moving the bar back for gays... and The Week that Was
Listen: Ron Reagan: This is just pointless hate
From Ron Reagan:
In a year where a black president is elected -- California and other states have moved the bar back for other minorities. I'm talking with Drew Westen, Ph.D., from Atlanta, Georgia. Weston is Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at Emory University and the author of "The Political Brain: The Role of Emotion in Deciding the Fate of the Nation."
Reporting on The Week that Was and from Chicago, Jonathan Alter, on the president elect's first press conference on the economy
866 – 303 – 2270 IS THE NUMBER TO CALL-IN FOR YOU LISTENERS OUT THERE.
- FILED UNDER: Host Posts, Campaigns
- November 7, 2008
Gay Marriage
Hi Ron, I listen to show every day and you truly are a professional. I wanted to express how upset I am that the Gay Marriage issue did not get passed in California or in my state of Florida. I fully support gay marriage. I lived in Key West for 18 years and I have very dear friends who are gay. One of the things that impressed me over the years was a couple I loved like family. One of the parties got ill and eventually died. What impressed me was the dedication the well partner had for the partner that was dying. Actually it was an embarrasment becuase I have know many straight couples who got divorced when one party got fatally ill, they were too selfish to stick it out. I was so impressed by the love, caring and devotion. I wanted to share my experience. Marilyn from Florida
By Mamadon November 7, 2008 - 8:29pm
Thank you for sharing your experience.
There is a lot of ignorance regarding homosexuality. There is an embarrassing number of straight people who still believe that being 'gay' is a "choice". Until the public is better informed, and I believe that it is happenning...slowly, we will continue to see this type of injustice. And I'm still trying to figure out how "gay marriage" will threaten my marriage.
I have always found the biology vs. choice argument to be stupid
Who cares why a person is gay. The real issue is why so many people want to deny people the rights they deserve.
Let's impeach the president for lying-Neil Young
By bill-clinton69 November 8, 2008 - 1:21am
I agree, but there are those who think that being homosexual is a "choice", rather than a condition of their birth. In this age of homophobia, who would "Choose" to be gay? Gosh, I 'm heterosexual, and I have no 'urges' to be gay. But I DO support equal rights for those who are gay. Maybe those who are against equal rights for gay people are afraid of their own sexuality?
More Change Needed
For my mother's generation it was unfathomable to think that an African-American would be elected president in her lifetime.
For my generation, is unfathomable for the homosexual population be afforded the same rights that heterosexuals enjoy.
I hope like the change that occurred on Tuesday, more change towards true equality will happen in my lifetime... the sooner the better.
http://politicalmorsels.com
Thanks Ron. Your voice is invaluable in this matter.
On this subject II highly recommend the documentary "For the Bible Tells Me So" for like minded progressives.
"Normal" is just a matter of numbers. If gays and lesbians were the majority of the population I'm quite sure we heteros wouldn't have to fight for equal rights. I just thank God that even as our country took a step backwards, we still took a huge leap forward with the election of Barack Obama. :)
Can I get all "scientificky"?
There is mounting evidence that homosexuality is genetic and the evidence increases daily.
I can remember at least 15 years ago reading an article in Scientific American (America's premier scientific journal) describing some of the earliest research.
The article was about a specific, obscure brain structure that was markedly different in homosexuals. Since then, other work has shown other brain structures in homosexual men that appear physically like those of heterosexual women... and vice versa. These brain structures in Lesbians look like those of heterosexual males.
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Whenever I hear the absurd comment from some guy that homosexuality "is a choice", I always respond:
"Oh... So you could CHOOSE to love COCK... Guess what... YOU'RE GAY".
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SEXUAL ORIENTATION IS NOT A CHOICE.
Hell, some of my earliest childhod memories are about girls... Once at the age of four, I blurted out to my neighbor, who was babysitting me at the time... "Mrs. Cooper?... YOU'RE PRETTY!!"
I WAS MORTIFIED!... I embarrassed myself beyond belief!... I don't know what came over me!... It... It... It just came out!... I couldn't stop myself!
Pffft!... Four years old and I'm already "puttin' on the moves"... Hey, what can I say. She looked like Loretta Young. What's a horny 4 year old to do?
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And then there was Kindergarten... I can't remember her name, but she was Swedish and had platinum blond hair, ACTUAL NATURAL PLATINUM BLOND HAIR... fine as spun silk and rare as hen's teeth... Like nothing I've ever seen before or since... GOD I wanted her!... I wouldn't have known what the hell to do with her, BUT I SURE AS SHIT KNEW I WANTED TO BE AROUND HER!
And then came Lily in first grade... Ah, Lily... You know, to this day I have a "thing" for bangs.
By second grade, I had expanded my horizons... Oh baby!... Sweet Donna Reed on "The Donna Reed Show"!
WOW!... WHAT A WOMAN!
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So anyway... That's pretty much how it's always been for ME.
And I've never remembered anything about making any CHOICE!
Great program, Ron. Bravo &
Great program, Ron. Bravo & thanks! Such an old soul you are! I listen to you every chance that I get.
A matter of perspective.
The real problem is the right has managed to frame gay rights as being all about "morals" and "sex". Especially the sex. 90% is about the sex (the right is fascinated by sex, it's all they think about).
If you change the conversation to "hospital visits" and "the right to inherit" or "protecting the family", all of a sudden, opposition melts away.
The right manages to frame marriage as a threat to hetero marriage and then they bring in the "occult" aspect, you know, it's what "God" would want.
Mormons spent tens of millions of their parishioners hard earned money to deny rights to people they don't know and have no contact with in any way. This so disturbed regular Mormons, they marched on their elders around "Temple Square", not "for" the gays, but against having their money spent in such a frivolous manner.
And the worst of all. Arabic translators have been kicked out of Iraq leaving units without a language translator in hostile lands. This is criminal. Outrageous. It make evangelicals look like they are more afraid of the gays than the terrorists. What are they afraid of? If they get "peeked at" in the shower, they might get "turned"? You see how ludicrous that sounds?
Ask an evangelical which is scarier, a terrorist or a gay.
The bottom line is the gays have to take the lead in the discussion and act rather than react.
Mormon homophobia.
Yeah, this coming from a culture of creepy old men fucking teenage girls, three at a time.
Both of these girls are pretty.
It is kind of weird they let one dress kind of like a guy.
The chick on the right is K.D. Lang.
(snicker!)
Prop. 8, Arkansas, etc.
Supposedly, the Gubanator is looking into the problems of legality. i.e. - Was it a legal measure in the first place, and if a constitution can be changed by popular vote (which I believe requires a 3/4 majority, which prop. 8 didn't have), etc,. The wording on the prop was bad too, with many well meaning (but not so swift) folks thinking "Yes" meant supporting gay marriage rather than repealing it. In Arkansas, the pin head fear of gay couples adopting has now extended to include those people who are single. Married being a code for "straight" I suppose. And single includes those living with partners who are not married! More discrimination! I'm straight and single, my sister is straight and has been living with a man for 10 years and they have a 6 year old. So, I guess that means if either of us lost our minds and moved to Arkansas for some reason, we wouldn't be allowed to foster or adopt, either. Ahhh, the ridiculous, "religious" right. Love the fetus, hate the child.