Dear Voters,
Why? Why the hate? We haven’t done anything to you! You aren’t even willing to try to get to know us. Why?
I know that many of you hate us because you’ve been told to by your church. I don’t hold that against you, even though I don’t understand why your church hates us so much. I just wish that you’d try to understand that we aren’t bad people. Many of us still believe in God for some incomprehensible reason. BTW, God made me as I am. Believe you me, the hate and scorn we live with on a daily basis sure is not something we’d freely choose.
So the next time you slip on your WWJD wristband, you might want to ask yourself if HE’d be proud of you for your votes. You voted against people, who love each other, having an opportunity to take a sacred vow to commit their lives to one another. I personally think Jesus would kind of be unhappy with your vote, ya know? I hope in your prayers tonight you can explain to whatever higher power you believe in: Why…
I know that many of you hate us because you’re homophobic. You’ve been raised from birth hearing that we are a bunch of dirty perverted queers, dykes and faggots. You hear this over and over again from your elders and people you respect, so it must be true.
If you’d just let go of your prejudices long enough, you’d find out that we are a lot like you. We work hard and we play hard. We have homes and family, we wash our cars on Saturday and watch NASCAR and football on Sunday, we love, we argue, we feel pain… we also have no interest in corrupting you OR your kids. Hell, many of us have children of our own.
There is no reason to be afraid of us. We have no desire to hurt you or your family. I bet that if you’d give us a chance you’d kind of like us. Why won’t you give us at least a chance to pickup a twelve pack and explain to you why Jeff Gordon is going to kick some serious ass this year and why we are SURE the Chargers will win their division? Why?
Now for the rest of you… I am angry and disappointed in you. You have no overriding reason to prevent us from getting married. You could care less. Yet, you voted against my rights without even caring enough to get up to speed on the issues. I know you have busy lives. Big deal, so do I! Oh, yeah, to you it was just another little box to check or button to push. No big deal, right?
WRONG! I’m holding you people who had no convictions regarding gay marriage accountable. I’m holding you accountable for the broken hearts, the tears and the sadness children are feeling because the people they love are hurting due of your actions. SHAME ON YOU! Your happiness is no more important than ours. How DARE you treat it as just another little annoyance. If you would have taken the effort to be either for or against us, I’d be fine with that. Hating us due to ignorance and apathy ISN’T acceptable, however.
So I ask you again, and hold you accountable for an answer: Why?
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Catherine Forsythe
Kathleen L.
Blue in TX
The Dewy Red
Behind Blue Eyes
Ben Sen
Salon.com
Comments
R~
Hate is such a strong word! I simply believe that you're inferior beings who don't deserve the rights that I, as the manliest of penis-bearing-vagina-coveters, deserve.
Of course it's possible. Audie Murphy reputedly did not hate the Germans he shot in such numbers, but blasted bullets into them because they were the enemy.
Most people engaged in war against an enemy do go ahead and hate them, however, that possibility aside. Audie Murphy's bullets killed as well as the hater's bullets in the rifle of the next man in the line.
Try to pay attention to the issue, here, John. Since the DOMA passed, and it was passed by people who may or may not have hated, if a State allows gay marriage, the next State may not recognize it. Marriage is a powerful determinant of status in many settings, some involving taxes, some involving retirement plans, some involving the care of minor children, some affect life and death in the case of next-of-kin decisions in medical settings.
My retirement can be configured to remain with my wife if I predecease her. Each State is different about that for gay couples; for, some have "domestic partnership" law, some have erected "civil unions," some allow plain old marriage, some allow nothing at all. If I die, "my" children become my wife's children, seamlessly, my property passes effortlessly to my widow, and my wife is the one they ask, in the ER, "What degree of heroic medical torture should be undertaken upon his flesh to prolong his life?" I can go anywhere on earth, and these ordinary conventions will hold, because we are married. I can file jointly with my wife on our income taxes. I am not required to give testimony incriminating my spouse.
The list goes on and on. Because there is so much on that list, it is not surprising that no State has written a law which includes every ordinary conventional aspect of marriage under the new name, whether "domestic partnership," "civil union," or "fish biscuit." Because of DOMA, some aspects of marriage are not able to be extended to the new sorts of pseudo-marriages.
But yeah. No one has to hate anyone, they just have to vote to make that person's life more difficult, with love.
(However when he says "I am not required to give testimony incriminating my spouse," I know that situation has changed in many states.)
I have a "WWJD" tattoo even, and I don't hate you. I wish everyone could be happy for others and apply the same rights across the board.
I guess that (along with some of my other shortcomings) makes me a terrible Christian. ;-)
Seriously though, you have my support and I am sorry for the a**holes out there that are short-minded.
I wish. I wish Love was all we needed. Unfortunately, it's not. We also need safe homes, good jobs, close friends, and laws that protect us. I'm not giving up.
Here's hoping for a tomorrow where the law protects all of us as equal and valid human beings.
Sad but that's how I see it
They forgot that part.
And to our straight, supportive brothers/sisters/friends/neighbors, thank you. It gives me hope.
Oh, and Rated! (disclaimer, my real view is that marriage is between consenting adults. Orientation's got nothing to do with it. Anyone who disagrees with that is a bigoted asshole who's afraid of their own inner homosexual.)
Here's one for you: it is the mentality of envy that causes organized thievery.
i am bitter because i am an unwillingly retired fag hag. i can't find a fun homosexual here to save my life. there are lesbians every two feet and i wish them well, but i want what i want. so if you know anyone in portland, oregon.... love love lvoe and gratitude
Safe Bet - It's a mystery to me. Gay people and their marriages (which they can have here in Canada) don't impact me and my straight acquaintances in any way.
Theo - that was funny. (Fortunately I have some gay guys to hang with AND I AIN'T SHARING)