Hopefully this wont ruffle too many feathers but having a sister in law and a few friends that are greatly inpacted by this, I thought it was worth mentioning:
OTTAWA (CP) - It was fought in courtrooms, in legislatures, in street protests, and one of the most turbulent debates in Canadian history was settled Tuesday in Parliament.
The House of Commons voted 158 to 133 to adopt controversial legislation that will make Canada the third country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage.
I don’t see what the big deal is really - why does it bother people if it is legalized? Though, I am against all forms of marriage…straight or not…hehe… No, in all seriousness, it doesn’t bother or affect me whatsoever.
The US had some battles with this recently, and during the elections, many states voted “no” to gay marriages. The funny thing is, these states, don’t even have large gay communities. I don’t know why it would bother them. It’s not like their neighborhood would be filled with married gays if they voted “Yes”. They aren’t even filled with non-married gay couples as it is.
If “all men are created equal” (as in the US), then give them the same rights.
I think one of the reasons Kerry lost was over this issue. America is too religiously right-wing, in a disturbing way. I’ve seen them censor words like “goddamn” on public television. Pretty sad considering it is 2005.
Yay to Canada and Europe for these changes. I have huge respect for the open-minds in those societies. While the US is still debating the use of pot in medical science, and how Janet Jackson flashed her nipple on TV, the other progressive countries in the world are much more advanced.
Having said that, Chicago had their annual gay pride parade last week and the Illinois governor and Chicago mayor took part in the parade (even the Chicago Police Force, Veteran/Current Soldiers, Firemen all had their own floats). This is nothing big for cities like Berlin, Toronto or London, but was susprising to see that in Chicago. Maybe we are moving forward but at an extremely slow pace?
I don’t see what the big deal is really - why does it bother people if it is legalized?
Try asking that around my parts (the south)… you ever been here afra? DON’T. heh.
Most people, particularly in the bible belt, feel that it’s against god’s plan/word, in that it’s Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. god i hate that quote. also, most people who are also not religious, do not like the fact that they have to pay more taxes due to more marriages like same-sex ones getting tax cuts.
imo, I find it really childish and moronic. people really need to get with the times and stop bashing homosexual relationships of any kind, it’s not like it’s going to end any time soon.
my girlfriend’s father is gay, actually. very nice gentleman, bit of a hermit but a very nice man. he lost his life partner of 17 years (they live in Savannah, GA, a state that does not allow marriages), whom did not leave a will, and it has devastated him as well as his daughters because now he has nothing to remember him by. he’s struggling, alone, and doesn’t want to socialize with anyone any more.
sorry for the tangent there… i just feel really bad for him.
I have friends that are gay…not there’s anything wrong with that. Here’s my question:
Is Trent gay…has he ever said yes or no in public. The only people I’ve heard that were in his life were his grandma, his dog & ex manager. I know it doesn’t matter but I’m thinkin’ YES. anybody else wonder about this?
MTV launches new gay cable TV channel
By Claudia Parsons Tue Jun 28, 5:32 PM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The prospect of a television channel entirely devoted to gay programs for gay people may strike some as unnecessary and others as a sign of immoral times. Media giant Viacom thinks there’s money in it. Logo, launching on Thursday under the MTV Networks umbrella, is not the first channel to target gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, but it is the most widely available, on cable boxes in 10 million homes.
And it is the first time a major U.S. conglomerate such as Viacom has entered a niche market that, despite Logo’s promise to deliver family-friendly entertainment, is viewed with concern by some of the same people who worry about too much sex, violence and profanity on TV.
“It’s going to be a tough road and you need a Viacom to drive that truck,” said Paul Colichman, head of Here!, a video-on-demand gay satellite channel launched in 2003.
“Our mere existence offends people.”
Logo has been in the works for more than two years under the guidance of Brian Graden, the man responsible for such MTV hits as “The Osbournes.” Logo has bought 200 movies and has more than 20 new documentaries scheduled for the first year as well as half a dozen original series, including a drama titled “Noah’s Arc” about four black gay men in Los Angeles.
Janice Crouse, a senior fellow at Concerned Women for America, which describes itself as a conservative Evangelical group of 500,000 members, said it was “a sad day for America.”
She said MTV was in a powerful position to influence youth and it was “unconscionable” to present in a positive view of a promiscuous lifestyle that causes “illnesses and diseases.”
“I see it as indoctrination of children to present the gay lifestyle as something that’s normal, as something they don’t have any choice over,” Crouse said in an interview.
SELLING CARS TO GAYS
Logo General Manager Lisa Sherman cited studies saying there were some 15 million openly gay people in America, an attractive demographic for advertisers, considering that many will have no children, meaning more disposable income.
Logo’s advertisers include travel company Orbitz, carmaker Subaru, mobile phone maker Motorola and Miller Lite beer.
Frank Olsen, founder and major shareholder of Q, a small satellite subscription gay channel, said the reason there were now three players was simple – money.
“I don’t think anybody has become more tolerant of gay people. The Christian right still says we’re going to be condemned and we’re going to be in hell,” Olsen said. “But Ford needs to sell more cars and if they can sell them to gay people without offending straight people, they will.”
Q and Here! market themselves as just another of the many niche options out there, from golfing to gardening channels.
Colichman said more than 30 percent of his viewers were straight – a figure he says includes feminists and liberals sick of the way women are portrayed in the mainstream media, and straight men who will watch anything about lesbians.
Here! sells monthly subscriptions for $6.99 to $9.99 as well as single programs for $3.99 and Colichman said the company registered around 1 million transactions a month, fairly evenly split between single sales and subscriptions.
“Our business is growing by 15 percent per week,” he said, adding that he had spent $50 million on content in 18 months.
Colichman’s production company, Regent Entertainment, is an established player with hit movies as “Gods and Monsters.” He sells content to television stations in over 100 countries. He sees Logo as another customer for Regent productions.
Village Voice columnist Michael Musto appears in a documentary about the history of gay Americans that will kick off Logo’s programming on Thursday. He said comedies like “Will & Grace” paved the way for mainstream gay TV, and cable channels had pushed the boundaries even further with the likes of “The L-Word” about glamorous lesbians in Los Angeles.
Despite that, Musto said Logo appeared to be treading cautiously.
“We live in a very puritanical culture that gets very queasy about sexuality issues of any kind and that may be why Logo is soft-pedaling the sexuality issue,” Musto said.
Is Trent gay…has he ever said yes or no in public.
hehe…from gay marriages to trent…
I always thought he was gay - especially when Pretty Hate Machine came out. But he’s had girlfriends: someone I know who used to live in New Orleans saw Trent a bunch of times with what seemed to be his girlfriend.
Even Al said when he went to Trent’s place in NOLA, he was caught by Trent’s girlfriend with his penis stuck in Trent’s vacuum cleaner (funny story).
He’s probably bi-sexual.
I’m pretty sure that in a spiral-era interview Trent rambled on about his personal history and how he decided to be honest. Noted that he though Gene Simmons or whoever from Kiss having a cow tongue grafted onto his own was cool shit. ‘I grew up In Mercer PA, I’m 31 years old, I’m not gay.’ Of course that still leave the Bi possibility. [:P]
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Is Trent gay…has he ever said yes or no in public.
Even Al said when he went to Trent’s place in NOLA, he was caught by Trent’s girlfriend with his penis stuck in Trent’s vacuum cleaner (funny story).
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Seems that Spain will legalize gay marriages soon…
It’s pathetic how Bush can thump his bible in front of everybody and take away certain rights from people who are no different than anyone else. Why a person’s sexual preference ever became the government’s business baffles me. I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised, seeing that I live in a country that used to have ‘whites only’ drinking fountains not long ago. What’s next, is Bush gonna make gays sit at the back of the bus? Our politics can be embarrasing, to say the least. Kudos to Canada, Spain, and any other country with a clear conscience.
1002
first and last time i pull out my political views here…
the whole idea of “freedom” will always be a paradox. someone will always be “overlooked” or “discriminated”. it’s an oxymoron that could eventually possibly be the downfall of itself.
about fuckin time. they’ve only been talking about making it federal law for 2 years.
Gay marriage runs into problems because most view “marriage” as a religious institution. And since most religious types would rather trust what some guy said in a book thousands of years old that has been re-translated a million times over actual scientific evidence that homosexuality is a biological reality rather than “sinful behavior” or a “lifestyle choice”–we are going to be stuck at this same old impasse.
Government should get out of the marriage business althogether (seperation of church and state–sound familiar?) and just call everything a civil union.
The other day I was talking to a friend about how we should change the name from “marriage” to something else since it rarely even lasts a lifetime anymore.
Maybe something along the lines of Brave New World? Just hook up with whoever you fancy at the time…
I forget who it was, but I remember reading one conservative columnist saying that his fellow Republicans had the gay marriage issue backwards. Instead of banning gay marriage, conservatives should demand it from homosexual couples. Rather than continuing to be promiscuous sodomites, conservatives should expect gay couples to settle down, get married, and raise a couple of (adopted) kids like everyone else.
Although I’m neither gay nor conservative, I’d have to say that the guy brought up some good ideas. Doesn’t it seem that opposing gay marriage actually promotes sexual promiscuity and is counterproductive to promoting “family values”?
Although I’m neither gay nor conservative, I’d have to say that the guy brought up some good ideas. Doesn’t it seem that opposing gay marriage actually promotes sexual promiscuity and is counterproductive to promoting “family values”?
Yeah that guy is right - hey, more homes for orphans/unfortunate children.
Yeah, also people who talk about gay marriages ruining “family values” - what is the current state of “family values”? It isn’t exactly great with or without gay marriages. Divorce rate is above 60%, lots of broken homes and affairs, etc.