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President Barack Obama becomes the first in US history to endorse marriage equality.

4K views 66 replies 24 participants last post by  Echoes 
#1 · (Edited)


Shit has just gotten serious. This is why Obama needs to win reelection in November.
 
#30 ·
Quit the drama, there are scores of other countries where gay can marry, yours is trailing way behind in that, so while hugely significant for the poor gay folk in deep Missouri I fail to grasp its importance to the rest of the world.
 
#4 ·
No. He's said in 2004 he was for civil unions and marriage equality was not a civil rights fight. In 2009, he said he was evolving on the issue. Before he became an Illinois senator, he was for it. The reality is he's always been for it, most likely, but out of fear hasn't come out and said it. But now, he finally has.

This eliminates ALL of the sadness I felt regarding Amendment One because this is the shit that will change things in our world. I honestly am still shocked. And David Cameron too is for marriage equality. Probably the two most highly represented countries in the WORLD are pro-gay marriage. This would have never happened even 3 years ago. I am so happy and so proud to be an American now.
 
#11 ·
No. He's said in 2004 he was for civil unions and marriage equality was not a civil rights fight. In 2009, he said he was evolving on the issue. Before he became an Illinois senator, he was for it. The reality is he's always been for it, most likely, but out of fear hasn't come out and said it. But now, he finally has.
My thoughts exactly.

Obama. :hearts:
 
#9 ·
:yeah:
 
#13 ·
Today has been great, because I've made fun of so many homophobes, and some of them literally ran out of discussions after I fucked them up. This is the biggest fuck you homophobes have ever received in this country. I shouldn't feel that way but I do, I'm going to use this to slap them in the face. Now more than ever we gotta fight for Obama, those in America and even those outside of America, please donate to the Obama 2012 reelection campaign. Every dollar, every vote counts.
 
#16 ·
Brave move. Reckless move? Possibly.
 
#17 ·
This Obama has balls, hope he opened up some fucking eyes.

Hope he wins in November, Romney getting into the White House will just be another Bush, do we want that?
 
#18 ·
I fear this might be a big blow to his campaign... let's have a look at this:



What is more likely, that the 22% of Republicans that support gay marriage end up voting for Obama, or that the 34% of Democrats who oppose it end up not voting for him? I think we all know the answer to that.
 
#19 ·
What's saddening is that over 1/3 of Dems and Independents are anti-gay, when they theoretically should be more moderate-to-liberal on this issue. Simply highlights that gay hate isn't a party line situation. But instead of failure of personal morals.

Obama will gain some Republican votes, the moderates/liberal Republicans, and I expect him to gain some independents too, I think many will jump ship from Romney. But he will also lose many Blue Dog Democrats. So the balance I think will be even, BUT, people who were less likely to vote for Obama out of disappointment, it's something like this that will drag their asses out to the polls.
 
#20 · (Edited)
I mean, it is all about treating people equally.

If 74% of Republicans do not agree with treating people equally, if 74% believe in discrimination simply because they do not agree with how someone lives their life, a life that has ZERO effect on their own life? Then fuck them, let them live in the 1750's.

And then people say, Jonathan, you only defend them because you are gay yourself :spit: I'm 100% straight, I just don't believe in discrimination simply because someone doesn't like how someone else lives their life, or even worse, what some book written 2000 years ago by those with an anti-gay agenda themselves says? Sorry, I call bullshit.

At least now hopefully this non-issue is resolved and we can focus on more pressing matters. Debt, joblessness, starvation, real issues.
 
#24 · (Edited)
At least now hopefully this non-issue is resolved and we can focus on more pressing matters. Debt, joblessness, starvation, real issues.
:lol: Gay marriage, a non-issue? Tell that to Filo, or the millions of Christians (moderate or otherwise) who oppose gay marriage on religious grounds, or Obama even for arguably playing this card for the elections. I agree with you that, in theory, it shouldn't be anyone's business if one loves someone of the same sex; but the sad truth is that it's an extremely polarising issue, not just in America but in most countries. I don't foresee this issue being resolved anytime soon; certainly not within the next 50 years.
 
#22 ·
commendable.
 
#23 ·
Great guy, this Obama.:hatoff: Love is unconditional, no matter your gender, race, background etc. Congrats to Barack for recognizing the truth. This will definitely help many people who have lived in shame because of their homosexual feelings to feel better about themselves.

I hope he wins reelection. He is certainly better than Mitten and the others.
 
#25 ·
Right now, it's basically 50-50 in America, at least, also countries such as Australia and England. Other countries like Canada, Scandinavian countries like Sweden, Norway and Denmark, where LGBT persons' lives are actually affirmed and accepted by the government, they have mostly progressed beyond this issue.

It's also NOT a shocker these countries are less religions and less Victorian. Canada has progressed beyond it's Victorian traditions, because the country is less religious. America is one of the most religious countries in the world, and one of the most socially conservative. Marriage equality is seen as basically going 100% against what America stands for and it's traditions in the eyes of people against same-sex couples marrying, which is why they are so against it. They will NEVER back down, because they see this as basically the end of civilization as we know it, this is why homosexuality has always been an issue, during slavery, homosexuality was an issue. Both World Wars, homosexuality, not accepted culturally. Holocaust, gay men were tortured, lobotomized and killed. People see homosexuality and gayness in general as more than just something that makes people "less than", or as a personal failure. They see it as a disease that has to be stamped out before it spreads.

This "issue", completely fabricated one by bigots but still an issue nonetheless, is way more emotional than I think every other social issue we've ever dealt with in our globalized existence. This isn't just about principled stands against homosexuality, unlike other atrocities based on hateful principles, but it's literally like an emotional trigger. Something triggers inside of homophobes that causes them to lash out against gay people and everything gay-related. That the world will be ruined, if we accept and affirm gayness as OK. My life is ruined, my life is so damaged, because these two men are marrying, or these two women are kissing. None of this is rational or thought-based. It's all emotional. Religion--------emotional. Tradition-------emotional. Statements like "marriage is the bedrock of our civilization"-----emotional.

It's hard to reason with people who base their entire views on emotions. That's why you see gay-bashings, and people calling for the death of gays. This is the reason for the inconsistency in regards to treatment in terms of anti-gay statements, and other bigoted statements. It's an emotional issue and these people cannot emotionally handle the fact people are gay, either due to bias, b/c of personal disgust, b/c of bad personal experience, b/c of how they've been raised. Because they're threatened, and insecure. Homophobia is classified as an irrational personality dysfunction with reason.
 
#27 ·
In australia it's way more than 50-50 because we are not religious freaks.

The only argument i've seen some people i've talked to have against gay marriage is the emotional trauma the kids will undergo when gay couple are allowed to adopt (mainly bullying in school - the biggest cruelties are usually on the playground)
 
#39 ·
Gillard is anti-gay and a closeted lesbian. Abbott is very anti-gay. None of the parties except the socialists will bring up marriage equality. Based on poll I saw, around 55% of Aussies support marriage equality. Australia is a lot like California, you have Sydney and Melbourne, but there is a lot of rural areas that are very backwater and very Victorian. It's still a major issue.

The adoption issue is bullshit, same-sex couples already adopt. People who bring up that as a reason to deny marriage equality should actually attempt to eliminate homophobia and prevent anti-gay bullying. They don't seem to understand it's homophobia that is the problem and not homosexuality.
 
#28 ·
I think people are exaggerating the effect this will have, truth is I don't think many Americans who are strongly against gay marriage were voting democrat anyway. And I think the majority do not care much one way or the other, its the economy which will (and should) decide the American election.
 
#31 ·
Some musings regarding this topic...

As strange as it may sound, most Western countries have not legalised gay marriage yet. It's not like the US is the only one, or even one of few. These are the only ten countries in the world where gay marriage is legal:

Argentina
Belgium
Canada
Iceland
Netherlands
Norway
Portugal
South Africa
Spain
Sweden

Gay marriages are performed and recognised in parts of other countries, just as is the case in eight US states.

In other countries, like France, Germany, the UK and others, civil unions between homosexual people have been legal for some years, but in most cases they do not grant the same rights as marriage does.

And yet, and this is what puzzles me, gay marriage doesn't seem to be a debate issue in these countries, even though public opinion seems to be clearly in favour. I know for a fact it is not in Germany at least. What is the reason for this? I suppose the fact that Europeans are not as religious as Americans plays a role in it, as does the fact that the institution of marriage on the whole does not have in Europe the social relevance that it has on the other side of the pond. But still, I find it odd.

It would be nice to what other posters make of this, especially the European ones.
 
#32 ·
The reason is because gay people are largely accepted in countries such as England and Germany, and NOT largely accepted in America. The reason why the fight for marriage is as big an issue in America as it is, is about acceptance of homosexuality as OK. People on both sides wont admit to this, but that is what it is. It really all comes down to homosexuality and, as social conservatives call it, "gay lifestyles", being legitimized.
 
#33 ·
France, England, Slovenia, Czech Republic are all moving towards marriage equality, Colombia will soon legalize, Chile could be coming very soon as well. Things are moving rapidly in this direction. The one country that seems stuck in neutral is Australia. Because closeted lesbian Gillard would rather cozy to conservatives than be honest with herself and her constituents.
 
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