In so many important ways, American politics has made extraordinary strides when it comes to LGBT rights. Just in the Obama era, there have been historic breakthroughs in areas such as military service, health care benefits, and hate crimes.
What's more, there are plenty of credible national polls showing that most Americans are finally supportive of same-sex couples having the right to get married, and the number of states embracing marriage equality has grown steadily. The arc of history is, in the larger context, bending towards justice.
But for all the steps forward, occasionally, the nation slips and falls.
Riding a Bible-influenced coalition that cut across political and racial lines, the marriage amendment stormed to approval Tuesday, making North Carolina the latest state to put stronger legal barricades before same-sex unions.
With 90 percent of the counties reporting, the constitutional amendment to make marriage between a man and a woman the "only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized" won resoundingly, 61 percent to 39 percent.
It goes into effect Jan. 1. North Carolina has had a law banning same-sex marriages for 16 years.
That last part is of particular significance -- same-sex marriage is already prohibited in North Carolina. What this new Amendment One does, as Rachel explained last night, is eliminate "all legal rights for all unmarried couples, straight and gay."
As the New York Times report noted, experts in family law have said the language of Amendment One is worded so poorly, it wouldn't just ban marriages and civil unions for same-sex couples, "it could also apply to the more than 150,000 straight couples in the state who live together but are unmarried. This could invalidate domestic-violence protections, undercut child custody arrangements and jeopardize hospital visiting rights."
North Carolinians, by a wide margin, apparently didn't care.
Or more accurately, most North Carolinians. The Charlotte Observer added that the amendment lost in the state's largest areas, including Charlotte, Greensboro, Asheville, Raleigh, and Durham -- it lost by a four-to-one margin in the famed Research Triangle -- but the results were entirely one-sided just about everywhere else.
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I'm awaiting the day when soon there'll be another Amendment-Amendment that strips away rights of any married couple outside of strictly Christian/Catholic marriages.
Next step they should take is Topeka, Kansas route and Legalize Domestic Beatings. I mean hell they pretty much just did if you aren't married anyway.
And if I were hospitalized and my partner could not visit me.. I'd throw a fit regardless of how sick I was.
My words to the voters: Hope your fricken overzealousness against the LGBT community was worth it.
Oh Tessy, based on your contempt alone, it was well worth it. Well worth it. Fun, even.
Hasn't some one down South said no one can marry without pledging that they were virgins?
Tessy, well said.
J. Gregory: "Fun, even"? You find it fun curtailing people's human rights? Good Lord, if I had any doubt in Tessy's words, I sure don't now. You are one cold dude.
Let's get something straight (Freudian slip) off the top: This vote was not about religion. 61% of the voting population is not religious; more like 10% as reported by most church think tanks. No, this was about moral conscious, where our state overwhelmingly said NO to gay marriage and further protected our Constitution by voting in this Amendment. Now you have to overturn an Amendment AND vote in another one, which won't happen forever. Listen closely: If you're gay, we in NC do not want you here. And we didn't need a bible to come to that conclusion.
Jeff, you can send your wonderful gay people to a more deserving state, then, and live in ignorance. Many of the gay people I know (and I'm hetero-married for 28 years, 1st and only marriage, in Mass. no less, gay marriage didn't hurt me, funny isn't it) are creative, artistic, responsible and love their partners and their children. Willing the gay population of NC to leave the state would only benefit other states...and hurt NC. Oh, and Maurice Sendak was gay, had a single partner for years. Does this mean you won't read his books to your children? If you have any? Or are you on wife #5....
Sounds resoundingly like what you've said in the past about Blacks. Good luck with that. I for one am glad you passed this law. It's just going to give people one more chance to get to the Supreme Court, where educated people who actually understand the ideal of equality that America stands for will remind you that no one cares what you think. You can hate gays all you want, but you can't dictate how other people live their lives based on your own uneducated bigotry.
What are you so afraid of Jeff? Usually the ones who protest so much are the ones in the closet. Maybe if you tried the truth and stop living a lie you wouldn't be advocating denying basic human rights. I suppose your advocating intolerance makes you a mans man, which basically makes you a coward.
Oh Lord, Jeff, you are disgusting. And don't worry, no one with a full set of teeth wants anything to do with your stupid hick state.
The fewer lesbians the better, Nicole. And you're thinking of Tennessee.
This is to Jeff, the guy with the rational of a 4 year old. Of course all the ones voting against same sex rights are not religious. Some are just stupid back assward rednecks. How 'bout we mandate I.Q. testing before people can mate? I'd be all for that. There would someday be a crap load less ignorant people in the country.
What's a 'rational', weberkt? Do you maybe mean 'rationale'? Because I have 61% of the voting population in NC with a similar rationale. See, spellcheck doesn't help you when you use a real word. And you said something about I.Q.?
First off, Jeff does not speak for all North Carolinians. The populous areas of the state, including Raleigh, Durham, Charlotte, Chapel Hill and Asheville, all voted a resounding NO to the Amendment. Yes the majority of the State did vote in favor, but those are places not worth visiting anyways. I love living here in North Carolina and not all of us support discrimination. I apologize on behalf of my state for this outcome, but the fight is not over yet.
Hey, Jeff, I live in NC and I am going nowhere. Bite me, you bigot.
Actually, Jeff, you have 61% of 33%... not exactly a ringing mandate.
Wondering why North Carolina didn't profane its constitution several years ago when all the other Southern states were rushing to do so?
Well, it ain't because NC's more enlightened than the others, as yesterday's numbers show.
Here's the story: Until 2010, both houses of the state legislature were controlled by Democrats. They were mostly conservative Democrats, but they still weren't willing to give the GOP it's favorite GOTV tool of a marriage ban. And then, come 2010, NC's legislature, like so many others across the country, fell to the GOP. Presto! Chango! Legislate bigotry ASAP!
The moral of the story, as we've learned in North Carolina, and Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, and in every other state the GOP took over in 2010, is that we need to work a hell of a lot harder to elect Democrats. 'Cause Democrats may be timid little mice at times, but they're still better for all the people than a herd of stampeding elephants.
And as we've all seen over the last few years, as the GOP controlled state legislatures enact their draconian laws - people are now starting to pay attention. While I may have empathy for the hard times the people of these states are going thru, I also believe these people are getting exactly what they deserve for not paying attention, for believing that these laissez faire, free-market zealots even give a dayum about the people they are supposed to be governing!
I realize that Americans are angry about a whole host of issues, but the GOP has shown over & over & over - they can no longer be trusted with the power of "governing"; not only do they have no ability to "govern" they are so busy gifting to "private industry" all - they have become fascists! These people don't care - its about "individualism and freedom" - yet the people are the ones suffering and they want to blame the "other" for their disenfranchisement! I say good, maybe more need to suffer more, maybe then they will actually see they are voting for the wrong party!
As I've been saying all along, the most important political race this year may not be for the White House, but for Congressional seats, governorships, and state legislative seats throughout the country.
Whoever said "don't sweat the small stuff" simply didn't understand the importance of local politics.
This just in from the "hills 'n' hollers": Nothin' to worry about; they ain't banned brother and sister unions."
As a descendant of double first cousins, not to mention other shenanigans, this comment seems a bit too much like what i hear around here and read on my local newspaper page instead of offering any enlightenment. I'd like to suggest that maybe making fun of people is not the best idea you've had all day. I have lived in every state in the southeast in my 62 years, and while North Carolina has its share of problems, it's a beautiful place to settle down and many of us in the entire south had early ancestors who did settle there to begin with. That's how the country became populated, but of course first they had to cut through the thicket and run off the natives, so it took a few strong, sturdy types to manage to do that.
"run off the natives"...wow..you are showing you are a descendant of family members.
North Carolina is violating our Constitution by blatantly ripping away basic rights from their fellow Americans. Marriage equality is about civil rights and about following the Constitution. There is no basis for discriminating against an entire segment of citizens simply because a certain political party deems them as unworthy under the law. This is an abomination. Imagine the logic if the anti-equality crowd got into other issues? You can't own a home if you're a redhead? No driver's licenses for white males under 30? Discrimination not only is senseless, it undermines our very democracy. http://www.sunstateactivist.org
so what provision of the Constitution is being violated by North Carolina
ST54 - How about the Equal Protection clause?
Yes indeed, the 14th Amendment:
No State shall... deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
Since homosexuals are "persons" they cannot be denied equality.
that is Section 1 of the 14th amendment- and it does apply to the states- in general the 14th was intended to provide that all persons born or naturalized in the US are citizens of the US and the state where they reside-the 14th is an adjunct to the 13th amendment which abolished slavery-
The 14th then in context provides that no state shall deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. So how does that mean it is unconstitutional for a state to define marriage and adopts laws in that context (e.g. divorce)? That is not a denial of equal protection no more than saying that to have a driver's license you have to be of a certain age or have to be certain age to marry. If a state while defining marriage as between a man and a woman then provided that only for example that "white" men and women can marry, then that would be a denial of equal protection to non white men and women.
State laws make distinctions all the time and the fact that a person is impacted or not entitled to a benefit of law and another is not, does equal a denial of equal protection. I certainly do not oppose gay marriage. In my view however it is a question that should be left to the legislature/people of each state.
The Activist: you will never see the day white males under 30 cannot get a license for anything unless the minorities all band together. The Republicans seem to hate anyone who is not straight, white and worth a lot of money no matter how they came by that money.
ST54 should recall there are "protected classes" by law. Age (over 40) is not a protected class. So a state can ban alcohol from youth without violating the equal protection clause. A state can make age qualifications for a driver license but not gender. A state can make age qualifications for marriage but not gender. That was in fact basis for the Supreme Court striking down abortion laws- they were gender specific and in violation of the equal protection amendment.
DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) is an absolute disgrace and delegitimizes the federal government as the valid embodiment of the Constitution. For this and other reasons I support the dissolution of the federal government and the dissolution of union. The Supreme Court should strike it down and has not done so because there is no money in it as there is in the Citizens United case. The Supreme Court is a failure and has led directly to civil war and will again.
That's precisely why the amendment passed - the media and the public kept saying, "Ban gay marriage" versus what else it would do such as "ban straight domestic partnerships / commonlaw relationships".
Were it reported about that instead of just "gay marriage", I believe the outcome would have been a bit different.
I was thinking the same thing. Not positive it would have changed things, but the reporting on this story, as is becoming the norm, wasn't good reporting, but about the sensational headlines.
As I understood it, 60% of North Carolina voters supported it at first blush.
That dropped to 40% once they got wind of how it was worded and what's in it.
It's how these types operate, and we've seen it across every state for years. It is not just hoped for, but counted on, that low-information voters--overwhelmingly Republican in nature--will simply not question or research what is being presented to them.
Unfortunately, in a funny quirk of brain wiring, proving God has a perverse sense of humor, the more you inform these people of the misinformation, the more ardently they believe their fallacious notions.
Makes you wonder what the best path is from here, other than vote and hope.
I'm glad it lost by such a huge margin..
so, there's none of the BLAME THE BLACK FOLKS that happened with Prop 8.
here's the thing. you don't want these amendments to pass?
then, get and do the gruntwork, going block by block to make your case.
No, this didn't pass solely because of the black vote. But the black vote didn't help, either: For example, the Charlotte Observer notes two predominantly black areas there where the vote was 2:1 FOR prejudice.
Nationwide, blacks are moving toward favoring equality. They're moving slowly, but they're moving. But, as North Carolina demonstrated, black Democrats will gladly join with white evangelical Republicans to work against the gay folks.
Clearly, LGBT groups need to work harder to gain support among black voters. And so do Democrats. And so do supporting clergy.
I did go out door to door, so we did the grunt work. We could not compete with the pastors mandating from the pulpit that their members vote for the amendment. Two people were asked to leave a church when they found out they were going to vote against the amendment.
Actually, the NC NAACP came out against the amendment. So did black clergy who were brave enough to take out an ad against it. Let's not give in to the black/gay arguments. We are all working towards equality. I am impressed with the people who could see the bigger picture about the importance of keeping discrimination out of the state constitution.
again, more evidence that most Republicans and Christians do not care about families and children at all. They only care about control.
and, because endless legislation to ban gay rights and women's reproductive
rights and suppress voting rights will create jobs, help struggling homeowners
and help get the economy back on track.
and, because endless legislation to ban gay rights and women's reproductive
rights and suppress voting will create jobs, help struggling homeowners
and help get the economy back on track.
Can we get a do-over on letting the South secede?
America is on the fast-track to the 9th century! Congratu-@!$%#ing-lations.. Our tactics on the left are failing miserably. I'm going to burn bibles now.
Why is stupid never content to be stupid by itself? It's the collateral damage that's relentlessly doing our society in.
A few more laws are needed as the (NC) natural consequences are considered.
You are free to leave NC, but you need to present your marriage ID to return to the state.
If you and a person of the opposite sex check into hotel or model, bring your marriage ID.
If you and another person of the opposite are seen entering building, bring your marriage ID.
If you drive your wife's car to the repair shop, bring your marriage ID.
If you and your oppositely sexed friend are not married you must be accompanied by your parent, bring their marriage ID.
If you and your wife go food shopping, bring your marriage ID.
If you present your child to a doctor for treatment, being their birth certificate and your marriage ID, as genetic testing is required before treatment.
If you, your wife and your child visit the zoo, claiming a family discount, bring birth certification, photo ID and marriage ID.
Children found accompanied by unrelated adult, will be deported to another state.
Children having unmarried parents, will be deported to another state.
Children from unmarried parents may not be adopted, by anyone other than their parents, only after parents are pardoned.
Children growing up without married parents will declared feral, and must carry a photo ID, indicating non-citizen status.
Persons traveling though NC, will be conferred temporary citizenship status, and if married will carry the law of NC out of state.
Single persons from another state cannot travel in NC, unless accompanied married parents having marriage ID.
Children, who become orphans, must carry photo ID, and their parents' marriage ID, before being deported to another state.
Children born into personhood against their will, must upon being born be accompanied by their parents' marriage ID, or be deported to another state.
All persons in NC, will required to provide the legal marriage status of their parents' marriage ID, back seven generations.
Alternate Laws:
One could have an unalienable constitutional right, not to have religious laws passed against their unalienable rights.
Donations made to religious organizations, must made in kind, and not in national currency.
Heh!"Declared feral" - too funny....
Gomer Pyle is rolling over in his grave.
NC: Stand strong. We'll soon see LGBT rights protected. History will not look kindly back on the hate we voted into your constitution.
Is there going to be any investigation into claims of voter fraud and intimidation on Amendment 1?
There were no claims of voter fraud or intimidation reported yesterday, Corey. That's just the typical default claim of a defeated minority.
Thanks for clearly that up! So you are saying the 2008 election result caused the Republican to "claim voter fraud or intimidation", which is according to you is typical of the defeated minority. The end result was Republican offering BS voter fraud policies....such snake oil salemen.....
We weren't talking about the 2008 election, now, were we? I'm not a Republican, so I can't help you with their tactics. That's their problem.
funny you soumd just like one....walks like a duck....quack like a duck...IJS
So, you're not a GOP bigot, you're just a bigot period? Good to know.
Every response to this hater serves to feed and, worse, legitimize its now-exposed and ever growing schizophrenia. Solution: starve the beast.
on npr, i heard a pro- amendment supporter describe the anti-amendment supporters as "zealots."
orwell surrenders.
The DNC needs to pull the convention over the passing of Amendment-1 it's that big a deal
Yeah, like THAT's going to happen four months before it happens. Brilliant comment, Bill. "Hey, we need a place for 20,000 people, 10,000 security officers, Air Force One, and a $50 million security budget. No, this year: September."
First ever convention in the Grand Canyon.
In the Grand Canyon!?! Horrors, that's in Arizona. A bastion of conservative zealotry. Better not look Latino.
Hey, leave Arizona out of this... We have have our hands full with our war on non-whites and women...
Thank you, North Carolina... You make us look a little more tolerant today...
We will stand strong, Guy. Thanks for your support. We did lose, but we are now mobilized like never before. We move forward today in a new battle to fight for civil justice for all. We won't give up....we have many on our side.
Well, unlike all of you, I live in NC, and voted for the Amendment. We're going to protect our Constitution, and our family values, against the onslaught of 'teh gay'. 61% of us basically said 'that's disgusting' to gay marriage, and it is. As for Rachel's rant on the new Amendment's effects on those living together, domestic violence protection, and the like, there is no legal basis for her argument. She majored in political science, not law. This weak defense against the amendment never did have a basis in fact. There was no voter fraud or intimidation here - we just voted from our beliefs. Happy to make your day, gay people.
I feel very very sad for you.
Jeff does a good job of repeating slogans he does not understand. Let's see evidence that the Bible, the Constitution, and "family values" oppose same-sex marriage. There is none.
You voted from your beliefs? Bull@!$%#.
Let's see you work your beliefs in your own life first, before ladling them over the lives of others. Try Jesus' first commandment for a start. Try outlawing divorce except for cases of infidelity, since divorce is mentioned far more in the Bible than ever is homosexuality. Why aren't you voting your beliefs on that topic?
Try living the New Testament's commandments in your own life first as an example of how deeply held your beliefs are, when the sacrifice is yours to make, rather than projecting that sacrifice onto other human beings who are allowed in this nation not to believe as you do.
Let he who is perfect throw the first stone. NC is throwing a lot of stones. And so have you.
"Never underestimate the power of stupid people, in large groups."
The fact that Jeff has nothing better to do than to come on here and write disgusting comments about his fellow neighbors and citizens of this state is a shame. Honestly, he should go out and do his job, if he has one. He should spend his time doing something useful because his comments are nothing we haven't heard before and we've learned that sometimes, people are going to remain ignorant until the day they die.
And frankly, there is supposed to be a separation of church and state and last night, that was gone because this was a religious war. All the church did, all over NC, was throw around slogans. As someone told me, you want to get involved in politics and throw slogans around on your sign, then you should be taxed. And I still love how people think this amendment was about same sex marriage. They act like if it hadn't passed, we would all be able to marry and it just doesn't do that at all. As a matter of fact, Jeff, it doesn't do anything for me that wasn't already in place. Same sex marriage was already illegal in this state and it still is now and would have been had the amendment not passed. It does, however, affect thousands of STRAIGHT families across the state. This amendment does nothing but waste time and make things difficult for people across the state. It personally, as a gay woman, doesn't affect me at all. So I hope they enjoy how it feels to have their rights stripped from them and how it feels to be discriminated against for once.
When they go knocking on the door for their rights and they are gone...I hope they know they are gone because they single-handedly flushed them down the toilet.
You call this "Family Values". Ha! What do you value, other than dictatorship? You and your Stepford cousins should try to secede again, we'll let you this time!
I run my own firm and make my own schedule. Commenting on this subject takes me as much time as it takes you, but it's ok for you and not for me?
You keep trying to push the religious angle. I'm not religious. No pastor told me to vote a certain way. I'm not even a member of a church. I voted my conscious, and so did tons of other people.
Read between the lines: We do not want your ilk in our state. It's a simple as that.
OKAY, we get that you are not religious, why don't you say it one more time.
What we are trying to say here Jeff is it doesn't matter if you are religious or not, you are just ignorant as those who are, if not more so and that's the point. Because, no matter how much you push us away, we are never going to go anywhere, as you've obviously seen through history just like there will always be people like you: bigots....and unfortunately, your kind aren't going anywhere either.
Uh Jeff, have you ever read the Constitution? It was created to protect against this very thing...the majority against the minority. I don't recall reading anything about your personal beliefs in there. These social issues should never be put on any ballot for voting...ever. If you don't like "the gay", then don't be one. End of story. I think what is disgusting is your know it all attitude, uneducated jargon and anger-provoking statements. As for family values, I don't think hatred is one. Better brush up on your Bible. Happy to make your day straight bigot.
Re: "...there is no legal basis for her argument."
Uh...there is NOW, genius. You just VOTED for it. Jeez. (And NC is supposed to be one of the "smart" Southern states.) SMH...
Mucho...you are messing with Jeff, stop it..too much info will cause him to take off the funny hat, put down the tea bag and actually read. Time is on our side....his children's children will think he is nuts and so out dated. Old man yellin "get off my lawn"......lol. I'm a happily married hetersexual male and already see the next generation will judge us like we judge the southern way of life in the 1800's...backwards
I think maybe Jeff "the thinker" meant CONSCIENCE. It's about education folks....and, people who can spell.
Jeff, If you are basing YOUR family values on the bible, first off, you should have your own moral compass. Not one that is already set and given to you. Anyway, first off, prove god exists. Then prove the bible is actually the word of god. Until then, you're just a garden variety bigot. If you think gays marrying has ANYTHING to do with your own family values, you are truly simple minded. I have seen and heard of plenty of gays marrying, and I have to say, I noticed no change to my own family values. Know why? Because they are MY OWN. Not dependent on anyone else.
Jeff keeps saying this "61%" stat... he seems to be ignoring the fact that only 33% of the voting-eligible populace voted yesterday. So, only about 20% of the populace actually voted for it, and most of them were (illegally) told how to vote by their clergy. Good luck on constitutional review!
Congratulations to you! You're a real winner, that much is obvious!
I live in the Triangle area of North Carolina and I very pleased with the results shown by the county is which I live. Orange County (Chapel Hill area) showed an astounding 79% Against the amendment. What I think really must happen is for our president (who I support whole heartedly) has to come out of the "support closet" and drive this home for us. The perfect opportunity would be at the Democratic Convention which is being held in, of all places, North Carolina. What a perfect time to bring this to the front where it should be!
Is that a picture of you trying to marry your dog in your profile photo, Thom?
Are dogs consensual adults, Jeff?
Let Jeff wallow in his bigotry. He isn't worth time time he's taking in this conversation, being deliberately rude in his remarks. If he has any employees, I certainly hope they're not gay....not that he'd know, they would never tell him. And Jeff, most gay people look and talk just like everyone else, so don't retort with sterotypical bird cage paranoia.
Jeff is just mad because his values are sociopathic and you can't run away from yourself. North Carolina is Jesse Helmsville, Jeff just personifies that fact, again and again.
We're working to repeal Amendment One down here in NC! We need some major publicity if it is to happen! Rachel make NC your new Michigan and Wisconsin and fight for us!!!
http://www.change.org/petitions/1-million-against-amendment-1
Nothing personal, there, Thom, but little Orange County didn't carry the state. Obviously, Chapel Hill is more liberal than San Francisco (isn't that how Jesse Helms once put it?), so no surprise there. President Obama isn't stupid enough to sh&^ where he eats in September @ the Democratic National Convention. He has to carry NC, and I doubt he mentions this little Amendment at all. He has a rough enough road ahead as it is to make waves. But over here in Charlotte, where we provide the state with more tax revenue than any other region, we're very happy with the outcome. It took Obama three times as long to repeal DADT than he promised; he's not risking losing a state by taking sides on gay marriage. And despite Biden's comments to the contrary recently, there's an excellent chance that Hillary Clinton will run as Veep. THAT will be the big surprise coming out of Charlotte in September, NOT a forum on disgusting gay marriage. But hey, thanks for trying.
What the hell does same-sex marriage have to do with the Bible? Generally, nothing at all and specifically, the gospel supports same-sex marriage. Jesus was a libertine who condemned sexual supremacism. Anyone who justifies "stronger legal barricades [for] same-sex unions" with the Bible is simply announcing a mind too weak to read the Bible itself and is only repeating slogans. If I were that stupid I would try to keep it a secret.
Who mentioned the Bible? I voted for the Amendment for the simple amendment that gay marriage is unnatural, obviously not biologically viable in the long-term, and is downright disgusting. I don't recall referencing the Bible in my decision to block gay marriage in our great state.
If you find gay marriage disgusting, Jeff, then don't enter into a gay marriage. What is your rational for telling other people not to do what you don't want to do. I don't like football, it's violent and competitive, but I would not vote to outlaw it because of my personal preferences. I imagine there is one or two disgusting things about you personally, but no one is voting to outlaw you.
The Bible is implicitly mentioned, because you got your beliefs from somewhere.
The topic above, scroll up.
I find bigots and moral supremacists unnatural, obviously not biologically viable in the long term, and downright disgusting. I have the gospel and American founding documents on my side.
Jeff does not know the first word of the Constitution
Jeff admits to being a closet homosexual. The gay lifestyle has a strong attraction for him with is why it threatens his family. He depends on the law to help him "make the right decision" and "chose to be straight". Sexual orientation is a choice for Jeff and he believes it is a choice for everyone. That is why gay marriage is disgusting- those lowlifes have given in to their passions, which Jeff struggles so hard to resist.
What logic imposes that I got my own individual beliefs from a dusty book? I got them from reasoned logic and thought. You may want to try that sometime.
It's a nice trick to blame right-wing nut jobs on this, but I'm not one. I'm a liberal, a Democrat, an Obama supporter. I don't fit your mold. And if we had just relied on Bible-thumpers, this Amendment would not have passed. But it did. And, it required more moderate and even liberal thinkers to pass it. It's always easy to demonize this decision, but an overwhelming majority of North Carolinians voted the same way: we don't like you. We don't want you. And your definition of marriage is now illegal in our state.
Next trick in the book is to paint anyone who was for this law a closet homosexual. Don't you gays have any new strategies? I thought you were the creative types.
it was already illegal you stupid @!$%#ing prick
Usually the one who scream the most against gay anything, have some issues they need to work out. I'm not saying you are gay Jeff,,,,but you are spending alot of time justifiying something that on the face has nothing to do with you. I find that interesting so I going to help you come to terms with your issues. I think your subcon is try to tell you something....
Jeff,
Well, Democrats never claimed to have a clean party. We've got our share of folks who drift off the extreme edges of party ideals, same as the Republicans, just perhaps in lesser numbers than they.
I just don't understand the intensity of your dislike for what is a relatively small group of people with whom you need not associate. Why do you even care what other folks do? Why not care about hungry kids, or the homeless, or animals or something less negative to you to focus on, to make a positive difference in this world, instead of working so vehemently to make a negative impact on people who have so little impact on your life?
Help me understand what your motivation is? No human being gets as insistent over an issue like you are with gays without a reasonable explanation.
Respectfully...
It really isn't so complicated, NeedMoreCoffee. It's not a deep, dark psychological issue. It's an involuntary need to throw up when I see a gay couple. Are you all bad at physics? Certain things fit in certain places, and if done often enough, produce babies. Gay marriages just increase Ikea stock.
Sorry to disappoint, but I'm well-educated and very much in the majority. Gay marriage is simply disgusting. I don't have to have an explanation any deeper than that, and neither did the 61% who voted with me yesterday, either.
Funny enough, I own an ad agency, so I see enough gay for sure. I don't hire any, because creative people come in all shapes and sizes. I prefer straight. God knows ad agencies have enough drama anyway. I don't need 'Sven' to have his panties in a wad because he forgot to Tivo 'Mad Men'.
What ever you do, don't think of buttsex.
Now I get it. Jeff was sodomized as a child, thus producing uncontrollable hatred for homosexuals. It's perfectly understandable. "Gay marriage is simply disgusting" how does Jeff know? Sodomy is an English word with a meaning that anyone can look up but how would anyone know it's disgusting who has never done the deed? This childhood assault is confirmed by his post #39.1 equating homosexuals with pedophiles because in his mind they are.
The poor man is asking for help and understanding in the only way he knows, by projecting his pain on others.
They forgot the fact that Watauga County, NC won their battle too. I go to Appalachian State and I can promise you, we did everything we could here to ensure it didn't pass. Though I am ashamed of my state right now and their ignorance, I am so proud of Watauga County for showing up and fighting for equality and against ignorance. In general, Watauga County is very conservative and then ASU is liberal so I was pretty shocked we were able to pull it off. ASU PRIDE!
Miranda, You could always further your activism by working to rename Boone, 'BrokeBack Mountain'. Run it past your lesbian friends and see if they'll invest some Birkenstock shoe leather in a campaign like that.
I'm sure they would love too, I'll get on it immediately :D
Couldn't get into Carolina, Miranda? Here's a hint: nobody cares about your tiny county. ASU IS Watauga County, so to say that the county is conservative is ridiculous.
But then again, the Amendment lost. That doesn't mean gay marriage is ok in Boone,
it means in the 100 counties of NC, gay marriage is illegal.
Jeff's beliefs in action, folks, skipping over a few commandments about love to get his hate on for gay marriage. Faith as deep as a paper ballot.
And I actually did get into Carolina, I just decided against it because I got into Campbell University with a full ride there so you should watch your mouth before you open it.
Wow, Campbell College, in Buies Creek, NC. Quite the bastion of higher learning. Of course, that doesn't explain how you got to ASU. Lesbian lover transfer?
Campbell University. It's not the 70s anymore where it was Campbell College and it is a prestigious institution as is Appalachian State University.
I go to ASU because Campbell's department with which I studied lacked what Appalachian's did. I will go where I can get the best education for my major and my money.
And actually, no, it wasn't a lesbian love transfer, I met my lover at Campbell. OH THE SHADE, THE SHADE OF IT ALL.
Dykes @ ASU. Wow, that almost NEVER happens. So where do you plan to work when you graduate? Here's a hint: not at my firm.
As a Democrat, you don't find discrimination a bit against your principles? Do you discriminate against minorities, women in general, religious/non-religious, or just gays?
If it's just gays, how do you find out who is gay in your firm and who isn't? Just how deep do you dig in personal lives, how invasive are your interview questions, or do you just have a mental stereotype that precludes potential applicants? Or do you loiter around the gay hot spots to see if any of your employees frequent such establishments?
I'd be interested to know that as a straight person, if I wore comfortable shoes to interview at your firm, would I automatically be culled from the running?
You're funny. lol
Jeff, if gay people disgust you so, why are you on a Rachel Maddow blog? Just keeping track of the enemy? Or secretly titillated? I'd love to know the name of your ad agency so that I could alert my colleagues (the smart ones, the ones that voted against this travesty) not to use your services.
I would never dream of working at a firm that someone so ass backwards owns. I don't need your firm to get a job. Oh aren't you just all high and mighty. Please, as if, I wouldn't work in your firm if it was the last job on earth. And I'm still finishing my degree. Where I go, is none of your concern sir.
Why is it when I read Jeff's comments I hear Dueling Banjos from Deliverance in the background. Just Saying!