gay marriage

[Target]

Month ago, In Italy, started a political discussion about gay marriage.
Right wing was against while Left wing was tend to agree, but Although left wing was at the government (due to external pressures), nothing happened.

not only gay marriage isn't allowed, but also gay couple aren't recognized by the state, so they can't receive some privileges given to married couple (for example financial aid).

The question is: why?

why people of the same sex can not marry even if they love? what's the problem?

being gay isn't a disease, so why deprive them of this right?
Fear? Hate?

I dont' understand.

What's your opinion?

 

[andysetra]

I don't think (at least from the perspective I have now) that I would ever want to get married - BUT I can't see what the big deal with gay marriage is. There are some religions that are accepting gay marriages and willing to perform them, so why is there such a crusade from politicians to outright BAN it? It's one thing to force a pastor or someone to marry a couple they don't want to, I don't think someone should be forced to. But there are plenty out there willing to perform gay marriages, and as society evolves, we see more and more open minded people. It just seems that, as we see more and more open minded people, the close minded extremists get louder and more powerful

All I can say is, give it time. Throughout history, people have fought change, and lost You can't fight progress.

 

[Aidy]

Women didn't have power before the 70s, Aboriginals couldn't vote until the 60s and Gay's couldn't marry until I'm guessing... the 10's. I don't think it will last until the roaring 20's.

I personally (straight) don't care for being married. I know a women who has been engaged for 16 years now but hasn't felt a need to marry because they already know they love eachother. It's really only for the benefits from the state that gay's will benefit ... and for the equality and being seen as the same as straight couples.

Weird thing is, in Australia gay marriage isn't allowed, but I'm pretty sure gay adoption is. Isn't a kid more a show of love then marriage yet it's allowed? Maybe because marriage came from the church. (Correct me if I'm wrong Kraiden but I think there's been one gay couple adopt)

 

[ayanna]

I come from the progressive country Canada, where gay marriage is allowed. In fact just last autumn one of our MPs (Minister of Parliament) was married (in a private ceremony...much in the way of Hollywood celebs, and yes it made it to the news) to another man right here in Nova Scotia. The big deal wasn't that it was a gay marriage (since it most certainly wasn't the first, nor the last), but that it was a political figure being married.

As our former Prime Minister, Jean Chrétien, is quoted as having said: "Why shouldn't they marry and be miserable like the rest of us?"

And way back in 1967 Pierre Elliott Trudeau (another former PM) "the state has no place in the bedrooms of the nation"

Interesting that both of those PMs were Roman Catholic, eh?

 

[Charlie]

Gay marriage is legal here too, well it's a 'civil partnership'.

I'm all for people being religious, just as long as it doesn't affect other people. I saw this programme on TV, it was one of those religious programmes they have to show by law, I was about to switch it over but it had this really angry, annoying women ranting about gays.
It was really funny, the other people on the show were disagreeing with her and she just wasn't having it. She was so stuck up too, and had a posh accent, and talked about gays like they were some kind of under-species... It was funny...

 

[Peachy]

My position on gay marriage hasn't change. For all I care, anyone can marry anyone else as long as it's purely a commitment to stay loyal to one another and to spend their life together.
I do, however, have a problem with giving same-sex marriages certain tax breaks or social benefits that are aimed at familes with children. Since we have rather strict adoption laws and I sincerely doubt that a gay couple could adopt a child that is not the natural child of one of the partners, there's not much of a point in giving gay couples a tax break. Other than that, they can have all the government-granted benefits coming with marriage.
But then, I also think that some tax benefits meant for families should not be given to heterosexual couples without kids.

Peachy

 

[PuddleFopsKit]

I don't have a problem with gay marriage. If it makes you happy, and you love each other, then all that should matter..

Also, why is that when two woman date each other, it's referred as "hot", but when two men date each other, it's "gross". Sounds to me like the world still had some growing up to do. Really, if you don't like the thought of them having sex, just IGNORE IT!

 

[Jakethefox]

As I always have said, if someone wants to marry, let em, if its love its love, nothing wrong with it and it doesnt hurt anybody

 

[Angelicus]

This is one of the most confusing issues in politics to date. I find it so easy to decide this, but many politicians beleive it is 'suspicious' and 'fearful.' The answer is so easy, but the lawmakers and others are trying to 'protect marriage' so much, they corrupt the govement and law to do so. Sad.

 

[Mr Alex]

AUheljance.

I don't care.

 

[Kiwi_Sin]

me and my bf are engaged and looking to get married late this year. we been on and off for 4 years, this time we just thought **** it, we're in love lets make it happen. Luckly in New Zealand its accepted under the Civil Union Act. make things easier if he/I are in hospital.

 

[EmeraldsAndLime]

Gay marriage... it shouldn't be a problem but people are holding onto traditional religious values too much, or, failing that, then the idea that it should only be a man and a woman because of reproductive purpose. Evolution... same sex couples have no reason to exist, they serve no purpose to the species. It's like mother nature's way of saying "Adam and Even, not Adam and Steve"...

 

[andysetra]

See, I don't see why the whole procreation excuse even stands today. We have, what, 6.7 billion people on the planet now? They say that is supposed to increase to like 9.5 billion in 40 years. If you ask me, gay marriage is like nature's way of slowing the world's population growth. Now, of course, this is making the ignorant assumption that gay people will go and marry someone of the opposite sex and have kids...which is bull plop

 

[Vaultin]

Love between two consenting human beings of the age and mental ability to be able to consent has no reason not to be legally sanctioned. kthx

 

[Grutzvalt]

I give up. Nothing is ever going to change...when cars start making cubes to give and take life, and when Dodge vans are trying to take the cube from Toyota trucks, then maybe gays will be allowed to marry...but for now...all I can do is want to be able to marry someone in my own state...

~Gwizzy~

 

[ShippoFox]

Banning gay marriage is a violation of the constitution. But the government generally doesn't care too much for that piece of paper anymore. To tell the truth, I think "marriage" should have nothing to do with the government. There should be benefits for people that live together, whether they're married, gay, or just roommates.

 

[andysetra]

To tell the truth, I think "marriage" should have nothing to do with the government.

Thank you! I couldn't agree with you more. Marriage is a religious thing, that happens to have benefits through the government (since, well, the government is everywhere ). It should be up to the churches and religions (or whoever is do the marrying) to decide who they should marry. And of course I use the term who referring to any human being of legal age. As the crazy extremists would have you believe, people who advocate for gay marriage also want to marry animals, etc...

 

[whitefox]

I support it, it's about that simple. But not really. Personally I don't really get the difference why it makes so much difference whether it's two men, two women, or a woman and a man. If they truly love each other, then I'm not sure why that is 'wrong'.

There is some 'experiment' I would like to try, though. It would involve taking a sample of unbiased opinions from young children (only those who haven't been introduced to the idea of gays, this would involve parents commenting about it, hearing it at school, etc. I know this is just about impossible, but bear with me.) and seeing what they think about the idea of two men or women being in love with each other. I would like to see the results from something like that.

 

[Target]

i must say that Italian politicians are influenced by the church and by the Vatican, plus many sex ed. courses explain the homosexuality as a disease.

For those who know Italian:
http://web.archive.org/web/20051222114001/www.genitori.it/documento.asp?sotto=57
a kind of sex ed against homosexuality. It was canceled from the original site, luckily

 

[Eclipse]

Target 0 you ask why? well.....

In the US it is mainly a religious issue. Our consitution and our government bases alot of its beliefs and lawas around Protestant Christianity. I am myself Protestant, no specific domination really. Although I am not nearly as radical as some protestants, because most of them beleive you are going to go to hell if you do drugs, become gay, or commit adultery and murdering. Those are like ther worst sins for Protestants, specially for Baptists Christians. Anyways I view all sins equal, which is the way it really says it should be in the Bible from the way I comprehend it, as well as many Protestants beleive all sins are equal too, not many though. So that means saying a cuss word is just as bad as taking someones life or just as bad as being gay. Some Protestants beleive that if you beleive that Jesus was crucified on the cross for your sins and your pray for forgiveness of your sins, and you try to repent (stop from) sinning then you will go to heaven regardless of what sins you have committed. ON THE OTHER HAND! These other christians (unfortauntly the majority) got this notation that certain sins are worse and damn you to hell for good unless you completly stop them..the sins I listed earlier. This is said no where in the Bible that I have seen, they basically make this up just to make it seem really wrong so sins that they really do not like can be pushed away from their religion and has even been corporated into the government to make it harder for people that commit these sins to live in society comfortably, trying to deter them from doing this.

I am NOT trying to preach to anyone here just sharing about how majority of America views these sins (adultery, murdering, homosexuality, and drugs), which is what makes up why there is laws against it in America. Even though I am straight like I said I am totally against what they are doing with all those sins.
Hope that answers some qeustions!