Gay Marriage: Inciting a backlash, or dragging along too slowly?

[tfferg]

I agree with all of this except for the phrase "concept of marriage." There are many concepts of marriage, many of which exist simultaneously in a given group.

As a linguist, I have serious problems with politicians trying to use lexicographic means to secure a monopoly for themselves on concepts. Marriage in the law is a contract. and should be judged accordingly.

You're right, of course, Sandy. Different concepts of marriage do exist in a society at the same time. And marriage is a civil contract in Australian law too.

[bubba]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/16/wanda-sykes-mitt-romney-forrest-gump_n_1522194.html?ref=entertainment&ir=Entertainment

[AZ.bbm]

^^^^

  -- Luv Wanda !!

[Marge_Innavera]

Watch the video of her classic "coming out as black" routine:

Unlike coming out as gay, "I didn't have to sit my parents down and tell 'em about my blackness, 'Mom, Dad, I gotta tell y'all somethin'... I hope you'll still love me, I'm just gonna say it -- Mom. Dad. I'm black. . . .  " 'Oh, Lord, Lord, give her cancer, anything but black, Lord!' "

"No, Mom, I'm black, that's just how it is...."

"No!  You know what?  You been hangin' around black people. . . what did I do?  what did I do?  I knew I shouldn't have let you watch Soul Train!"


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_wWJ-_4uSY

[Sason]

^^^^^^^^^^^^

That's hysterical!!!   

I've never heard of her before, but I see there's a lot of Youtube clips to explore.

[bubba]

I had seen that before, that woman is a riot!!


 

[tfferg]

In Australia

Wong's affirmation of gay families 'a watershed'
May 18, 2012 – 4:40PM
Judith Ireland

The exchange between Penny Wong and Joe Hockey on Q&A [national TV program Question and Answer] this week about gay parents is only about two and half minutes long.

Prompted by an audience question about why the shadow treasurer thinks he and his wife make better parents than the Finance Minister and her female partner, the segment ends with Wong quietly but firmly declaring: "I know what my family is worth".

It may only be brief but activists are calling the exchange a ''watershed moment'' in their campaign for same-sex marriage – both allowing people to understand the debate at a personal level and demonstrating its status as a mainstream political issue.

On Tuesday, Wong's response trended on Twitter and the clip has had more than 71,000 views on YouTube (up from 53,000 this time yesterday). A company has even started selling "I know what my family is worth" t-shirts and stickers.

The National Times understands that Wong and her office were overwhelmed by calls and messages of support immediately after her Q&A appearance and that the messages continued into the week – a rare occurrence as the Finance Minister does not seek to campaign publicly on the gay marriage issue.

But Wong was not expecting such a personal question on Monday night – as is clear from her look of surprise and intake of breath when the question was asked. And then from her off-the-cuff response to Hockey's answer.

The shadow treasurer certainly squirmed under the spotlight of live national TV.

"I must confess my views have changed since I've had children", he said. "I think in this life we've got to aspire to give our children what I believe is the very best circumstances, and that's to have a mother and a father.''

In response, Wong began with: ''Well, there's almost nothing I can say.''

''When you say those things, Joe, what you're saying to not just me but people like me is that the most important thing in our lives, which is the people we love, is somehow less good, less valued,'' she said.

Wong went on to acknowledge that comments like Hockey's were hurtful, but concluded by saying: ''I know what my family is worth.''

Australian Marriage Equality campaign co-ordinator Rodney Croome has been a gay rights activist for more than 20 years and sees Wong's appearance as a "watershed moment" that will change hearts and minds.

This week, he says that AME have seen their web traffic double with people either getting in touch to offer messages of support or contact an MP via their website.
Croome says that even though Wong's appearance came off the back of US President Barack Obama's support for gay marriage last week, more people have been citing Wong as their reason for their messages.

"It was only a very short exchange, but I feel that it will have a tremendous impact,'' Croome says, noting that those contacting AME tend to be both older and straight. "It really struck a chord".

Croome says Wong's ''gentle, quiet, self-confidence'' also illustrates the importance of personal stories for making a difference in the same-sex marriage debate.
"People saw beyond the politics to how it actually affects people," he said.

Equal Love convenor Ali Hogg - who organised a rally of 4000 people for same-sex marriage in Melbourne last weekend - said that it was rare to hear a politician speak from the heart.

"When someone says something so offensive in front of her [Wong's] face, it's a bit hard for her to just pull out the party line," Hogg says.

GetUp! national director Simon Sheikh says that he has also noticed an increase in people getting in touch and engaging in social media over the past week, which he thinks is due to a combination of Obama and Wong's statements.

(snip)

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/wongs-affirmation-of-gay-families-a-watershed-20120518-1yv89.html#ixzz1vCdavv4W

[Lyle (Mooska)]

NAACP backs same-sex marriage as civil right
MIAMI (AP) — The NAACP passed a resolution Saturday endorsing same-sex marriage
as a civil right and opposing any efforts "to codify discrimination or hatred into the law."

http://www.usatoday.com/article/550

[Lyle (Mooska)]

Now that the people of North Carolina have voted to enshrine marriage as one
man and one woman and banned any other form of partnering (civil unions) between
anyone straight or gay, comes a barrage of gay bashing from the pulpit.

Amendment One and its passage has brought out one hateful rant after another.
There was Pastor Dennis Terry who said that he really "loves" everybody, but thought
gay people should "Get Out" of the state.  Pastor Sean Harris told his congregation to
"crack the  wrist" of any child who exhibited signs of effeminacy. Ron Baity, of Berean
Baptist Church who said that homosexuality should be criminalized. Tim Rabon, pastor
at Raleigh's Beacon Baptist Church, who stated that gay marriage would lead to bestial
marriage. Now Pastor Charles L. Worley may only be carrying the hate to its obvious
conclusion: the outright extermination of gays. Video has gone viral of his recent sermon
of the Pastor calling for gays and lesbians to be put in an electrified pen and ultimately
killed off. And today there are more videos of the Pastor's congregation openly supporting
this hateful attitude.

Nice.

There are youtube clips of almost all these rants, but I see no reason to put them into your
consciousness. 

North Carolina has a healthy film/tv industry.  There is an area near Wilmington that has seen
many major films shot, as well as the entire runs of the tv series Dawson's Creek and One Tree
Hill.  (I think Jake's 2006-7 film that has yet to be released was shot there.)  I wish they'd
make some kind of a stand against this hateful diatribe going on there.

[Lyle (Mooska)]

Pastor Sean Harris told his congregation to "crack the wrist" of any child
who exhibited signs of effeminacy.

I wonder if he made an exception to female children?

[Lyle (Mooska)]

In honor of Harvey Milk who would've been 82 yesterday, something from a
speech he gave in reference to people like those above:

If [they] win [they] will not stop. They never do. Like all mad people, they
are forced to go on, to prove they were right! There will be no safe ‘closet’
for any gay person. So break out of yours today — tear the damn thing down
once and for all!”

[bubba]

AMEN to that!



A wedding:

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20599177,00.html


 

[Lyle (Mooska)]

These are the kind of people you have to admire:

In the months leading up to North Carolina’s vote this month to ban gay marriage, most of the state’s business leaders were conspicuously silent. While some executives spoke out against it as individuals, not one Fortune 500 company based in North Carolina, including Bank of America, Duke Energy, VF Corporation and Lowe’s, opposed it.

But one company did: Replacements Limited.

http://www.nytimes.com

[tfferg]

Today's news in Australia

NSW upper house backs gay marriage
May 31, 2012 - 4:00PM

The N[ew]S[outh]W[ales state] upper house has passed a motion calling on the federal government to allow gay marriage, despite a Liberal MP saying that change could lead to polygamy.

Greens MP Cate Faehrmann's private members' motion passed 22 votes to 16 in the Legislative Council, with both major parties allowing a conscience vote.

NSW has now joined Tasmania and the A[ustralian] C[apital] T[erritory] in having a parliamentary chamber call for the 1961 Commonwealth Marriage Act to be amended to allow same-sex marriage.

(snip)

Premier Barry O'Farrell declined to confirm whether he backed the motion.
''It's an issue for the upper house, should it come to the lower house I'll make my views clear then,'' he said.
Mr O'Farrell dismissed suggestions the motion would put pressure on federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott to allow a conscience vote when several gay marriage bills come before federal parliament.
But Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young and Australian Marriage Equality convenor Alex Greenwich said the motion had put pressure on Mr Abbott to allow a conscience vote on the issue.
The upper house passed an amendment from Nationals MP Trevor Khan for religious groups to be exempted from having to perform gay marriage ceremonies.
But the Legislative Council rejected amendments from Christian Democrats MP Fred Nile and Labor's Greg Donnelly, which noted the European Court of Human Rights did not consider homosexual marriage to be an inherent right.

(snip)
- AAP
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/nsw-upper-house-backs-gay-marriage-20120531-1zkew.html#ixzz1wQh0TVAL

[Cally]

Good news, Tony.

despite a Liberal MP saying that change could lead to polygamy.

That's how Liberals behave over there?