Gay Rights and Affirmative Action on Supreme Court's Radar

Next Wednesday, the Court will consider cert petitions including one from Texas that could challenge Bowers v. Hardwick and another from U. Michigan Law School that could determine the permissible scope of affirmative action. The decisions on the petitions are likely to be announced the following Monday, December 2. Read all about it here.

Comments

[Dawn]

What is it that bothers you about gay people? Why is it ok for them to cut your hair or decorate your house or plan your wedding, but not get married themselves? You laugh at them on television and adore the clothes they design, but you refuse them simple basic equality. This is America isn�t it? The land of the free and the home of the brave? How ironic.

I woke up this morning and I�m seeing the world in a whole new light. To look at me, you would not know that I am gay. It�s a part of me, but it�s not all that I am. It�s not even most of who I am. I balance hard work with school and other interests. At the end of each day, I come home to a nice apartment to unwind and share my life with my partner; the woman with whom I live and love and our cat. We are a family. We are decent people. We work hard, we pay our bills, we have dreams and aspirations. We contribute to society adding to its diversity and benefiting it economically. We speak the language and we pay our taxes. All we seek is freedom and equality.

Nearly four years ago, I realized a life-changing event. I fell in love with a woman and the black and white life that I had led was transformed to full Technicolor. I never before considered that I was gay, but I always knew that something was missing from my life. All of my relationships were unsatisfying with men, but I didn�t know why.

Since that time, I have never looked back. I have never been so happy, content, and fulfilled. The fight over �is it a choice� or �you�re born gay� is incendiary. I have two thoughts on this matter. First, let me put you all to rest by saying it�s both! People are born gay. It�s not a learned behavior. However, we do make a choice to live the life. I made a brave choice four years ago to come out. People who hide their true identity aren�t any less gay. It just makes them cowards.

I am a young voter. Though I have voted in three elections, only this year was I truly informed and effected by promises of each party. Before, I voted just to be a part of the process. Now, I�m committed to making choices that are right for me. I�m a democrat living in an Oklahoma republican world. A news report delivered an astonishing blow to me last night. Nationally, voters were more concerned about discriminating against gay people by disallowing them to be married than they were about the economy, job security, and healthcare. Where is Rod Serling hiding because I hear the familiar music and I just know I must have awoken in The Twilight Zone! If we can�t be accepted, why are we expected to pay taxes? Our money goes to deny the very rights and privileges that we seek.

Are you so afraid that if gay marriage is legal your spouse will leave you or you kids will turn gay? Am I confused about the experimentation that took place during the 1960s, baby boomers? Orgies, drugs, and promiscuity was commonplace. Now you try to pretend that it never happened with a do-what-I-say-not-do-what-I-did position.

I�ve come to understand that a lot of people locally equate homosexuality with pedophilia. We are not criminals. Based on news reports, you have more to worry about with your educators and clergy than you do about Mark and Steve three doors down. Your ignorance is sad and laughable.

You take these decisions so lightly. I was brought to tears by the final tally of question 711. I try to stay open-minded about issues that don�t concern me directly. I think it should be that way for everyone. If you have no direct relationship with the gay community, then when it comes time to vote, you should skip right past the �for� or �against� options and select the �indifferent� option. Only when you discover that your child, your friend, or you coworker is gay will you be able to empathize and truly understand the power of your feelings. The only difference between a homosexual and a heterosexual is what happens behind the bedroom door. That is none of your business anyway.

You say that you are protecting that sanctity of marriage and it�s religious rituals. Is that best illustrated by Britney Spears�, Liz Taylor�s, and Nikki Hilton�s marriages of the moment? No, I bet you prefer the young couples living a secret life of infidelity and domestic abuse. Surely you can�t exclude these righteous examples. Of course these unions are far better than Mary and Sylvia, a monogamous couple together for thirty years, who must show legal documentation as next-of-kin just to visit each other in the hospital and make medical decisions.

Most gay people don�t have children making them more economically sound. Did you ever think where that money goes? We buy fine clothes. We eat, drink, and be merry at your restaurants. We travel and make expensive purchases. How would your business be affected without gay dollars?

You have no idea what your opinions do to us. You are legally discriminating and it�s no different than how we treated the African-American community fifty years ago. We�re here, we�re queer, get used to it. Change is imminent. There are far worse things in life than knowing someone who is gay.

[John]

Dawn: Nothing bothers me about gay people. I live in San Francisco, I support gay marriage, and I support gay rights. The post that you commented about was just mentioning that the issues were soon to be before the Supreme Court. I didn't say anything against either gays or affirmative action (or anything else).

But thanks for your post.