rely solely on the Christian belief system, the interpretation of the Constitution will forever remain in content, social stigmas and biases will remain frozen.
The plight for the legalization of gay marriage is a complicated one. I think that it does not involve the inclusion of gays in marriage rights, but a complete overhaul of the system. Marriage should no longer be a legal term, thus eliminating governmental marriage completely. Homosexuals should not be allowed to marry in the eyes of the law, but neither should heterosexuals. Civil unions should become the status quo, thus extending unbiased rights to everyone. Churches and religious institutions can grant whatever unions they see fit, but no one should be married by the government. The fact that the idea of separation of church and state is still an issue is a little distressing.
Even after the lecture I still believe that gay marriage is not right. It is my religious beliefs that I strongly support and stand by. I know we talked about the other sins and looked at the hypocritical actions that students take. I understand that not all of us are perfect and I can see where people are torn by hypocrites. I feel that marriage should be between a man and a woman. That is what I have been taught. I know I am free to believe in whatever I want. I believe in this very much. I am not stubborn. I just simply stand by my beliefs. I respect the LGBT community and I leave it at that.
Easy. Religious conflict. Do I agree with that? Not one bit. But there are people out there who will need much more convincing and interaction with the lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgenders before their beliefs are swayed. I do think that the road is being paved for equal rights and those that are against it will be forced (by society) to agree with it eventually. Perhaps as the lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders get more recognition and respect in society they (those against gay marriages) will realize that these people are humans too, have human emotions and care and LOVE.
I agree completely. There is no reason to be against gay marriage whatsoever. Regardless of any traditional definitions of the term, marriage is, in my opinion, a union between two individuals who love each other for any reason they see fit. Who is anyone to say that two people can't get married. I think this argument is so stupid. I hate listening to people who are against gay marriage. It is so frustrating!
It might be because I am not that religious, which I guess is understandable if you are religious. But thinking that using religion to justify someone against gay marriage is ignorant as well. Why is religion against gay marriage? Because it is not holy? That is so dumb. Religion is just an excuse to hate or be against someone or something. Religion segregates people for no reason. Think about if people did not use religion as justification to oppose gay marriage. There would be so much less hatred in the world. Think about if people did not use religion to justify any opposition. Formulate your own opinions! You can not, or should I say… should not, be permitted to prevent people from doing things just because you don't approve of it. To each his own! For so few words it really holds a ton of value. Let people be who they want to be, let people do what they want to do. Every action has its consequences, as well as benefits. So, in that case let individuals determine things for themselves.
So, in terms of gay marriage. It should one hundred percent be legalized. Gay marriage is completely okay in my book. For those who oppose, as hard as it may be, put yourself in their shoes. If you love someone, and believe in something as special as marriage, how would you feel if someone prevented you from marrying the person you love. I can guarantee that you would be upset. Listen, gay people are people too. They are made of the same material all humans are made of. They might think differently than straight people, but they are entitled too. That is what makes us all individuals. If everyone was the same, life would be so boring. Live the way you want, do not let other people's opinions affect who you are or desire to be.
And who knows, gay parents might be much better than some of those straight assholes who neglect their kids and families. Gay couples are forced to adopt their children, for the most part. And, they have to go through a lot to get these adoptions approved, which means that they really really want a child. Thus, they would not neglect this child. I mean, marriage, for a lot of people, is about starting a family. And, there is nothing wrong with a family that functions like a family is supposed to. So if two gay individuals are at the head of this family, so be it. Their children might go on to do great things like cure cancer or discover life on another planet. Then what would some of those stuck up individuals say about gay marriage? You're right, they would have nothing to say.
I can certainly understand why some people still don’t support gay marriage. For some people the thought of two people of the same sex together is revolting and for others it’s against their religious beliefs. Other people that oppose same sex marriage believe that the sanctity of marriage should be kept between a man and a woman. Others who are anti gay marriage think that it’s immoral for two men or women to be together and that marriage is a sacred bond that shouldn’t be tampered with. However, I do not adhere to any of these viewpoints.
Today in the U.S., one in two marriages ends in a divorce. I don’t see how marriage is so sacred in that case. Opponents of gay marriage need to come to the realization that marriage isn’t as sacred as it used to be. Just because a man and a woman get married doesn’t mean they’re in love and going to live a wonderful life together with a great family. Men and women marry each other for a lot of different reasons nowadays. Love isn’t always the priority. If straight couples are allowed to get married and have a one in two chance that they won’t stay together, gay people should get that chance too. However, statistics show that gay marriages are usually stronger bonds with the couples staying together longer.
Some people oppose gay marriage because they’re afraid that gay couples are going to adopt children. Gay couples should have just as much of a right to adopt children as straight couples. There aren’t any studies out that show that children of gay couples live troubled lives. Gay couples’ children won’t necessarily grow up to be homosexual either. They can go on to live “normal” lives just like children of straight couples.
For people that don’t believe in gay marriage because of religious reasons and find the bond to be flat out immoral, I’m not sure that I can see it from their perspective. No longer is the sanctity of marriage sacred. No longer is every straight couple an example of a perfect marriage. Gay people should have the right to be with each other and make it official.
I understand that churches won’t host gay marriage ceremonies because it’s against the ideals in the very book they’re conducting the ceremony with. However, gay couples should be allowed to be legally married in courthouses in every state of the country. This will take a long time and I think it’s going to take our generation to be in political offices for it to happen. However, I think in my lifetime gay marriage will be legal in most, if not all of the U.S. as it should be.
You make a good point in your question that Professor Richards makes a strong case for the support of gay marriage, gay rights, and essentially equality in every social aspect between people who are gays and straight people. However, we must understand that in at least 2 of the 3 major religions, those being Christianity and Islam, homosexuality is condemned and considered a sin, or a wrongdoing. I feel that, in this regard, it will be much more difficult for members of the LGBT community to achieve equal rights as did members of the African American community were able to do through the 1960s and latter part of the 20th century. When looking from religious perspective, it is clear that homosexuality and thus, in some essence by causality, homosexuals are not treated as equals. However, in religious texts, there was no information regarding treatment of people of different ethnic and racial backgrounds, if anything, it was a positive re-enforcement of the necessity to get along with people of different backgrounds than you. So, although many people including Professor Richards have made a strong case for the support of gay rights, I feel that it will take much of society, especially those that consider themselves religious, a while to adjust to these new social standards.
Just because someone is gay and has a partner doesn’t mean they should be married. Marriage was created for the sole reason to have a family. If an adopted kid has two dads, that’s just screwed up. That kid would be scared for life. I don’t know how anyone can live in a life style like that. They would be put in a worse situation than if someone was trying to come out as being gay. At least someone coming out has a life to live, but someone raised by a gay couple is screwed up for the rest of their life.
I would first off like to say that not suporting gay marriage because of what you are 'supposed' to believe is ignorant.
As children we do not have the innate instinct to hate anyone because of skin color or sexual orientaiton.
Yes, as a child even though you are not sexual yet there are still hints as to what kind of person you are and whether or not you would
be homosexual or heterosexual. We are taught what to think as children. It is hard to live in any society let alone ours without having
people push their beliefs down your throat and make you feel inferior if you don't agree or believe them. As for religion, I personally don't agree
with any. I do believe there is a God, a force if you will that caused this all to happen. No I do not think it is a person, no person could have
the power to cause the universe. I believe in evolution and freedoms that most religions do not agree with and frown upon. I agree with Sam when
he said in class, if you are 100% religious and believe gay marriage and homosexuality is wrong then fine, good for you and your beliefs,
i know i am not strong enough or disciplined enough to follow a religion. You must also agree on everything else
that is frowned upon in the bible and what your religion tells you is a sin. How many people say they are against gay marriage and homosexuality
because its wrong and 'not what they believe to be right' but go out and get drunk, have premarital sex, do drugs, or simply give in to certain tempations.
Sam made a valid point, hypocracy should not be allowed in arguments. If you believe so strongly in your religion go all out, don't half ass it because
then you are picking what you think is right and wrong and telling others to live by it. Not cool. As for following the bible, people wrote it. Humans
wrote the bible, yes it is based upon stories of the Gods and what not but people wrote it. How many articles in the news have you read or seen
that have not had any bias in it at all? Very few if any. What makes the bible different? What makes religious people think that the people who
wrote those stories to pass on didn't add their own views, opinions and twists? People don't innately hate anyone, its through words of our parents and
those around us, community and society and the media that shape our beliefs and tell us what to think is right or wrong basically. That's fine, but just because you
don't believe in something and it's not for you doesn't mean others can't do it or have the right to do it. The world would be a boring place if we were all
the same. Gay people are just like everyone else. They deserve to get married and have famillies and share all that comes with it, including medical and
all that. If anyone has seen the movie milk, you realize that gay people are people and you feel for them as they are strugling to get equal rights in the work place and in life in general.
So what a guy gets aroused more easily from another man than a
woman, what is the big deal? In ancient Greece, which we have taken so many things from including architecture, words, the Olympics, they used to
have homosexual acts all the time. It was extremely common. Yes a man and a women would be married or what ever it was to them, but they also
had sex with other people, men and women alike. Older men used to mentor young teenage men and at a certain age would have sex with them to bring
them into manhood. It was tradition. Do i think older adults should take advantage of teenagers, no, not my point. My point is that religion is a tradition
of sorts, history is a tradition. Greece praticed homosexuality and it was acceptable so why did society at some point decide it was wrong when so many
other great things came out of Greece? Gay couples should be able to get married, they should be able to adopt and they should have the same rights
as straight people. For those of us who are black or any minority and are discrimminated against for something you can't help you should understand
more than anyone that support for the gay community is essential to the human race moving forward, growing and getting along. Any one who has
told their family or friends something that has resulted in the reaction of them no longer accepting you or looking at you like a disapointment should know that
it's not always a choice, being different from your family is hard, but doing what makes you happy should be your main priority.
I would first off like to say that not suporting gay marriage because of what you are 'supposed' to believe is ignorant. As children we do not have the innate instinct to hate anyone because of skin color or sexual orientaiton. Yes, as a child even though you are not sexual yet there are still hints as to what kind of person you are and whether or not you would be homosexual or heterosexual. We are taught what to think as children. It is hard to live in any society let alone ours without having people push their beliefs down your throat and make you feel inferior if you don't agree or believe them. As for religion, I personally don't agreewith any. I do believe there is a God, a force if you will that caused this all to happen. No I do not think it is a person, no person could havethe power to cause the universe. I believe in evolution and freedoms that most religions do not agree with and frown upon. I agree with Sam when he said in class, if you are 100% religious and believe gay marriage and homosexuality is wrong then fine, good for you and your beliefs, i know i am not strong enough or disciplined enough to follow a religion. You must also agree on everything elsethat is frowned upon in the bible and what your religion tells you is a sin. How many people say they are against gay marriage and homosexuality
because its wrong and 'not what they believe to be right' but go out and get drunk, have premarital sex, do drugs, or simply give in to certain tempations.Sam made a valid point, hypocracy should not be allowed in arguments. If you believe so strongly in your religion go all out, don't half ass it becausethen you are picking what you think is right and wrong and telling others to live by it. Not cool. As for following the bible, people wrote it. Humans wrote the bible, yes it is based upon stories of the Gods and what not but people wrote it. How many articles in the news have you read or seen that have not had any bias in it at all? Very few if any. What makes the bible different? What makes religious people think that the people who
wrote those stories to pass on didn't add their own views, opinions and twists? People don't innately hate anyone, its through words of our parents andthose around us, community and society and the media that shape our beliefs and tell us what to think is right or wrong basically. That's fine, but just because youdon't believe in something and it's not for you doesn't mean others can't do it or have the right to do it. The world would be a boring place if we were allthe same. Gay people are just like everyone else. They deserve to get married and have famillies and share all that comes with it, including medical and all that. If anyone has seen the movie milk, you realize that gay people are people and you feel for them as they are strugling to get equal rights in the work place and in life in general. So what a guy gets aroused more easily from another man than awoman, what is the big deal? In ancient Greece, which we have taken so many things from including architecture, words, the Olympics, they used tohave homosexual acts all the time. It was extremely common. Yes a man and a women would be married or what ever it was to them, but they alsohad sex with other people, men and women alike. Older men used to mentor young teenage men and at a certain age would have sex with them to bring
them into manhood. It was tradition. Do i think older adults should take advantage of teenagers, no, not my point. My point is that religion is a traditionof sorts, history is a tradition. Greece praticed homosexuality and it was acceptable so why did society at some point decide it was wrong when so manyother great things came out of Greece? Gay couples should be able to get married, they should be able to adopt and they should have the same rights as straight people. For those of us who are black or any minority and are discrimminated against for something you can't help you should understandmore than anyone that support for the gay community is essential to the human race moving forward, growing and getting along. Any one who has told their family or friends something that has resulted in the reaction of them no longer accepting you or looking at you like a disapointment should know that it's not always a choice, being different from your family is hard, but doing what makes you happy should be your main priority.
thought Sam's lecture on LGBT rights was extremely powerful. I came into class supporting gay marriage because I think it is the right thing to do. After hearing this lecture, I fully support it and can't really understand why people don’t support it. On one hand, I understand that one lecture is not going to change people's minds; I myself am an example of that. I don't think that one person's opinions can influence me so strongly that I will totally pull a 180 and change everything I have ever thought. But then again, that is not the point of this class. The point of this class is to make you think, and that’s exactly what this lecture did. It made me consider points I never would have thought of on my own.
I was watching the news the other day about a Gay soldier "coming out" and him getting sent home because of it. He was not just a soldier, he was an officer. Please tell me how you are going to bash someone who is literally fighting to keep you safe. They are protecting this country; gay, black, white, woman, Latino. It doesn’t matter, when it comes down to it, they are fighting for YOU. And you all are idiots for not supporting these people. The officer made a comment that went along these lines: 50 years ago, it was illegal for a Chinese man to fight for the U.S armed forces. How silly does that sound today? Hopefully in future years, people will be looking back at us in 2010 and thinking how silly it was for gays not to be able to fight for their country. Gays should have ALL the same rights as everyone else, because after all, they are people.
I used to be a religious person, and for the most part, I still am. I have a hard time believing that God is the almighty and we are at his mercy. Going from this, I do not think that the argument that being gay is against the bible's preaching’s a good way to validate this argument. This country was not founded on the bible; it was founded by people seeking freedom and justice for everyone. I think it is ridiculous to say that a person who feels a certain way about another person should not be allowed to celebrate these feelings. Our laws are not based off the bible, they are based off of the Declaration of independence. Just because people are not all the same doesn’t mean they should be criticized for being different. Someone against gays, please tell me how their affection for each other has personally affected you? Personally affected. I bet most of you can’t. These are people you are talking about, not some new species of foreign animal. They are people with feelings. How would you feel if it was against the law to love your special someone? Laws should not be able to tell you who you can love. For all you bible followers out there, that is called free will.
It's mainly because of religion.
I've grown up in an Italian, Roman Catholic family and it blows my mind how people really believe that God wrote the Bible. He didn't. Humans wrote the Bible, sinners, but people still worship every last ounce of it. If one were to really examine the Bible they would find loads upon loads of hypocrisy. Picking and choosing of what rules to keep and what rules to change. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." That's listed in Matthew in the Bible. Any Christian who doesn't look at everyone as being equal is a total hypocrite! It's just crazy, but I mean, I guess I'm still catholic because I agree with their larger beliefs.
It's just interesting to contemplate because when kids are growing up they usually have a religion thrusted upon them. They abide by this religion for a good time because it's just always been in their life and they automatically assume that it's what everyone else thinks. And because people have heard through these religions from the get-go that things like homosexuality are abominations, and they believe it just because. If you REALLY look into the Bible you will most definitely find a lot of homosexual activities taking place so again, hypocrisy. But why is it so hard to accept that the Bible hypocritical? I mean, How many different people have written in that thing over how long a period of time? Of COURSE people are going to contradict each others beliefs, time's change. All you would have to do to get over this extremely ignorant belief is actually meet someone who is gay and talk to them. Ask them if they chose to be gay and I'm sure you'll get some pretty emotional and heart wrenching stories in return; all of which asking you in return, "If you had the choice to be gay or straight, what would you choose?" The clear answer here is obviously straight for these reasons. Look at our society today that we live in. It's really hard to be a homosexual because it's looked at so much as such a disgusting thing. Why would anyone choose to live in fear and insecurity? To not be able to hold hands with the person they love while walking down the street because people stare and harass them? To not be able to conceive a child and then on top of that have to be put through Hell to just adopt a poor orphaned baby? I mean just look at that – it's ludicrous and completely unequal.
And what really makes me angry is when Sam had the LBGTA lecture and was making some amazing points I looked around the room and 1/4 of the 800 people there weren't even paying attention. Why? Because it doesn't affect their lives at all and they probably couldn't care less and that's the society we live in today.
The question posed was, "After today's class, how could anyone still be opposed to gay marriage?" The answer is quite simple actually. Gay marriage is clearly a very controversial issue that probably won't be resolved in the near future. Many people have strong feelings for or against gay marriage, and a lecture won't change many people's minds. It is also important to note that those for and against gay marriage both have many valid and solid points. With an issue like this, there is no clear consensus. If there was, this issue wouldn't be an issue and it would have been resolved a long time ago.
Personally, going into the lecture I was against gay marriage and I am still against gay marriage. Like I mentioned earlier, people have strong feelings about this issue, and a lecture isn't going to change my views. Although I am against gay marriage, I have nothing against gay people. They have every right to be together and love each other. However, marriage is defined as a relationship between a man and a woman and should remain that way. Why? Because that's how society has defined the word "marriage." I don't really consider myself a religious person, I just believe in the definition of marriage that has stood for thousands of years. Gay people already have every right to be together and have a family, so I cannot understand why they can't just be happy with that. They're just seeking attention in my opinion. I understand that there are certain benefits gay people would gain if they got married, but a marriage is between a man and a woman, not a man and a man or a woman and a woman.
I kind of have a problem with the questioner and her question. When it comes to gay marriage, people often accuse people like myself who are against gay marriage of being close-minded. I don't think that I'm close-minded at all. I listened to the lecture and thought it was a well presented lecture. Just because I am against gay marriage doesn't mean that I don't understand why people would be for gay marriage. I even have a friend who's gay. However, by posing the question, "after today's lecture, how could anyone be against gay marriage?" the questioner clearly appears to be the close-minded one. Although I am against gay marriage, I am aware that other people have different views on the issue and I respect those views even if I don't agree with them. The questioner on the other hand, appears to have no acceptance for opposing views. It's as if she feels that gay marriage is the only acceptable view on the issue. Clearly there are multiple views on the issue and both sides have valid arguments. The questioner clearly fails to see and acknowledge this. It's a shame that some people are so clueless.
[Reply]
I find an enormous contradiction when dealing with this question. The “American dream” and the foundations upon which this country was structured all seem to indicate the validity of gay unions and marriage under the construct of the constitution. We must remember, however, that the document was founded under Christian beliefs, and therefore America and its “Dream” were founded under similar principles. I believe I can state with relative accuracy that the founders never dreamed of the extent to which the document would come under such close scrutiny. If we were to analyze it loosely, we could say with certainty that there is no legitimate reason why the question of whether or not gay marriage should be legal is in existence at all; however, the neurotic formalities and inspections of this are due to the fact that the county was in fact founded via theological beliefs, so that influence is constantly hanging over the head of interpreters and have rarely (until recently) come into question by the governmental system. This could be due to the fact that a religious (read: Christian) politician is viewed as more trustworthy than a politician of another religion. I find this interesting because the main religions all maintain the same god and for the most part follow the same guidelines. Gay marriage threatens the linearity of American culture and the idea of perfection we strive to achieve. Morality does not come in play; the inspection is strictly one of rhetoric, focusing not on the ethical aspect of “right and wrong,” for in any circumstance such a matter becomes that of opinion and therefore irrefutable, being legalized, due to interpretations of language. In our present situation the construct of marriage is still majorly based upon “outdated” ideas – that is, the ideas of Christianity and strict interpretation of the Bible. Today’s society (especially it’s younger generations) rarely classify themselves in a strict religious group, which I believe is why such formerly taboo subjects are beginning to come into question. Whether it began as a rebellion from the norm via historical occurrences or influence from elsewhere, were it not for this lack of religiosity or religious identity I believe that many injustices would continue to be disregarded due to the perpetuality of governmental theology, creating a cycle that revolves around itself. Until we can make a solid break from this circle, the question of the legitimacy of gay marriage and many other social inequalities will continue to go unaddressed. We need to continue on our path to break down the government system and diversify it in its religious aspects, for if we continue to rely solely on the Christian belief system, the interpretation of the Constitution will forever remain in content, social stigmas and biases will remain frozen.
[Reply]
The plight for the legalization of gay marriage is a complicated one. I think that it does not involve the inclusion of gays in marriage rights, but a complete overhaul of the system. Marriage should no longer be a legal term, thus eliminating governmental marriage completely. Homosexuals should not be allowed to marry in the eyes of the law, but neither should heterosexuals. Civil unions should become the status quo, thus extending unbiased rights to everyone. Churches and religious institutions can grant whatever unions they see fit, but no one should be married by the government. The fact that the idea of separation of church and state is still an issue is a little distressing.
[Reply]
Even after the lecture I still believe that gay marriage is not right. It is my religious beliefs that I strongly support and stand by. I know we talked about the other sins and looked at the hypocritical actions that students take. I understand that not all of us are perfect and I can see where people are torn by hypocrites. I feel that marriage should be between a man and a woman. That is what I have been taught. I know I am free to believe in whatever I want. I believe in this very much. I am not stubborn. I just simply stand by my beliefs. I respect the LGBT community and I leave it at that.
[Reply]
Easy. Religious conflict. Do I agree with that? Not one bit. But there are people out there who will need much more convincing and interaction with the lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgenders before their beliefs are swayed. I do think that the road is being paved for equal rights and those that are against it will be forced (by society) to agree with it eventually. Perhaps as the lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders get more recognition and respect in society they (those against gay marriages) will realize that these people are humans too, have human emotions and care and LOVE.
[Reply]
I agree completely. There is no reason to be against gay marriage whatsoever. Regardless of any traditional definitions of the term, marriage is, in my opinion, a union between two individuals who love each other for any reason they see fit. Who is anyone to say that two people can't get married. I think this argument is so stupid. I hate listening to people who are against gay marriage. It is so frustrating!
It might be because I am not that religious, which I guess is understandable if you are religious. But thinking that using religion to justify someone against gay marriage is ignorant as well. Why is religion against gay marriage? Because it is not holy? That is so dumb. Religion is just an excuse to hate or be against someone or something. Religion segregates people for no reason. Think about if people did not use religion as justification to oppose gay marriage. There would be so much less hatred in the world. Think about if people did not use religion to justify any opposition. Formulate your own opinions! You can not, or should I say… should not, be permitted to prevent people from doing things just because you don't approve of it. To each his own! For so few words it really holds a ton of value. Let people be who they want to be, let people do what they want to do. Every action has its consequences, as well as benefits. So, in that case let individuals determine things for themselves.
So, in terms of gay marriage. It should one hundred percent be legalized. Gay marriage is completely okay in my book. For those who oppose, as hard as it may be, put yourself in their shoes. If you love someone, and believe in something as special as marriage, how would you feel if someone prevented you from marrying the person you love. I can guarantee that you would be upset. Listen, gay people are people too. They are made of the same material all humans are made of. They might think differently than straight people, but they are entitled too. That is what makes us all individuals. If everyone was the same, life would be so boring. Live the way you want, do not let other people's opinions affect who you are or desire to be.
And who knows, gay parents might be much better than some of those straight assholes who neglect their kids and families. Gay couples are forced to adopt their children, for the most part. And, they have to go through a lot to get these adoptions approved, which means that they really really want a child. Thus, they would not neglect this child. I mean, marriage, for a lot of people, is about starting a family. And, there is nothing wrong with a family that functions like a family is supposed to. So if two gay individuals are at the head of this family, so be it. Their children might go on to do great things like cure cancer or discover life on another planet. Then what would some of those stuck up individuals say about gay marriage? You're right, they would have nothing to say.
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I can certainly understand why some people still don’t support gay marriage. For some people the thought of two people of the same sex together is revolting and for others it’s against their religious beliefs. Other people that oppose same sex marriage believe that the sanctity of marriage should be kept between a man and a woman. Others who are anti gay marriage think that it’s immoral for two men or women to be together and that marriage is a sacred bond that shouldn’t be tampered with. However, I do not adhere to any of these viewpoints.
Today in the U.S., one in two marriages ends in a divorce. I don’t see how marriage is so sacred in that case. Opponents of gay marriage need to come to the realization that marriage isn’t as sacred as it used to be. Just because a man and a woman get married doesn’t mean they’re in love and going to live a wonderful life together with a great family. Men and women marry each other for a lot of different reasons nowadays. Love isn’t always the priority. If straight couples are allowed to get married and have a one in two chance that they won’t stay together, gay people should get that chance too. However, statistics show that gay marriages are usually stronger bonds with the couples staying together longer.
Some people oppose gay marriage because they’re afraid that gay couples are going to adopt children. Gay couples should have just as much of a right to adopt children as straight couples. There aren’t any studies out that show that children of gay couples live troubled lives. Gay couples’ children won’t necessarily grow up to be homosexual either. They can go on to live “normal” lives just like children of straight couples.
For people that don’t believe in gay marriage because of religious reasons and find the bond to be flat out immoral, I’m not sure that I can see it from their perspective. No longer is the sanctity of marriage sacred. No longer is every straight couple an example of a perfect marriage. Gay people should have the right to be with each other and make it official.
I understand that churches won’t host gay marriage ceremonies because it’s against the ideals in the very book they’re conducting the ceremony with. However, gay couples should be allowed to be legally married in courthouses in every state of the country. This will take a long time and I think it’s going to take our generation to be in political offices for it to happen. However, I think in my lifetime gay marriage will be legal in most, if not all of the U.S. as it should be.
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You make a good point in your question that Professor Richards makes a strong case for the support of gay marriage, gay rights, and essentially equality in every social aspect between people who are gays and straight people. However, we must understand that in at least 2 of the 3 major religions, those being Christianity and Islam, homosexuality is condemned and considered a sin, or a wrongdoing. I feel that, in this regard, it will be much more difficult for members of the LGBT community to achieve equal rights as did members of the African American community were able to do through the 1960s and latter part of the 20th century. When looking from religious perspective, it is clear that homosexuality and thus, in some essence by causality, homosexuals are not treated as equals. However, in religious texts, there was no information regarding treatment of people of different ethnic and racial backgrounds, if anything, it was a positive re-enforcement of the necessity to get along with people of different backgrounds than you. So, although many people including Professor Richards have made a strong case for the support of gay rights, I feel that it will take much of society, especially those that consider themselves religious, a while to adjust to these new social standards.
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Just because someone is gay and has a partner doesn’t mean they should be married. Marriage was created for the sole reason to have a family. If an adopted kid has two dads, that’s just screwed up. That kid would be scared for life. I don’t know how anyone can live in a life style like that. They would be put in a worse situation than if someone was trying to come out as being gay. At least someone coming out has a life to live, but someone raised by a gay couple is screwed up for the rest of their life.
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I would first off like to say that not suporting gay marriage because of what you are 'supposed' to believe is ignorant.
As children we do not have the innate instinct to hate anyone because of skin color or sexual orientaiton.
Yes, as a child even though you are not sexual yet there are still hints as to what kind of person you are and whether or not you would
be homosexual or heterosexual. We are taught what to think as children. It is hard to live in any society let alone ours without having
people push their beliefs down your throat and make you feel inferior if you don't agree or believe them. As for religion, I personally don't agree
with any. I do believe there is a God, a force if you will that caused this all to happen. No I do not think it is a person, no person could have
the power to cause the universe. I believe in evolution and freedoms that most religions do not agree with and frown upon. I agree with Sam when
he said in class, if you are 100% religious and believe gay marriage and homosexuality is wrong then fine, good for you and your beliefs,
i know i am not strong enough or disciplined enough to follow a religion. You must also agree on everything else
that is frowned upon in the bible and what your religion tells you is a sin. How many people say they are against gay marriage and homosexuality
because its wrong and 'not what they believe to be right' but go out and get drunk, have premarital sex, do drugs, or simply give in to certain tempations.
Sam made a valid point, hypocracy should not be allowed in arguments. If you believe so strongly in your religion go all out, don't half ass it because
then you are picking what you think is right and wrong and telling others to live by it. Not cool. As for following the bible, people wrote it. Humans
wrote the bible, yes it is based upon stories of the Gods and what not but people wrote it. How many articles in the news have you read or seen
that have not had any bias in it at all? Very few if any. What makes the bible different? What makes religious people think that the people who
wrote those stories to pass on didn't add their own views, opinions and twists? People don't innately hate anyone, its through words of our parents and
those around us, community and society and the media that shape our beliefs and tell us what to think is right or wrong basically. That's fine, but just because you
don't believe in something and it's not for you doesn't mean others can't do it or have the right to do it. The world would be a boring place if we were all
the same. Gay people are just like everyone else. They deserve to get married and have famillies and share all that comes with it, including medical and
all that. If anyone has seen the movie milk, you realize that gay people are people and you feel for them as they are strugling to get equal rights in the work place and in life in general.
So what a guy gets aroused more easily from another man than a
woman, what is the big deal? In ancient Greece, which we have taken so many things from including architecture, words, the Olympics, they used to
have homosexual acts all the time. It was extremely common. Yes a man and a women would be married or what ever it was to them, but they also
had sex with other people, men and women alike. Older men used to mentor young teenage men and at a certain age would have sex with them to bring
them into manhood. It was tradition. Do i think older adults should take advantage of teenagers, no, not my point. My point is that religion is a tradition
of sorts, history is a tradition. Greece praticed homosexuality and it was acceptable so why did society at some point decide it was wrong when so many
other great things came out of Greece? Gay couples should be able to get married, they should be able to adopt and they should have the same rights
as straight people. For those of us who are black or any minority and are discrimminated against for something you can't help you should understand
more than anyone that support for the gay community is essential to the human race moving forward, growing and getting along. Any one who has
told their family or friends something that has resulted in the reaction of them no longer accepting you or looking at you like a disapointment should know that
it's not always a choice, being different from your family is hard, but doing what makes you happy should be your main priority.
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I would first off like to say that not suporting gay marriage because of what you are 'supposed' to believe is ignorant. As children we do not have the innate instinct to hate anyone because of skin color or sexual orientaiton. Yes, as a child even though you are not sexual yet there are still hints as to what kind of person you are and whether or not you would be homosexual or heterosexual. We are taught what to think as children. It is hard to live in any society let alone ours without having people push their beliefs down your throat and make you feel inferior if you don't agree or believe them. As for religion, I personally don't agreewith any. I do believe there is a God, a force if you will that caused this all to happen. No I do not think it is a person, no person could havethe power to cause the universe. I believe in evolution and freedoms that most religions do not agree with and frown upon. I agree with Sam when he said in class, if you are 100% religious and believe gay marriage and homosexuality is wrong then fine, good for you and your beliefs, i know i am not strong enough or disciplined enough to follow a religion. You must also agree on everything elsethat is frowned upon in the bible and what your religion tells you is a sin. How many people say they are against gay marriage and homosexuality
because its wrong and 'not what they believe to be right' but go out and get drunk, have premarital sex, do drugs, or simply give in to certain tempations.Sam made a valid point, hypocracy should not be allowed in arguments. If you believe so strongly in your religion go all out, don't half ass it becausethen you are picking what you think is right and wrong and telling others to live by it. Not cool. As for following the bible, people wrote it. Humans wrote the bible, yes it is based upon stories of the Gods and what not but people wrote it. How many articles in the news have you read or seen that have not had any bias in it at all? Very few if any. What makes the bible different? What makes religious people think that the people who
wrote those stories to pass on didn't add their own views, opinions and twists? People don't innately hate anyone, its through words of our parents andthose around us, community and society and the media that shape our beliefs and tell us what to think is right or wrong basically. That's fine, but just because youdon't believe in something and it's not for you doesn't mean others can't do it or have the right to do it. The world would be a boring place if we were allthe same. Gay people are just like everyone else. They deserve to get married and have famillies and share all that comes with it, including medical and all that. If anyone has seen the movie milk, you realize that gay people are people and you feel for them as they are strugling to get equal rights in the work place and in life in general. So what a guy gets aroused more easily from another man than awoman, what is the big deal? In ancient Greece, which we have taken so many things from including architecture, words, the Olympics, they used tohave homosexual acts all the time. It was extremely common. Yes a man and a women would be married or what ever it was to them, but they alsohad sex with other people, men and women alike. Older men used to mentor young teenage men and at a certain age would have sex with them to bring
them into manhood. It was tradition. Do i think older adults should take advantage of teenagers, no, not my point. My point is that religion is a traditionof sorts, history is a tradition. Greece praticed homosexuality and it was acceptable so why did society at some point decide it was wrong when so manyother great things came out of Greece? Gay couples should be able to get married, they should be able to adopt and they should have the same rights as straight people. For those of us who are black or any minority and are discrimminated against for something you can't help you should understandmore than anyone that support for the gay community is essential to the human race moving forward, growing and getting along. Any one who has told their family or friends something that has resulted in the reaction of them no longer accepting you or looking at you like a disapointment should know that it's not always a choice, being different from your family is hard, but doing what makes you happy should be your main priority.
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thought Sam's lecture on LGBT rights was extremely powerful. I came into class supporting gay marriage because I think it is the right thing to do. After hearing this lecture, I fully support it and can't really understand why people don’t support it. On one hand, I understand that one lecture is not going to change people's minds; I myself am an example of that. I don't think that one person's opinions can influence me so strongly that I will totally pull a 180 and change everything I have ever thought. But then again, that is not the point of this class. The point of this class is to make you think, and that’s exactly what this lecture did. It made me consider points I never would have thought of on my own.
I was watching the news the other day about a Gay soldier "coming out" and him getting sent home because of it. He was not just a soldier, he was an officer. Please tell me how you are going to bash someone who is literally fighting to keep you safe. They are protecting this country; gay, black, white, woman, Latino. It doesn’t matter, when it comes down to it, they are fighting for YOU. And you all are idiots for not supporting these people. The officer made a comment that went along these lines: 50 years ago, it was illegal for a Chinese man to fight for the U.S armed forces. How silly does that sound today? Hopefully in future years, people will be looking back at us in 2010 and thinking how silly it was for gays not to be able to fight for their country. Gays should have ALL the same rights as everyone else, because after all, they are people.
I used to be a religious person, and for the most part, I still am. I have a hard time believing that God is the almighty and we are at his mercy. Going from this, I do not think that the argument that being gay is against the bible's preaching’s a good way to validate this argument. This country was not founded on the bible; it was founded by people seeking freedom and justice for everyone. I think it is ridiculous to say that a person who feels a certain way about another person should not be allowed to celebrate these feelings. Our laws are not based off the bible, they are based off of the Declaration of independence. Just because people are not all the same doesn’t mean they should be criticized for being different. Someone against gays, please tell me how their affection for each other has personally affected you? Personally affected. I bet most of you can’t. These are people you are talking about, not some new species of foreign animal. They are people with feelings. How would you feel if it was against the law to love your special someone? Laws should not be able to tell you who you can love. For all you bible followers out there, that is called free will.
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It's mainly because of religion.
I've grown up in an Italian, Roman Catholic family and it blows my mind how people really believe that God wrote the Bible. He didn't. Humans wrote the Bible, sinners, but people still worship every last ounce of it. If one were to really examine the Bible they would find loads upon loads of hypocrisy. Picking and choosing of what rules to keep and what rules to change. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." That's listed in Matthew in the Bible. Any Christian who doesn't look at everyone as being equal is a total hypocrite! It's just crazy, but I mean, I guess I'm still catholic because I agree with their larger beliefs.
It's just interesting to contemplate because when kids are growing up they usually have a religion thrusted upon them. They abide by this religion for a good time because it's just always been in their life and they automatically assume that it's what everyone else thinks. And because people have heard through these religions from the get-go that things like homosexuality are abominations, and they believe it just because. If you REALLY look into the Bible you will most definitely find a lot of homosexual activities taking place so again, hypocrisy. But why is it so hard to accept that the Bible hypocritical? I mean, How many different people have written in that thing over how long a period of time? Of COURSE people are going to contradict each others beliefs, time's change. All you would have to do to get over this extremely ignorant belief is actually meet someone who is gay and talk to them. Ask them if they chose to be gay and I'm sure you'll get some pretty emotional and heart wrenching stories in return; all of which asking you in return, "If you had the choice to be gay or straight, what would you choose?" The clear answer here is obviously straight for these reasons. Look at our society today that we live in. It's really hard to be a homosexual because it's looked at so much as such a disgusting thing. Why would anyone choose to live in fear and insecurity? To not be able to hold hands with the person they love while walking down the street because people stare and harass them? To not be able to conceive a child and then on top of that have to be put through Hell to just adopt a poor orphaned baby? I mean just look at that – it's ludicrous and completely unequal.
And what really makes me angry is when Sam had the LBGTA lecture and was making some amazing points I looked around the room and 1/4 of the 800 people there weren't even paying attention. Why? Because it doesn't affect their lives at all and they probably couldn't care less and that's the society we live in today.
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