To the homophobes out there. I'm gay...and I'm just an ordinary person.

[terrya]

Like you. I go to work everyday. I pay my taxes. I'm a law abiding citizen. I've done some volunteer work in the past...I know I should do more. I don't go to church, but I like to think that I have my spiritual side. I guess I'm just average.

I say all of this because it puzzles me that you would treat me as a second class citizen. The only way I'm different from you is that I'm attracted to men. That's all. And yet you have this irrational hatred of me and others like me. You feel that you are somehow threatened by us. You would deny...to the point of adding an amendment to one of the most sacred documents ever conceived, the Constitution of the United States...us the basic right of legal marriage. You say that our relationships are "unnatural". And that by legally recognizing our loving, committed relationships, we threaten the "sancitity of marriage".

Why? Why? I'm genuinely perplexed by this. One would think that by allowing others to marry, that would STRENGTHEN the institution of marriage. We want to have our love formally recognized. I have a partner. His name is Doug. I want to grow old with this wonderful man. I love him so much. He makes my life complete. And yet....you tell me that we can't have our relationship legally recognized. Why?

We're not asking for SPECIAL RIGHTS. We want the same rights as you. We're not going away. You know...we're your sons, your fathers, your brothers, your mothers, your sisters, your daughters. Your friends. Why would you treat us differently? Why would you want to relegate us to second class citizenship?

Why can't we be allowed to have our relationships legally recognized?

Why?

Terry

[JCMach1]

1. Please don't fall into the Distractor issue trap

Keep your eye on the prize...

What is REALLY needed is FUNDAMENTAL CIVIL RIGHTS for Gay/Lesian/Bi/ and Transgendered people.

Reframe the issue and attitudes will change.

[onebigbadwulf]

2. Because you're in a country

controlled by intolerant bigotted christian hypocrite fundamentalists.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. My husband says

the reason some men are homophobes is that they are afraid of their own more tender side. He said a lot of men are uptight when showing affection, especially to other men, and they fear the fact that they might actually >gasp< have loving feelings towards them!

Long ago my husband got in touch with his feelings, and has learned to show affection to all people and yet feel secure in his own self. Too bad more men aren't like him.

[bif]

14. I have several male friends who I hug.

And I'm not embarrassed in the least about it. What's wrong with hugging someone you care about?

[arwalden]

4. Excellent Questions, Terry.

Any explanation that a conservative, fundamentalist or Republican would try to offer would only make themselves look (more) foolish and (more) hateful.

Still, I too would like to know exactly what it is about MY happiness and MY equality that interferes so much with THEIR happiness and THEIR sense of equality.

-- Allen

[Rowdyboy]

6. I think that many fundamentalist/Republicans fear that someone, somewhere

is enjoying life. This is totally unacceptable. Their goal is that those persons must be found and stopped at all costs.

[onebigbadwulf]

5. Let us not forget that

interracial marriage was illegal not 40 years ago- let alone gay marriage.


Nothing like conservatives to resist civil rights.

[meegbear]

7. I wonder the same things ...

but unfortunately it probably won't happen for people like me in MA.

Speaker of the house Tom Finneran says he wants the people to be allowed to vote on it. Two years ago, voters passed a Clean Elections Law at the ballot box. Finneran was against it, so he had it voided. So if/when people vote in favor of gay marriage, he'll probably void that too.

[commander bunnypants]

8. I just think you are cool

No questions, no answers, no judgements, besides my sis and her wife would kill me. pretty crappy with the state of affairs today.

Hang in there my friend!

DDQM

[populistmom]

9. We all think you're extraordinary though

:)
I agree with everything you said. As basically a strait as an arrow type, I've never understood why other strait people get so uptight about the feelings and love someone else has. We all deserve to have the legal rights that stem from having a loving commitment to another person. Hopefully one day, the majority of people in this backwards country will see that.

[LynneSin]

10. You mean you don't have that 3rd arm growing out of your back and

extra digits on each hand like all these straightlaced people try to tell me that gay folks have

:shrug:

Seriously, when will the rest of America wake up and realize that GLBT are no different the rest of us.

[terrya]

11. Nope. Two arms, the same place as yours. :-) And thank you.

And everyone else for the kind comments.

I've come a long way as a gay person. I just have basic questions about society's attitudes towards gay people.

Terry

[LynneSin]

13. Damn, I was thinking it would be cool to have 3rd arm out of my back

I could use an extra hand with some of the work I do!!

[WillParkinson]

12. Oh, honey, I'm sure it's just a phase...you'll grow out of it.

That was always MY favorite. My son CAN'T be gay. He's not effeminate.

My parents learned a lot when they found out that their only child was gay. Since that time they have come to accept (and even love) my SO, Paul.

People fear what they don't know. If more people came out there would be a lot more tolerance in the world, I believe.

[LynneSin]

15. My mother actually said it was ok if I was a Lesbian

because she couldn't imagine any 30+ woman who has no desire to get married could actually be straight. Funny thing is - I am straight

[Kamika]

16. heh

My mom is deadscared that one of her two daughters might become a lesbian..

I could literally tell her to buy me something or I'd become a lesbian in my teens :p

[terrya]

18. Honey, if this is a phase, it sure is a long one. :-)

I've known I've been gay since high school. And that was 30 years ago.

:-)

My family, after some rough patches, have accepted my being gay. And they really like my SO, Doug.

I'm happy for you and Paul, Will.

HUGS,
Terry

[WillParkinson]

20. Thanks and congrats!

It's good to have a 'family'. Especially when they make YOURS part of theirs!

[ncrainbowgrrl]

19. "Why can't you be a lesbian like your sister?" said my friend's mother...

My friend (from a little town in the south) is a rather butch individual. When she first came out, her mother didn't take it well. However, two years later, her mom came around and started to 'get' the fact that her daughter was the same cool person that she had always known...

Anyhow. My friend's little sister (~18 y/o) thought that she was pregnant and had to tell their mother that she was possibly going to have a kid... Her mom's first response? "Why can't you just be a lesbian like your sister? Your sister would never have to worry about something like this... can't you try?"

This just makes me smile. It's fun to think about a mother asking their kid to try to be gay!

[Robb]

17. Eeek!!

(runs backwards, flapping arms wildly) :D

terrya's got a gun!!

...Oh, I heard you say hoplophobes. ;)

[WillParkinson]

21. First thing I thought of...

(No offense)

Homecoming Queen Has Got A Gun...

[geniph]

22. It's just basic human rights

treat EVERYONE the same. No special treatment - and no exceptions, either. Not everyone falls toward the "right" end of the Kinsey scale - in fact, most of us edge somewhere toward the middle. It's so bizarre to me to think of discriminating against someone because they love another human being.