Can't BE more specific than telling you that marriage law is currently VERY Gender specific. By DEMANDING it include non-Gender specific couplings, you will undo a lot of special concessions to married women under the law. VAWA is just ONE example of that undoing.
I understand your confusion. You've probably not heard this argument before. Most hot-headed single-issue zealots' heads just explode when you hit them with facts and situations they never took the time to research or consider. Happens all the time when zealots meet reality based problem solvers.
My head is absolutely not exploding because I have not heard anything that makes any sense. you're still just speaking in generalities. Convince me that you're not just making this shit up. Show me some actual problems that have resulted from marriage equality.
Dearest
TheProgressivePatriot
That's like asking what harm is caused by schools mandating school prayer for everyone. The prayers and good they have been shown to do are not the issue, but the FREE CHOICE.
Christianity and Christian healing prayer in particular can save lives and end addictions, abuse, disease and social ills; but not by forcing this on anyone. It only causes rejection. It only works when freely chosen.
Same sex marriage is not the root conflict per se but ramming it through govt without consent and free choice of people is!
For example, lots of people (and I've heard this from Conservatives, Christians and even gay people who don't support states endorsing same sex marriage) have NO PROBLEM with people having same sex marriage in their own churches or organizations, but just NOT forcing this through the state on everyone else to have to endorse unless they agree democratically first.
Isn't that similar to allowing students in schools to choose and engage in prayer, but not have the schools or administrators involved in these decisions, so it remains free choice. It is NOT a school function.
The only thing the State of Texas implemented was a neutral "moment of silence" that people agreed to as a compromise.
So the equivalent here would be if people of a STATE agree to neutral policy such as civil unions or domestic partnerships, where people COULD CHOOSE to have gay relations with their domestic partners and that's their private business. But anyone can set up a financial and legal agreements to operate as a partnership or share a household.
I will ask YOU the same thing you ask
flacaltenn
What harm is caused by allowing EVERYONE to have civil unions or partnership contracts through the state that are NEUTRAL.
What harm is caused by having people set up and manage their own benefits under their own terms, and organize collectively over statewide or national groups, so everyone can choose and access benefits and resources under the beliefs of their choice?
Wouldn't the benefits outweigh the complications of separating social policies programs and choices from federalized govt bureaucracy?
I'm thinking that separation is the best way to stop endless bickering and fights over control of policy and resources, and give everyone EQUAL representation and protection of the laws (especially protection from the beliefs of other people in conflict).
Is there any proof such a separation would cause more harm than good, if we've never tried it?
Thanks TPP you keep fighting the good fight.
In the end, we will all end up on the same page,
but bringing all the experience from different approaches to the table.
I'm not against same sex marriage, but for the best way to establish the free and equal choice where it doesn't interfere with the equal beliefs of anyone else. You forget that Constitutionalists and Libertarians believe in keeping ALL marriage out of the govt in the first place. So YES it is causing harm by infringing on the beliefs and free choice of Americans who are supposed to be equally protected under law from establishment of beliefs, especially that violate our own.
We have been down this road way too many times. Give it a rest. You people need to STOP trying to fix what is not broken
^ Exactly what people are saying about LGBT trying to change bathroom policies ^
NOW you get it
TheProgressivePatriot
Just apply that same wisdom equally across the board, and we're on the same page!
Wrong Emily.Trans People did not try to change " bathroom policies " until the right wingers started to explicitly exclude them from using the bathroom of their gender identity. Trans people were probably doing just that for a long time but then they were targeted by the hysterical bigots . Bet that you have been in a stall next to a transwoman more than once and never knew it. Bathrooms did not need fixing anymore that marriage needs fixing.
Dear
TheProgressivePatriot
I think we are arguing about what consistitutes INDIVIDUAL cases in schools of conflicts over bathroom use.
Vs. nationally when the rightwing got involved as a state issue.
In Houston, the Mayor used funding from LGBT support from CA and nationwide to push for
a Transgender bathroom bill that started a huge backlash.
Before this, most people I know had no issue with INDIVIDUALS using the restroom of their choice.
In schools, if there was a conflict, the students might be directed to use the Faculty restroom.
So the problem was there wasn't NEUTRAL unisex or single use restrooms.
That would have solved the problem.
Instead Mayor Parker was the first to try to implement city ordinances
FINING people for even QUESTIONING someone in a restroom who was transgender.
You weren't even allowed to ASK or that could be considered harassment with a 5,000 dollar fine.
So clearly that went too far
(I compare it to the AZ immigration bill that tried to impose fines for HAND SIGNALS
that even to communicate to a potential worker from a car was going to be penalized.
So that starts to abridge FREE SPEECH without due process of laws before depriving or imposing a penalty by law)\
Instead of fixing this bill by requiring UNISEX or neutral restrooms,
the problem got worse by Mayor Parker violating city process and policy
by obstructing petitions and votes that were later recognized by courts so they struck down the ordinance
according to legal process that Parker unlawfully stifled for political ploy.
This further compounded the original issue and set off a shark frenzy
of LGBT vs Christian activists that spread nationwide.
That's where the lawsuits and mass reaction stemmed from.
Had Parker stuck with the legal process, this would not have escalated to a total scandal
because she and others violated the laws and rights of others and pushed this politically by abusing the system.
Had the City and churches agreed to unisex restrooms, then all sides' beliefs could be protected
and govt would not have to get involved with taking any one side over another.
That's what I mean by Political Backlash,
TheProgressivePatriot
Attacking people's beliefs on one side or the other just made it worse!
The original way of dealing with transgender bathroom use was to let individuals use the restroom
or go use a private restroom such as the staff restroom or principal's office in schools.
With the bullying that went on in INDIVIDUAL cases and schools,
(that these schools/communities FAILED to resolve by providing enough unisex restrooms
where nobody had to impose on anyone else),
then it became a larger issue.
The point still remains as well as the solution
TheProgressivePatriot
Communities on a LOCAL level must retain equal rights and freedoms to decide for themselves, not govt:
either implement enough unisex restrooms per site or district where this isn't an issue,
agree to accommodate at INDIVIDUAL sites where THOSE people AGREE to it (again not forced by govt)
or agree to separate schools and facilities if people of THOSE districts agree to that instead.
There isn't one solution for all districts.
If some want to accommodate, others want to separate, and others want to neutralize
policy and just have unisex, single stall or "family friendly" restrooms whatever,
the govt cannot decide for each person or community what represents and solves their issues.
They have to consent for it to be valid Constitutional policy,
because faith based beliefs and personal choice is involved!!!