So...

[Count Duckula]

It's really interesting to see all of you arguing about homosexual marriages, some of you in favor and some of you against it. However, I bet none of you know from firsthand experience what is like to be homosexual.

*raises hand*

I posted, and said something, and other than one lone voice, everyone else went back to Nystul-bashing. (Well, not Nystul. Just everything Nystul said.)

Is it morally wrong for President Bush to try to screw the lives of millions of homosexuals who love each other and would like to marry to get some extra benefits under the law? Is it morally wrong to screw the life of people who are ALREADY screwed since birth and have to deal with a constant stream of crap throughout their lives?

I think it's morally wrong for ANY minority to play the sympathy card. "Everybody hates us for what we are, now give us compensation." It's not true. However, the way society works, that's the adopted stance.

One thing that always amuses me is how people talk about homosexuality as if it were some kind of disease or plague. The truth is I never choose to be homosexual, much in the same way you did not choose to be straight.

It's not even a decision. You hear of people waffling between gay and straight like those are the only two choices.

I've never heard it called a disease that often. (Because, you know, that would be mean. Uh-huh. Of course.) Rather, I've heard from people who think homosexuality can be cured if the right person of opposite gender comes along, or if you take the right drugs, etc.

At my short age of 20, I think I’ve dealt with much more depressions than most of you.

*raises beer bottle* Turned 21 two days ago.

And I don't think you have. I could rattle off my own psychoses, but I doubt anybody would want to listen. You don't corner the sympathy market because you're gay. Stop acting like it.

You see, one of the biggest problems a homosexual faces is coming out.

There are two types of "coming out." One is to yourself, and one is to the rest of the world. The former is easier than the latter. Sometimes by a lot.

I attend an all-female university. If you read this board, you should know that by now. :P I've been dating Kasreyn for about a year now. I met him through the DSF and the LL. If you don't know that by now, well, now you do. :P My father said that he'd be more accepting of a relationship between me and another Hollins student (read: girl) than having a long-distance relationship with Kas. Then again, nobody beyond my immediate family and circle of friends knows about my girlfriends. Then again, why do they need to?

Personally, I can't stand gay people making it a point that they're gay. To me, it's shuffling the sympathy cards and dealing a hand. You wouldn't introduce your Black/Hispanic/Asian girl/boyfriend as such at a party. So why would you introduce your sig other as your gay/lesbian sig other? Just making out by the punch bowl tells the crowd that you're dating him/her. Or that you just like kissing people at parties. :P

I almost committed suicide when I found out that I was homosexual.

I'm curious to know why. You don't have to post it or even tell me if you don't want to. Was it the fear of ostracization by friends and family? Did you feel wrong, like you were going against everything you ever knew or had been taught? Or a combination?

However, despite all of this, the biggest problem a homosexual faces is the realization that you will never, ever be able to have children and raise them in a “natural” environment...You can say that there are ways to get around this, like adoption or surrogate mothering. However, I don’t believe in adoption and the very idea of having an unknown woman lend me her belly to carry a child she doesn’t want just for money makes me sick.

A story.

The head of the women's studies department and her partner wanted to adopt a child from overseas and provide the child with a good, loving home. Most places will not allow same-sex couples to adopt; however, some will allow single parents to adopt a child. They went with this plan, and the partner would be the child's legal guardian instead of co-parent. Word got leaked to the adoption agency about their work-around (probably from the fanatical Christian ex-campus registrar, but that's another can of worms entirely), and the adoption was cancelled. They're heartbroken. But, a young woman in the Roanoke Valley (doesn't even go to this school, so don't think it's me :ph34r:) thought about getting an abortion due to an unplanned pregnancy, heard their story, and decided to have her baby girl so the couple could become the kid's legal guardians.

There are ways to get around the system to please everyone. Just don't be so short-sighted that you can't see them. (But I'm a strong believer in adoption. There's my bias. ^_^)

Besides all of this, there are the usual gay-bashing comments that pop up in almost every single conversation with your straight friends that don’t know about your sexual orientation.

Cultural brainwashing. You can either look past it, or not put up with it.

And then, there’s the big mess with religion. Every time I listen or read about someone saying that God hates homosexuals, I just think about my 'good' life and come to the conclusion that there's no way God can hate me. Remember what I said above? That I didn’t choose to be homosexual? I just keep wondering how God can hate someone for something he didn’t choose to be in the first place.

I honestly think God doesn't care, in the same way that he's not going to keep me off his right hand in Heaven because I eat bacon. Look at Falwell and Robertson; you really think God loves them after all the crap they preach?!

However, nowadays marriage isn’t about a holy institution anymore, it’s more about the rights and benefits you get for being legally married. And you know what? I want my slice of the cake too.

I posted in this thread about federally mandated civil unions. If people actually gave a damn, I think it'd actually work.

I sometimes find ironic that the very same people that like to boast about America being the land of the free are the same ones that oppose homosexual marriages with great passion. That’s why the outcome of all this is very important to me, because as someone already said, America is the big fish in the pond. Whatever they do, the rest of the fishes are watching. And usually some of the smaller fishes follow on the footsteps of the big fish and try to imitate what the big fish is doing. I really hope this situation gets settled.

Meh. The vocal Americans don't speak for all this country. And I believe Canada has legal gay marriages. Anyone from the Great White North want to confirm this?

(*reels DeeBye back to the thread*) I've been beer-tasting. Canadian beer is superior to American beer. But they all taste weird.

And Angel is right. It's easier to post when drinking! :D