Rick in Kansas

Gay/Lesbian

Man Arrested for Attempting to Burn Gay Pride Flag

He's just at the starting line here. Aggravated assault under Tennessee law is a felony for which he can get 3-15 for each officer involved, plus the probability of enhancement for assaulting law enforcement officers. He's going to be a guest of the state for some time to come...  (8 hrs ago | post #8)

Gay/Lesbian

Maine Voters Reject Gay Marriage

It is not a negation of that belief at all, She is just as free to believe that the couple is immoral, it simply cannot as an excuse to commit an illegal act of discriminationThey did, but they also reported the one who denied her services to them for violating their rightsBut what you are asking for is a special right. A business owner should be well aware that they aren't permitted to discriminate against people on the basis of their sexual orientation in that state. If they are in a business which might cater to a sexual orientation that they have feelings against, they either keep those feelings to their self or find another line of work. Anti-discrimination protections have been held to be a reasonable regulation of the right to do businessGiven the nature of that procedure, protections for those who disagree with it have been written into laws regulating it for a couple of decades now. This is in part to respect the beliefs of those opposed to the procedure and in part to protect those undergoing the procedure from those opposed to itActually in that instance, there is no discrimination, as it is a procedure that you would provide to no one, unlike in the instance of the photographer who offers her services to the publicThere's a second part to that easy fix, ensure that the offending party pays for breaking the law. Report them to the proper authorities, looking the other way when discrimination occurs only perpetuates the problemThere was no claim for damages in this case, merely the report of a violation of the law and the civil penalty for thatBecause they don't pay attention to the details and falsely assume that there is a right to discriminate against people on the basis of their sexual orientation.  (9 hrs ago | post #1449)

Gay/Lesbian

Maine Voters Reject Gay Marriage

Sorry, but religious beliefs are not justification to violate the law. The photographer was still free to believe that their relationship was immoral even while taking photographs of their commitment ceremony. She imposed her beliefs on them by denying her services on the basis of them. Yes, the couple had the right to take their business elsewhere but that does not cancel out their right not to be discriminated against on the basis of their sexual orientation, no matter what excuse the photographer wanted to use to justify it. Why should Christian's or any other group be given a special right to violate the law on the basis of their religious or any other claim of deeply held beliefs?  (13 hrs ago | post #1443)

Gay/Lesbian

Do Gays Have To Feel Empathy Toward Religious Conservatives Who...

Your post really has nothing to do with the subject at hand, but since you brought it up, it has to be addressed. Your cut and paste perspective of paranoid racism and xenophobia plays fast and loose with the facts. Using a tragedy which has yet to be fully understood, as justification to be suspicious of and hateful toward anyone who does not look, sound or pray like Mr Wright is disturbing at best and reprehensible at worst. What we do know is that an American soldier went on a killing spree against his fellow service members for reasons not yet explained. While he although he was not Major Smith, Jones or Wright and although he was not a Christian, not one of the conclusions that the writer chooses to draw is in any way supported by the facts...  (13 hrs ago | post #15)

Gay/Lesbian

The Phelps Family Protests The Obama Girls

You just keep telling yourself that, but ask yourself this, what reason would I have to lie when the evidence you have left behind is there for all to see?  (14 hrs ago | post #47)

Gay/Lesbian

Your Daily Douchebag

You just keep praying for that, but much like your prayers asking "God" to turn you heterosexual, I'm quite happy to report that you are going to get a no as a reply. The sections of DOMA which prohibited the federal recognition of same sex marriages were doomed the day the first couple said "I do" in Massachusetts. Congress will have to repeal the restrictions or the Courts will do that work for them. As far as the states and their laws, your "for all time" has become nothing more than merely a matter of time and just as laws and amendments banning interracial marriages were either repealed or nullified, so to will these denials of equality to Lesbian and Gay AmericansWhile you may hate the idea, we so called "Gay freeks(sic)" are fighting for your right to equality too. While even though you have promised to keep your legs crossed for Jebus, you're still just as Gay as you ever were and even though you may never want to exercise your rights once they are finally affirmed, they are just as much yours as they are ours. You can believe we're lying if you want, that's your delusion not ours, but the truth hopefully shall set you free as it has us...  (14 hrs ago | post #7)

Gay/Lesbian

The Phelps Family Protests The Obama Girls

The thing is that I don't have to lie and haven't in order to expose "Fedupwiththe mess" as just as bad as the Phelps' family. While she would never in a million years admit that she hates us, her hundreds of posts to this forum prove that the only person she has managed to convince with that deception is herself. She may not use the same vulgar terms with which to describe us, but that is what is in her heart.  (15 hrs ago | post #44)

Gay/Lesbian

The Phelps Family Protests The Obama Girls

The reality is that you and your royal "we" know nothing, you've proved that too many times before. I don't have to deny that marriages between same sex couples are what you hatefully and quite mistakenly call "play marriages", the facts speak for themselves. Just as the evidence of your hatred spoke for itself. All you are doing is confirming that I am right, it is unnecessary as I and everyone else on this forum already knew that, but thanks for your help anyways...  (15 hrs ago | post #43)

Gay/Lesbian

Mormon church issues statement in support of gay-rights ordinances

Both ordinances passed unanimously, now let's see what the legislature is going to do to them: http://www.deseret news.com/article/7 05343558/Mormon-Ch urch-backs-protect ion-of-gay-rights- in-Salt-Lake-City. html  (Yesterday | post #4)

Gay/Lesbian

Mormon church issues statement in support of gay-rights ordinances

It's really nothing but a PR ploy on their part. They can come out in favor of the legislation and tell everybody, see we're not nearly as anti-gay as everybody says we are and then deny culpability when it gets sabotaged down the road. While the city commission and Mayor are in favor of this, the state legislature is threatening to whack it and probably will. The Church pretty much pulled the same stunt last year announcing their support for bills heading to the state legislature which would have offered a number of protections to LGBT citizens but then stood silent as they all got shot down...  (Yesterday | post #3)

Gay/Lesbian

Maine Voters Reject Gay Marriage

Disagreeing with someone's belief isn't forcing it on them, unless you do something to actually impose that belief on them. In the case we had been discussing, a Lesbian couple went to a photographer to book her to take pictures of their commitment ceremony. She turned them down by basically telling them that she thought they were immoral for being gay. This happened out in New Mexico and under their laws, it is illegal for a business to discriminate against people on the basis of their sexual orientation. So the couple took the photographer to the state's Human Rights Commission, which after hearing both sides of the story, fined the photographer just over $6 grand. What happened here is that the photographer went from "disagreeing " with homosexuality, which is her right, to imposing that belief on customers by denying them her services, which isn't her right. Just as she had a right to her religious beliefs, any customers coming in the door had a right not to be discriminated against because of them.  (Yesterday | post #1416)

Gay/Lesbian

California voters oppose new vote on gay marriage, poll finds

They are both still on as of right now. The DoJ filed motions to dismiss the lawsuits, but that happens in any lawsuit (and if it doesn't, find a better lawyer), however, given the issues involved in these cases, the chances that they will be dismissed are none whatsoever. The judges in these two cases aren't moving with the sense of urgency to get the trials going that Judge Walker is out in California. We'll probably hear more out of these cases early next month including when the trials will take place (which will probably be in the Spring or early next Summer)...  (Yesterday | post #237)

Gay/Lesbian

Rep Woolsey Calls For IRS Investigation of The Roman Catholic C...

Nothing but an empty, symbolic, political gesture on Rep. Wooley's part. You'd hope that an elected representative would have a better understanding of the law they want to invoke before going off half-cocked like this, but sadly no. The reality is that this idea is as non-started as you can get. Under IRS guidelines for tax-exempt groups, the USCCB can lobby, cajole, arm twist, suggest wording or even ghost write legislation if their little hearts desire, as long as their political activities don't become the "focus" of their mission. We may not like what they have been up to, but it is their right to be up to it. Anyone who imagines that the Catholic Church or any religious denomination for that matter, or even any subsidiary group of any denomination, is EVER going to lose their tax exempt status as generous the laws are written for them, pass whatever you are smoking, because it's gotta be good.  (Yesterday | post #18)

Gay/Lesbian

California voters oppose new vote on gay marriage, poll finds

He's lying through his teeth, Connecticut has no provision for statewide referendums and initiatives other than votes on constitutional amendments and those have to go through the legislature first (one is not going to even be considered, let alone approved) and even then they only appear on on general election ballots in November. I pointed this out to the little idiot yesterday on this thread, so why he's still peddling this crap is beyond me...  (Yesterday | post #234)