AnimeSuki Forum - View Single Post - US Elections 2012 Part II: The Conventions, Debates and Election results

willx · 2012-09-10, 09:42

So, on the issue of same-sex marriage and homosexuality.. As someone that leans left, I thought I'd share a conversation with my very close friend who is a a gay lawyer that grew up in a very wealthy conservative part of town in Vancouver, B.C. (Canada). His family is quite wealthy and he is only halfway out of the closet with his coworkers and his family.

I learned two things due to my somewhat a-hole style devil's advocate type queries:

1) I asked him after watching X-men 3, if a "cure" for gayness was discovered or if he could otherwise get "turned" would he do so? He admitted that based on his socio-economic status, his personal and business circles, he's ashamed to say he would. He admits it would make his life much easier.

2) Secondly, I asked whether he would be OK if instead of allowing same-sex marriage, a new status was created that was identical in every way but was labeled differently, like "committed union" -- that way marriage could continue to be defined as between a man & woman, and we'd just have to "ctrl+f" "find and replace" our existing legislature. His response "lawyered" me a little.

Rationally he wouldn't have any issues with it, and he can understand why conservative religious types who believe "marriage is an institution directly tied to their beliefs of faith and his rules regarding behaviour and morality" but his point (which I agree with) is that the create of a status that is "different" works well when people are reasonable, rational, educated and tolerant. When they are not, the "different but the same" argument won't work and would continue to result in future discrimination.

2012-09-10, 09:42	Link #305
willx Nyaaan~~ Join Date: Feb 2006 Age: 40	So, on the issue of same-sex marriage and homosexuality.. As someone that leans left, I thought I'd share a conversation with my very close friend who is a a gay lawyer that grew up in a very wealthy conservative part of town in Vancouver, B.C. (Canada). His family is quite wealthy and he is only halfway out of the closet with his coworkers and his family. I learned two things due to my somewhat a-hole style devil's advocate type queries: 1) I asked him after watching X-men 3, if a "cure" for gayness was discovered or if he could otherwise get "turned" would he do so? He admitted that based on his socio-economic status, his personal and business circles, he's ashamed to say he would. He admits it would make his life much easier. 2) Secondly, I asked whether he would be OK if instead of allowing same-sex marriage, a new status was created that was identical in every way but was labeled differently, like "committed union" -- that way marriage could continue to be defined as between a man & woman, and we'd just have to "ctrl+f" "find and replace" our existing legislature. His response "lawyered" me a little. Rationally he wouldn't have any issues with it, and he can understand why conservative religious types who believe "marriage is an institution directly tied to their beliefs of faith and his rules regarding behaviour and morality" but his point (which I agree with) is that the create of a status that is "different" works well when people are reasonable, rational, educated and tolerant. When they are not, the "different but the same" argument won't work and would continue to result in future discrimination.