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FREEDOM-GAY MARRIAGES

LifeVita6
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Femmetech



Joined: 05 Nov 2004
Posts: 16
Location: Rockford,IL
FREEDOM-GAY MARRIAGES

~Freedom~


It was 6:00 p.m. and Jennifer Lewis a hard working schoolteacher in Minneapolis, MN was busy in the after-work shuffle of trying to get dinner ready for her partner Regina and their 11-year-old daughter Samantha. She knew that Regina who was ‘Mrs. Punctuality’ would be walking in the door any minute. 6:30 came and Regina still hadn’t walked through that door. Jennifer tried to push the worried thoughts out of her mind, calming herself with positive rationalizations such as ‘She must have had to stop at the store, or maybe at the bank, and forgot to call me…nothing to worry about’. She continued to try and calm herself, but there was a knot beginning to form in her stomach. Just then the phone rang, breaking the silence and causing her heart to swell into a sudden panic. She grabbed at the phone, and in a cracking voice answered “hello”. The voice on the other end of the phone belonged to Patricia Jackson, a nurse over at Minneapolis Community Hospital who was telling her that her Partner of 13 years Regina, had been in a fatal car accident, and had passed away. The phone slipped out of Jennifer’s trembling hands and she collapsed into hysterical tears on the kitchen floor. She looked over at Samantha the child that she had helped to raise for 11 years, the only remaining piece of her partner that she had left and motioned for her to come to her. Jennifer hesitantly told Samantha what had happened through swollen tear stained eyes, and trembling lips.

Over the next few days Jennifer tried to pull herself together to make the funeral arrangements for her partner, but when she called she was told that she had "no legal rights to her partners body". She was denied her request to have her partners body moved from the county morgue. You see Jennifer Lewis is a gay woman, and because of this she could not legally marry her partner and gain the right to make funeral arrangements for her. In the end not only did Jennifer lose her partner of 13 years, the love of her life, she also lost custody of her partners’ daughter Samantha, to her biological Grandparents.

All of this because Jennifer could not have a Marriage license…..

Currently same-sex marriage is only legal in one state in the United States, and that is Massachusetts. These marriages however, are not recognized in other states due to something called the “Defense of Marriage Act”(DOMA) that was signed into law by former president Bill Clinton in 1996. This marriage act defines marriage as ‘ a legal union between one man and one woman’. This allows other states the right not to recognize marriages performed in other US states, something that clearly goes again the “Full Faith and Credit Clause” of the US Constitution which states ‘that the actions of one state shall be recognized in other states’.

Some people have challenged the DOMA and because of this our current President George W. Bush has proposed an amendment to the Constitution to ban same-sex marriages all together. At this time the amendment was defeated, as it did not get the support of the 60 Senators it needed to pass. President Bush has said that he will “carry on trying to make same sex marriages illegal”. More than half of all Americans support him on this.

Now lets take a look at what discrimination is and why such a ban could be considered discriminatory. Discrimination is the ‘unfair treatment of a person or group based on prejudice’. Gay couples are denied over 1049 legal rights and benefits due to their sexual orientation. Marriage gives you those rights, such as the permission to make burial arrangements for a deceased partner, and the legal status of a partner’s child.

Another group was targeted for this same kind of discrimination and that group was interracial couples. It was not legal for interracial couples to be married until June 12, 1967 when the U.S. Supreme court ruled that the US Constitution prohibits states from banning interracial marriages.

Now that it has been established what discrimination is, let’s move on to the reasons that some people have to support a ban on same-sex marriage.

Homosexuality is a choice:

You cannot choose who you fall in love with, you can choose whether to follow your heart or to deny it. I am told by society that I cannot follow my heart because it is not socially acceptable, and against the ‘laws of God and nature’. When a person is in love, they are willing to move mountains, even if that mountain is society in order to be with the person they love. Why should anyone have to deny their heart because society does not agree? Straight people are not asked to do this, and neither should Gay couples.

Homosexuals are radicals who want to destroy the institution of marriage:
I am not a radical; I am simply a woman in love who wants to be able to marry her partner. Straight people can get married for any reason: social status, a pregnancy, loneliness, money, but, Gay couples cannot marry for love. The divorce rate is 50%. Meaning that 50% of all married couples will end up in divorce. Gay couples did not cause these numbers to exist. Know that Gay couples getting married will not affect anyone else but themselves. You will still wake up tomorrow, your lives will still be the same, the world will continue to spin, and you will still have to pay taxes.

People say a Homosexual relationship is unhealthy for children:

According to extensive research from the American Psychological Association, this is just not true. Their research found that children in homes of same-sex parents do not grow up confused about their gender identity, were not more likely to be gay, and do not suffer any more mental disorders than children in homes with a mother and a father. In fact they found that these children have normal, healthy relationships with their peers. ~See link to the American Psychological Association Report~

Religion and the Church:

Religion and marriage are not the same thing. Marriage is the signing of a legal document, and Religion in a marriage is used to incorporate ones own spiritual beliefs into their union. Getting married in a church does not make you legally married. The signing of the legal document makes you married. The First Amendment of the US Constitution speaks of the separation of church and state. Individuals cannot be forced to believe in any religions. Government should not be able to use their own personal religious beliefs to issue laws against same-sex marriages.

I leave you now with these thoughts:


The reasons that people have to support a ban on same-sex marriages are based on prejudice and are therefore discriminatory. Discrimination has NO PLACE in the constitution of a free country! Gay couples are asking for Equal rights not Special Rights. A great fighter for equal rights Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said “I Have a Dream” I too have a dream, that one day the chains of discrimination that weigh heavy on my heart will be broken, and I along with thousands of other same-sex couples will be free to follow our hearts and legally marry the ones that we love.

Copyright 2004
~ Johanna Albee ~

Post Tue Nov 09, 2004 5:42 pm 
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Jae



Joined: 08 Oct 2004
Posts: 188
Location: FL


You have hit the nail right on the head! If only we could pass things like this around.. people do not realize how narrow minded they are. They do not realize that we just want to be able to live, to love, to have the things - normal things - that everyone else is allowed. A normal life. Insurance benefits, marriage, respect - equality. It's not going to hurt them or endanger their family... how? We are an abomination they say. But just as you said, 'separation of church and state' means the rules that govern us are not to be based on religious beliefs - there are so many different types of religions practiced. It is our right - our freedom. I wake up every morning wishing, hoping, praying that the discrimination will stop. Thank you for your post - I'm sure it will touch all of us here in one way or another..

It is highly appreciated! *hugs* - Jae
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"..it's the wetness I like.." - David Muel

Post Tue Nov 09, 2004 7:53 pm 
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Femmetech



Joined: 05 Nov 2004
Posts: 16
Location: Rockford,IL
RE:

Jae-


This above piece is actually going to published on JuryFury.com, and I am trying to get it published any where else I can.

I first wrote this to be a persuasive speech for my college class. If I have it my way, I will be giving this as a speech in front of many. Smile


Johanna Albee

Post Tue Nov 09, 2004 8:48 pm 
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angelus ex quo nox



Joined: 07 Nov 2004
Posts: 16
Location: Sydney, Australia


woah *stares* did you write that yourself?

wow... that's just fantastic....

*sighs* why do ppl have to be so.... i dunno.... scared i suppose...

the human race has always proven to be one that rejects things that don't seem 'normal' until it comes to a point where they just have to accept it due to scientific fact or proof... just like the "world is flat theory".... being gay is not a disease, and in my opinion i honestly think that is why most ppl are so scared of it, they are scared that if they support it, it will either make them "gay" or they might actually start to feel "gay".... but if they only opened their eyes they would really see that it is just no different to choosing what your favourite colour is, only in this case there are far less choices Wink male or female.... there's your choice... it's not hard.... unless you like both, but that's a different story Smile

but even me saying that is not really entirely true (in my belief anyway) as i believe that you are born gay and you don't just "become" gay cause you choose so. to be gay means you are attracted to a certain same sex, which translate directly to hormones in your brain... unless i'm mistaken (i very well maybe... i'm not a doctor Wink) your brain doesn't ever change configuration in your lifetime, this means you must be born gay and it just takes you some time to realise it (*raises hand* this would be in my case)

anyway... woah, ok i'm going to shut up now... i think i've ranted enough for now *has a bad habit of ranting when she can't sleep* Embarassed

~Jessi

Post Fri Nov 12, 2004 2:27 pm 
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misfit



Joined: 27 May 2004
Posts: 101
Location: europe


This is the kind of stuff I like to read and would like to see more often.
Were you French I'd hire you to write for my website. Wink
I hope you'll be able to publish it in many places so that the message can get through. We need people like you... ( Shocked Boy, I sound so american suddenly ! Laughing ). No, no kidding, really, I wish there were more of you around... Wink

Go girl !!! Twisted Evil

Misfit ~ admirative ~ Cool

Post Sat Nov 13, 2004 7:42 pm 
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Mairi bheag



Joined: 04 Mar 2005
Posts: 5094
Location: Scotland


I wish to come to the USA and marry the woman I love. If I do, I will regard her as my wife, despite any laws to the contrary. Laws do not bind my mind - die Gedanken sind frei !

However, in the original posting Femmetech says: " President Bush has said that he will carry on trying to make same sex marriages illegal. More than half of all Americans support him on this ." I am sorry, but this is what living in a democracy is all about. I realise that in doing what I want to do - what I consider to be right - I would be swimming against the tide. Just because I am "right" doesn't mean that is the way things are going to go.

Mb
xx

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all posted material (c) Marie Marshall, unless otherwise stated.

Post Sun Feb 26, 2006 5:27 am 
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