As a white, straight, fat old male, here is my "spin" on the "Gay Agenda" regarding civil rights:

[Tyler Durden]

Equal Treatment Under The Law As Guaranteed By The Constitution Of The United States.

Nothing more, nothing less. This is the pledge of the new nation that Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, Hancock and the rest vowed to defend by this promise"...we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor."

I present to you, the FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, SECTION 1:


"Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."


This apparently does not have any exclusions, such as "This does not apply to atheists, Muslims, the mental or physically challenged, or male/female homosexuals, bisexuals, transexuals or transgendered persons."

People, I am sick and tired of hearing about "Civil Unions," "the rights of religious fundamentalists to 'honestly held beliefs,'" and other such nonsense. The law is CLEAR. NO STATE or THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT may abridge ANY CIVIL RIGHT COMMON TO ALL CITIZENS FROM ANY INDIVIDUAL CITIZEN OR GROUP OF CITIZENS.

This is not negotiable. This is not up for discussion. This is not a subjective issue.

It IS an issue of BASIC CIVIL RIGHTS, and anyone saying differently is a poltroon and a liar, and only worthy of scorn and rejection by true citizens and supporters of the nation, no matter what their personal or religious belief may be, AS THESE HAVE NO STANDING IN THE PROSECUTION OF EQUAL RIGHTS AND TREATMENT UNDER THE LAW.

Here endeth the damned lesson AGAIN.

[tachyon]

1. A Constitution. How quaint.

:eyes:

[Tyler Durden]

2. Yes I thought so too...how bizarre.

It seems that there is something called "The Law" that states, fundamentalists, and other FUCKING IDIOTS MAY NOT BEND TO SUIT THEMSELVES, but instead must hold to, protecting all the rights of all the citizens.

So odd.

[Tyler Durden]

3. And it seems this is SO much less interesting than the "chimp cage shit throwing festival"...

...that some oddly refer to as a "Presidential Primary."

[better tomorrow]

47. ummm....."Mommy, what is a Constitution?"

Mommy....."Dear child, it is something we used to have once upon a time.....until a big, bad man with a bunch of his friends in long, black robes took it away...."

[LeftyMom]

4. k&r

[madinmaryland]

5. We have a constitution?

:wtf:

:shrug:

[NMMNG]

6. Some people seem to channel Orwell far too much

I'm substituting "people" for "animals" in this quote here:

"All people are equal but some people are more equal than others."

Funny how they say they hold the documents and words of the Founding Fathers dear, yet they mutilate and ignore them at will.

[sarge43]

7. Now, now Tyler, don't you know

that 'laws' made by an obscure Bronze Age group in the Middle East some 3000 years ago trump our Constitution?

[sarcasmo]

8. Thanks for including Atheist, Kick and Rec.

[Tyler Durden]

13. Hey, can't leave myself out, can I?

You see, we people outside of the inappropriately self-styled "normals" have to stick together.

Not to sound racist here, but it's something that, as the "Donnie McClurkin Gospel Hour of Militant Gay-Bashing" seemed to demonstrate: if someone has an "HONESTLY HELD BELIEF" that some group is evil, wrong, or otherwise outside of their ken, they are "entitled" to discriminate against people defined by that group because they feel they are religiously or morally justified.

This is delusional behavior, and any group that teaches this, in my cosmology, should be labeled a Hate Group, fostering Hate Speech and Illegal Discrimination.

This isn't free speech, any more that advocating laws that legalize vigilantism would be. Therefore: it is not PROTECTED speech.

[sarcasmo]

35. I used to have a personal joke you might like.

"The straight people thought I was Gay and the Gay people new I was straight, but no one new I was an Atheist."

Billy Hendoe, That's me, my personal quote.

[lame54]

9. What - No pic?

[youthere]

10. Uh-oh..the revisionists aren't going to like this one bit.

[Bluenorthwest]

11. Equal protection under the law

Yes or no? That is the whole thing. All these so called constitutional scholars saying the States should have the choice when the 14th clearly says they are not allowed to deny any group protections and privileges given to another group. The Republicans like to say 'marriage is not a right it is a privilege, but that arugement is as Unconstitutional as well.
The 14th is among other things, a favored nations clause between the citizens. If you get to, so do I, and that is pretty much the whole deal.

[Rex]

12. There you go again bringing up the Constitution and Civil Rights!

Didn't you get the memo? The Patriot Act stumps all other documents written before it, 9/11 changed everything donchanow and now if...can my puritan mouth say the word...GAY people want to get together and live in peaceful bliss, well my evil ancestry won't allow that to happen. We must put a stop to harmony and love!

Egad, what is wrong with you Tyler!? You are making all kinds of common sense and obvious relationships to LAW and life, happiness and the pursuit of even more happiness! Can't have that, just drink beer and watch TV. Be thankful our malignant benefactors care about those greenbacks in our wallets and how to take them from us.

GAYS!!!

Be scared! It is the law!

Edit - this is from another single, white, old (yeah I'm somewhat fat so sue me) dude.

[Tyler Durden]

14. I am getting so BORED with bringing this up, too.

I don't want excuses from ANY campaign, even ones I support, and I especially don't want to hear anything about how anyone's "FAITH" won't allow them to support a concept that must apply completely and totally across the legal board.

Frankly, if a candidate cannot support COMPLETE AND EQUAL TREATMENT UNDER THE LAW, then they cannot take the oath of office, and therefore CANNOT BE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. If they do so, then they are subject to IMMEDIATE IMPEACHMENT as they are in violation of their oath of office to support the Constitution.

That EVERYONE cannot see this makes me get migraines, tunnel vision, and a killing RAGE. I just handle it well.

[Rex]

18. I would view it the same as slavery, no exceptions to basic human happiness.

We are either on board for law or we just give it lip service. Right now we just give it lip service and now have a JD full of corrupt assholes doing what the VP tell them to.

[Strathos]

15. AWESOME! BEAUTIFUL! THE TRUTH IS TOLD!

Thank you for such an incredible post that makes me feel it's still worth fighting for my rights as a gay man.
I've been in a relationship for 15 years. We have no protection under the law. We have the powers of attorney, the wills, all the "legal" crap, but still, we could be challenged in a court of law and stripped of all those legal protections if our state doesn't recognize gay marriage or civil unions.

Few people realize that when a state discriminates and declares gay marriage illegal, it also negates any powers of attorney and wills we might have already made.

This is gonna be a long fight, but with people like you, Tyler, in our corner, it certainly gives me more gumption to keep on truckin'.

[MuseRider]

16. Oh dear Strathos

there is nothing more important than this fight. We are a sham country without these rights being applied across the board. While there are many issues that we need to deal with this is one of them as well but the one that always seems to be put aside and ignored, many times intentionally (can't win with that one in your policy :eyes:). Fight fight fight, we have only begun to get heard and it IS making a difference. Slowly we will pick up steam and then we will win. It is simply immoral to do otherwise.

[Strathos]

20. Thank you

I certainly hope you're right and I promise to continue to fight.

[MuseRider]

17. POLTROON???

I have not heard that used is a very long time! Great word, perfect in the context of your OP. Gotta send a :hug: for that one. Keep on Tyler. Poltroon, my goodness. :) :) :)

[hootinholler]

26. It's not often I go looking for the dictionary...

Poltroon: Coward.

Yes, good word.

-Hoot

[MuseRider]

31. Here is what I found.

I knew the word but wanted to check out the usage just out of curiosity because it had been so very long since I had heard it used.

: a spiritless coward : craven

Good word, I think we need to resurrect it. I can think of many opportunities to use it these days.

[Posteritatis]

33. It's apropos *and* fun to say! (nt)

[hootinholler]

38. One might have a poltroon platoon. n/t

[MuseRider]

43. We do!

It is called Congress! :P

[Tyler Durden]

49. As no one in GD-P will answer the 14th Amendment Question...

I hereby christen GD-P as General Discussion-Poltroons.

[MuseRider]

52. EGADS!

I just spit my tea all over my keyboard!

Perfect Tyler. :) or :( depending on how you look at it.

Of course they won't answer it. If one of their candidates really did support it they think it would hang their chances of winning and we all know that winning is far superior to guts (as if anyone should need those to support the 14th)and standing up for what is right. Those things are for us peons who can't take the cowardice and bigotry of our society that is apparently supported by our elected officials. Going to a hearing today at the Capital to bang my head against another brick wall. There are cracks (not in my head although many would think that)showing. Too bad our "leaders" won't use that opportunity. I guess we will have to open them wide and shove them through again. Big bunch of chicken shit poltroons or worse.

[Uncle Joe]

19. As a white, straight, built like a brick shit house, middle aged man, I concur.

Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Tyler.







P.S. Ok so maybe the brick shit house part was exaggerated a bit, so sue me.

[MuseRider]

21. LOL

Your PS is hysterical. Sagging a bit are we? Said by a middle aged woman who did not used to be built like a brick shit house. How does this happen? :)

[Uncle Joe]

23. Just general wear and tear,

combined with the power of gravity, but I'm only missing a brick or two, maybe a little mortar here and there.:)

[MuseRider]

29. I've got them.

If you want them back I would be more than happy to return them. :)

[NMDemDist2]

22. as an old fat married white female

I agree

:applause:

:kick: & nominated

[HuffleClaw]

24. hear hear

every time i hear someone talk about 'special rights' i want to hurl but what really does my blood pressure no favours is when some asshat calmly explains that THEIR precious 'religious freedoms' are being infringed upon by someone else's insistence on being afforded their civil rights.

[pleah]

25. K&R

More people should actually read this important document.

[joeybee12]

27. Thank you!

The problem is that this document is over 200 years old, pretty fucking clear in what it guarantees, but some people have always fought against such simple principles.

[margotb822]

28. Well, as * said about the Constitution...

It's just a GD piece of paper. They use it to defend their right to own guns and use inflammatory speech against others, but when it comes to freedom of religion, privacy, protection from torture, civil rights, etc. the RW just tosses it aside. Sickening that these people even call themselves patriots...

[Firespirit]

30. As a white, scrawny, bi-romantic woman

That about sums it up.

I am glad my state gets it and I wish the rest would get it.

[grantcart]

32. As a WSFOM I am absolutely against gay marriage

Life, Liberty and the Persuit of Happiness.

What can be more essential to one's happiness than picking a life partner.

Everyone should be able to join into a civil union (marriage) that has all of the same rights and responsibilities as all other

civil unions. Leave marriage to the churches who think it is part of a Holy Sacrament and let it have no legal standing whatsoever.



People should be free to marry who ever they want. As soon as it became a "gay issue" or "gay agenda" we set back the objective 10

years. It should simply be seen as a civil rights issue.

[Firespirit]

34. That's already how it works

Without the civil marriage license, you can go through the motions in a church and it means nothing, legally. Pagan handfasting, for instance, is a "trial marriage" of one year, but it has no legal standing unless it's backed with a marriage license, which of course makes it a real marriage and not a trial at all.

I don't really care what it's called, but people have used the word "marriage" for centuries, so it'll be hard to convince an entire society to use a different term.

The system as it is set up is indeed in violation of the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment. That is the problem. A minister can refuse to marry anyone, but a civil judge should not be able to.

[grantcart]

36. it may be a distinction without a difference but what I am saying is

take the Church out of the legal part of it altogether - get a license have witnesses sign it finished - no official link to religious functions at all.

The bigger issue is that progressives talk about "gay marriage" and for some straight people it seems like an endorsement

of gay lifestyle. If it is simply framed as a civil rights issue I think it would be much easier to get states to go along

[troubleinwinter]

37. This white, straight, fat old white female says RUN FOR OFFICE!

Run on yer "Gay Agenda" constituted of "Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."!

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

39. I'll say otherwise...but I think we agree in principle

The government has absolutely NO BUSINESS determining which religious sacraments it will recognize and which ones it will not. The government should UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES recognize anyone's marriage was "legal" any more than it should recognize anyone baptism.

Sorry, buster. Federal laws recognize only complete immersion. You've never been baptized.

Every union recognized by the government should be a civil union. If you want to go get married in the church of your choice - knock yourself out.

[Tyler Durden]

40. I really don't give a fuck to see my own name on the "top 5"

But I would LOVE to see SOMETHING about real civil rights instead of people "weeping about how beautiful the Trinity Church Singing is."

Give me a fucking break. Without EQUALITY UNDER THE LAW, none of any of this means shit.

[Horse with no Name]

44. .....

:thumbsup: and yeah...that particular one made me throw up in my mouth a little.

[GoneOffShore]

41. An important post

One of the best I've seen on DU in a long while - especially after the poo throwing that goes on in GDP.

Interesting to note also that a lot of old DUer's are responding to this. And also that no one on my ignore list is.

Thanks Tyler.

[Tyler Durden]

42. Strange you should mention.

I noticed that myself. No short-term, self obsessed fanatics. Think they might be afraid of the mirror?

[cliffordu]

45. Tyler, You got my vote.....K and R

:hi:

:kick:

[Kurovski]

46. K&R. (nt)

[kevinbgoode]

48. Exactly! My constitutional rights will NOT be made a human sacrifice

for someone else's "religious" choices. Period.

[xchrom]

50. happily recommended

:applause:

[Echo In Light]

51. K&R

[jmondine]

53. Amen, Bubba

[lumberjack_jeff]

54. The perfect is the enemy of the good.

Marriage is the correct solution, but it may be preferable to accept the good (civil unions) while we seek perfection.