Your Gay Rights Epiphany

[Levin]

Question for you: if you support gay marriage rights, when did your support begin?

Have you always supported gay marriage? The first time you heard of the idea, did you say, "Yes, justice, fairness, equality, and this Nation's founding creed require it."?

Or did you oppose it initially, but you had an epiphany which sparked your support. A sibling coming out? The death of Matthew Shephard? The browbeating of SU?

Or has it been a gradual process for you, a breaking down of defenses, of increasing awareness and education, a surrender to the eventual?

And if you feel strongly about it, have you been expressing your opinions loudly for decades/years, such as at the time DOMA was passed by Congress? Or did you just start raising your voice after the Goodridge case in Massachusetts?

My sense is that there are very few epiphanies, and very many gradualists. But if the cause is right and supported by strong principle, why are there not more epiphanies?

I bet we all think we'd be vocal antebellum abolitionists. But in reality, I doubt we would be.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by Levin

Question for you: if you support gay marriage rights, when did your support begin?

Have you always supported gay marriage? The first time you heard of the idea, did you say, "Yes, justice, fairness, equality, and this Nation's founding creed require it."?

Or did you oppose it initially, but you had an epiphany which sparked your support. A sibling coming out? The death of Matthew Shephard? The browbeating of SU?

Or has it been a gradual process for you, a breaking down of defenses, of increasing awareness and education, a surrender to the eventual?

And if you feel strongly about it, have you been expressing your opinions loudly for decades/years, such as at the time DOMA was passed by Congress? Or did you just start raising your voice after the Goodridge case in Massachusetts?

My sense is that there are very few epiphanies, and very many gradualists. But if the cause is right and supported by strong principle, why are there not more epiphanies?

I bet we all think we'd be vocal antebellum abolitionists. But in reality, I doubt we would be.

Government should get out of the marriage business and deal only with civil unions. No more government sponsorship of religious rites.

[Levin]

Originally Posted by Archaea

Government should get out of the marriage business and deal only with civil unions. No more government sponsorship of religious rites.

Have you always believed this, or only since governments began recognizing gay marriage?

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by Levin

Question for you: if you support gay marriage rights, when did your support begin?

Have you always supported gay marriage? The first time you heard of the idea, did you say, "Yes, justice, fairness, equality, and this Nation's founding creed require it."?

Or did you oppose it initially, but you had an epiphany which sparked your support. A sibling coming out? The death of Matthew Shephard? The browbeating of SU?

Or has it been a gradual process for you, a breaking down of defenses, of increasing awareness and education, a surrender to the eventual?

And if you feel strongly about it, have you been expressing your opinions loudly for decades/years, such as at the time DOMA was passed by Congress? Or did you just start raising your voice after the Goodridge case in Massachusetts?

My sense is that there are very few epiphanies, and very many gradualists. But if the cause is right and supported by strong principle, why are there not more epiphanies?

I bet we all think we'd be vocal antebellum abolitionists. But in reality, I doubt we would be.

I changed my mind listening to the discussions when I was at Georgetown over the school's refusal to approve gay student groups, which deprived them of official recognition, floor space, some moeny, and a phone. Georgetown also changed its mind while I was there.

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by Levin

Have you always believed this, or only since governments began recognizing gay marriage?

Arch has softened his position. He used to be more hard line orthodox LDS position.

[MikeWaters]

I think the case against gay marriage is weak. I think the case for gay marriage is weak.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by Levin

Have you always believed this, or only since governments began recognizing gay marriage?

I am more libertarian than ever. Let people associate but get government out of authorizing customs and rites. The case for any marriage is arcane and obsolete. Government no longer needs to encourage a member of the tribe to stay around to protect the offspring created through sex.

the needs of nomatic tribes or the needs of frontier clergymen to assert their authority over the flock are no longer present and we should banish that arcane attitude to the history books.

Marriage should be a private matter not receiving public approbation.