Gay Marriage Legalized in Iowa

[Gjallarhorn]

I'm sorry, but do you have a source to back that up? 80% sounds overly optimistic.

This doesn't necessarily back up his claim, but it does show the status of gay marriage in other parts of the world. It's recognized or legal in most of the Western world, and Aussieland, and is under penalty in countries typically designated as "third world", or those which are governed through theocracy.

[Cobra Commander]

It's important to separate the word marriage from the issue in such cases, as marriage often has religious connotations. "Gay Marriage" sounds to the uninformed - which is a majority of voters - as if it'd be just like the church weddings with the bells and dresses and cakes. I'm sure it'd be just as grandiose and extravagant, maybe even flamboyant or exuberant, but since it'd be performed by either a very liberal church, or a justice of the peace...religion is not under threat.

I've met people who honestly believe the gov't is going to force their church to marry gay people.

Anyone can get a civil union. It's treated the same as a marriage. I can do it. I'm not gay, but maybe I don't want to go into a church? I might burst into flames or something. I hear wooden Jesus packs a mean left hook when you get too close.

Anyway, even if the state uses "God" or "Holy Matrimony", the ceremony is legally binding and is performed by aforementioned justice of the peace, or some other designated person.

The issue here is discrimination and equality. Women got to vote. Black people got to vote - remember they used to be counted as 3/5 of a person or some nonsense back in the bad old days? Interracial marriage used to be illegal. There's a ton of other examples, I'm sure.

Once people start to see this as an equality or discrimination issue, a real decision will have to be made.

[RexCars]

This doesn't necessarily back up his claim, but it does show the status of gay marriage in other parts of the world. It's recognized or legal in most of the Western world, and Aussieland, and is under penalty in countries typically designated as "third world", or those which are governed through theocracy.

Most of those "third world" countries you refer to, Afghanistan in particular, are unfortunately governed under a mixed bag, of sorts. Shariah Law commands the hearts of the people, while the politicians (although Islamic and native), will always be politicians. Especially since the fall of the Taliban, actual judicial punishments for breaking sacred laws have lessened (largely due to the increased view of the metaphorical world news eye).

[sunnyside]

2) It is none of your damn business what people do in their own personal lives. Someone getting married somewhere isn't going to effect you directly. Not even a little bit. Why on earth would you give a damn about something that has NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING to do with you?

If there were only a couple thousand gays that would be true. But they make up something more like 5-10% of the population. Which is huge.

That isn't to say I don't support gay marriage.

It's just that from my time in Philadelphia I know that it's naive to think 'what people do in their own personal lives" can't affect me. Because like most groups they form a clique, and then start with the excluding. Sometimes unofficially, and sometimes officially (bars, clubs, cruises). And sometimes they just shift the local culture in general enough where I just don't fit in because apparently I haven't watched enough episodes of queer eye for the straight guy to get my fashion right.

From a financial point of view it's almost always much harder to compete against someone who doesn't have children(or who is waiting to adopt when they're older) both in work and the housing market. Straight couples could choose not to have children (though that would, you know, end society, and is a growing problem in a number of western countries). But this is stacking the deck just a bit more against the traditional family (Or rather the traditional family is inherantly disadvantaged, and this removes something leveling the playing field a bit).

I could go on but this is already too long.

But again that isn't to say I don't support gay marriage. Just because something isn't the best for me personally doesn't mean it isn't the right thing to do.

[Erisa]

Woo!
Thank you Iowa!
[:

[MercenaryMERC]

You can thank me I am from Iowa. XD
No I really am but i resent years people have been openning their eyes.