September 17, 2010: If homosexuality is a disease, let's all call in queer to work: "Hello. Can't work today, still queer."

[Title quote attributed to Ryan Tyler]

As I was talking to a local head shrinker, I mean, bartender, our talk segwayed into the world of gay marriage, gay rights, and all other things gay. I'll be putting down my piece on this today.

Gay marriage: I believe that homosexual couples have the same right as a heterosexual couple to marry. Their sexuality should never come in the way of the financial and emotional privileges that a marriage can bring to a couple. All this bullshit about legalizing gay marriage raising the divorce rate is just that, bullshit. All couples who marry now have the possibility of joining that statistic, and it's no fair to disclude them because we don't want to see that statistic rise. The truth is the divorce rate is rising because couples now don't feel the same shame of divorce that they did forty years ago. Then, divorce was unacceptable. It led to women who had never worked before having to join the work force with no true skills or marketable assets working for minimum wage, if that, to support themselves and their children. Now, we have powerful women doing powerful things. We are finding a more stable gender ignorant working world. Albiet, women are not exactly equal as men, but they are capable of doing so much more for themselves if they have the right motivation. However, I understand the right of religious ceremonies being being subject to that decision. It is fully within the power of any religious body to deny their particular marriage ceremony to homosexual couples. I will only support the right of gay marriage as a legal and financial event, not as a religious event. I cannot force the church to turn it's back on it's founding principles. What I ask from the church is acceptance into the world, to accept that gays are people, too. To keep their religion to themselves, instead of forcing it on the world.

Gay religion: If gays want to make their own religious system, more power to you. I can't force all religions to accept you. But there are religions for EVERYTHING. There is a church for body modification! Make a church for gays! If you don't like their rules, make your own. It's okay to do that, and no one can fault you for it. There is a church for marijuana users! All of these churches may seem to be "fake" churches, but they have a moral code, a system of beliefs, and that makes them real religions to me. If you want to make your own church so you can have a religious wedding, alright. There you go, but don't force other religions to take back fundamental beliefs. Accept thier beliefs and respect them, and you'll teach them to respect yours.

Gay rights: If people are equal and legally have equal rights, and gays are people, too, it follows that gays are equal and legally have equal rights. /END.