Comments on: we only have heterosexual only drinking fountains here, sir

By: anon

anon — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 22:04:14 +0000

It’s really quite simple.
2 men holding hands will look normal.
Normal = good and moral.
If gay marriage is good and normal then what about us straights? (isn’t the opposite of good bad?) If we can’t accept that heterosexuality is bad then we’ll be very very confused and our whole basis of civilization and moral order (coming straight from the bible) will have to be questioned. Most people don’t like to be confused and they like to have neat simple rules to live by of which ‘lawmakers’ are the guardians of this responsibility. Just a thought.

By: Katie

Katie — Mon, 24 Jul 2006 21:28:40 +0000

I think that your friend has a valid point. I also think that many republicans hide behind the “Sanctity of marriage” idea because they are afraid to admit that the idea of homosexual couples being granted things like health care, survior benefits, etc, scares the crap out of them. Big business and government would be forced to acknowledge loving homosexual realtionships. GASP.

By: scottk

scottk — Sat, 22 Jul 2006 20:33:17 +0000

I think also that the issue is multi pronged .but this is a great prong to touch on, oit makes great sense and I hadn’t really thought about this aspect either.

By: Chris

Chris — Sat, 22 Jul 2006 06:07:59 +0000

I think you may have hit the nail on the head there (or at least one of its heads)… for a lot of people, having same-sex relationships legitimized is disconcerting, as well as the awkwardness it may create for them (”mommy, why are those boys holding hands?”).

By: Steve

Steve — Sat, 22 Jul 2006 00:52:21 +0000

Your friend makes a rather interesting and strong point… one I’ve never thought of either. Good post, Duane. Hope you have a great weekend.

By: gary

gary — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 23:07:23 +0000

Interesting question Duane. It just so happens that the idea of violence to quell the homosexuals is getting some attention. A friend tipped me to a legal wrangling in CA where they are trying to eliminate the so called “gay panic” defense.

http://usagenda.blogspot.com/2006/07/score-one-for-homosexual-agenda.html

And in answer to your question, I agree that it is truely an issue of visual comfort. It always has been, even before the marriage debate.

Why is it that heterosexual people are obsessed with creating a mental image of what you and I do in the bedroom? Yes it’s gross to them. Just like it is gross to me to think of having sex with a woman. That’s why I don’t think about that. But straight men are always sure some fag is out to get them, and the mere sighting of a gay couple holding hands is for some reason enough to shake their masculinity to the core. I don’t understand why?

And then they get all wound up by a man leering at another man. Checking him out & sizing him up.

Yet they don’t see that is EXACTLY how they treat EVERY woman they see on the street? It’s OK when they stare exclusively at a womans tits or her ass, and it’s sometime OK when they verbally take that one step further. So why is it so foriegn to see a man doing that to another man? We are all MEN after all. We are visual by nature, and therein lies the reason for the big deal with marriage. Men, no matter the persuasion can’t help but visualize themselves with others sexually. And if they accidentally end up doing that with another man it freaks them out. And rightfully so if it’s not part of their deal to find that hot. Wanna gross me out? Force me to consider in my mind having sex with a woman. YIKES! See, I just went there, had a mental freak out, but I didn’t try to ban marriage because of it?!

Craziness. All of it.

By: Joe

Joe — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 23:03:13 +0000

I think a lot of the surveys that are out there say stuff like people overall are pro domestic partnerships but are not for marriage. In NJ the domestic partnership laws/benefits almost resemble that of “marriage”. I think that the word marriage is too closely connected to religion. When we go for “marriage”, it is probably percieved to the general public, “you have to change your faith beliefs.”
I think one day, states and federal government will allow domestic partners and later on all “marriages” well cease from a goverment bodies and straight and gay couples will have to apply for domestic partner benefits and if they want to get “married” they will go to their religious institution.