Thousands March For Equality In Washington
In case you were not aware, today is National Coming Out Day and the event is being marked by a large Gay Rights rally in Washington DC (check out C Span for live coverage). Thousands of people have marched through the streets of Washington and are now at the US Capitol building.
This is one of the largest gay rights events in many years and the speakers are encouraging everyone to support the basic right of everyone to live and love without being discriminated against.
Today it is possible for someone to be fired simply because they are gay. It is possible for someone to be denied the right to visit a loved one because they are not allowed to marry. It is possible for brave men and women who have fought and in s0me cases bled for their country to be thrown out of the service just because they love someone.
GLBT people are just that… PEOPLE. They are the same as everybody else. They get up every morning and get ready for work, they drive to their offices, they work their jobs and they go home to their loved ones. They eat, they drink, they breathe, they live, they love. There is nothing different about them and yet under the laws of this country they are often treated as less than equal.
Perhaps Shylock said it best, and I offer his thoughts, with slight modifications:
I am a Gay Man. Hath not a Gay Man eyes? Hath he not hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions; fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer as a Straight man is ? If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us shall we not revenge?
Gay men and women are just like everyone else and they deserve the same rights. They are old and young, they are Republicans and Democrats, they are Christians and Jews and Muslims, they are religious and non religious, they work next to you in your job, they ride next to you on the bus, they are your waiters and your doctors, they are your teachers and your lawyers, they are your brothers and your sisters.
They neither ask for or need your approval or your blessing in how they live their lives, any more than you ask for or need theirs. They simply ask for the same rights that ALL citizens of this great nation deserve.
I know that our readers have varied views on the broad issue of gay rights but I think that everyone should be willing to stand up for freedom.
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117 Responses to “Thousands March For Equality In Washington”
People react to HATE and UGLINESS in many ways. If you spew it you should be prepared to hear the reactions.
FROM MODERATOR
I have asked that this thread return to the topic of the article and NOT Father Time or other back and forths that hijack this article thread. I am not keen on doing so, but I will begin deleting comments to enforce TMV's Commenters' Rules. Read them at the top of the home page if you dont know them.
DONT make me come up there. This is getting old.
Hi Patrick –
It's true that this thread was hijacked from the very first comment, and I am sorry to have contributed to that thread-jack.
In interest of adding something actually having to do with the original post:
I've got a couple of dear friends marching with the other thousands, and they are truly overwhelmed by the love and support of such a group. They feel honored to be fighting for their rights and for those of their loved ones, having their voices heard, and trying to make a difference. They are encouraged by the fact that both the US government and the US population have begun to see their rights as important, and their cause as just. The tipping point is coming, and it is wonderful to see the hearts of people change to understand the inherent value of love and happiness for all people.
So I should only have sex if I want to produce a child? Really?
Go read your bible before we all start really screwing with you and bring ABORTION into the discussion. That should really send you running for the valium bottle.
thank you RORO80 for bringing the thread back. Your friends' stories are interesting.
dr.e
ro, that's what bullies do. They push and push and push until the principal comes in the room and then they say “but he started it.” Weak and “small” that's the kind of person who hates and hurts others so easily and thoughtlessly.
Let me see if I can also bring the thread back to what Patrick's post was all about, and what the very first commenter had a big problem with:
“Gay men and women are just like everyone else and they deserve the same rights. They are old and young, they are Republicans and Democrats, they are Christians and Jews and Muslims, they are religious and non religious, they work next to you in your job, they ride next to you on the bus, they are your waiters and your doctors, they are your teachers and your lawyers, they are your brothers and your sisters.
They neither ask for or need your approval or your blessing in how they live their lives, any more than you ask for or need theirs. They simply ask for the same rights that ALL citizens of this great nation deserve.”
Do you hate those whom you politically disagree with? Lets not be hypocritical here, this is legitimate debate. Actually I am the one getting the name calling levied against me. I’ve done none of it. These are personal attacks and I have made none.
Dorian do you understand the importance of civil debate in the political process? We exchange ideas and concerns in order to alleviate fear and expose intent. If I am convinced I will change my political stance and have done so, but I’m not going to do so because of personal attacks. That’s cowardice and I still have a degree of pride left , thank you very much.
You have said that I am being bigoted. That’s not true. I have legitimate concerns and legitimate belief and I express them openly here. If I did not care what other people thought, I certainly would not waste my time here. Though that is exactly what some would want because they do not want to seek any truth, or consider anybody else’s concerns or opinions. They just want what they want unopposed without any consideration for anybody else. Which is the real bigotry here and I think you know it. Basically that is my overall contention with gay rights activists. Because they will NOT hear and do NOT care about legitimate concerns and opinions, chalking every opposition up to “bigotry”. They don’t even try, they just attack.
I am sorry, comments have been deleted and will continue to be deleted. This is not a thread about Father Time or any other person who is commenting. The next step will close Comments on this article. TMV is NOT and never will be the place for two or three people to go at each other over and over.
Dr. E
Are you aware that the number of STRAIGHT people who practice what you consider to be “deviant” or “abnormal” sex acts is far greater than the total number of gay people on the planet? Why are you just attacking gays? It doesn't sound like you are out there trying to revoke the marriage rights of all of the straight people you believe to be acting in a deviant manner. I know why, it's bigotry in it's purest form. I feel better about myself because I choose to love people and I don't judge them. I love the diversity in my community. Everyday I see people from all walks of life and I think it is a beautiful thing.
Patrick this article pushed the heart's door open. . .i think and feel and know where love, God and goodness reside. . .and this is a good day, no one should have to live in the closet for any reason, especially not love. . i happen to like what Lynn Layner says about gays and straight. . .
““The Bible contains six admonishments to homosexuals and 362 admonishments to heterosexuals. That doesn't mean that God doesn't love heterosexuals. It's just that they need more supervision.”
i think straights probably do need more supervision. . .really!
Test
Apparently one of my earlier comments was deleted?
I find this very troubling. My comment was hostile. It did not resort to ad hominem attacks. Nor did it use any profanity or terms that might be considered insensitive toward any person or group of people.
My comment was an argument based on logical reasoning.
If someone argues A=B and B=C; therefore, D=E, there is nothing mean-spirited about me pointing out that D=E does not logically follow from the previous two statements.
My comment posed questions aimed at trying to understand the reasoning behind a previous commentor's argument. Indeed, trying to understand the logic behind people's arguments and make arguments to support or refute such reasoning is the entire basis of debate.
It's very easy to become defensive when someone calls a person you love ugly, hurtful names.
My one wish for everyone on the opposite side of the issue is that they each have a child that is gay. And when the day comes that their son or daughter says “I have something to tell you,” they will know that everything they believed up till that very moment was not real, not true. Then they will know that this is not about differences, it is about binding ties. It is about accepting and loving. It is about being human. I wish that “understanding” on everyone.
Well ladies and gentlemen, Archangel and Patrick do not want debate on the issue that was politically protested in Washington D.C. via demonstration march, as was described in the article above. I see now that rather generally associative stories were sought for comment. Pardon me for assuming that the Moderate Voice was a political Blog, I mistakenly took “Moderate” for politically moderate. I didn't realize it meant conversation in moderation. I can see why no disagreement with the point of the march is being tolerated as on topic. It’s a fluff piece, not a political story. Boy what a mistake I made. My apologies!
Sorry I just don’t have any associative stories to relate. I’ve been more concerned with political organizations like North American Man/Boy Love Association (NAMBLA), seeking the legal right for Gay adult men to have sex with our under aged boys. Possibly even marry them. Again, my apologies.
Comments are closed on this post due to the large number of personal attacks. We thank everyone for the spirited debate on this topic and hopefully we can limit these personal attacks in the future.
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