Marriage Wasn't Enough

Last night, I went to a great meeting for the Tennesse Equality Project (TEP) to brainstorm ideas, post-election, to deal with next steps. It has been said many times that gay rights opponents will not be satisfied with simply keeping us from marrying. One of the board members of TEP was very clear in warning us that we have many more battles ahead in this war. Legislation has been brought up before and it will be coming up again to try to take away our right to adopt or simply visit our children in the event of a divorce.

There have also been instances in other states where companies have been attacked for offering domestic partner benefits, especially after these amendments have passed.

I have a feeling Tennessee won't be avoiding this.

An article in The Tennessean today highlighted the growth of large, national companies with a presence in Tennessee offering DP benefits. It's a great article!

However, what's interesting and downright scary are the comments! I never knew that company benefits were somehow connected to God, but apparently in TN, they should be.

Here are a few of the comments:

The chest-thumping "I have spoken!" commenter:

Let's face it, the people of Tennesse spoke very loudly last week. We don't care what you do with your partner in your house. But the majority feels that this lifestyle is not for the benefit of this state.

Hmmm, the standard "we'll have to pay for you to take care of each other" argument. Yeah, makes perfect sense to me!

It is a right, if corporate america wants to offer benefits to domestic partners, that in no way affects me. Now it does become an issue if the government does. That effects me and everyone else that pays taxes. And like the marriage admendment, should be the choice of the people.

This one cuts to the chase.

Please go back in the closet.

Love how there's always one who knows many, many gay people and that he knows several that have over 800 partners a year (guess he's counting and keeping track). Ironically, someone else comes along later to do the math, which is 2.19 partners a day-little time for work or heck even sleep!

Not to mention we should not support immorality in our society, it is not fair for the rest of us to support those people who live their lives recklessly. There is a reason God has placed rules on his people. Not to judge anyone (God’s job), we are called to live a moral life. ()

When I suggested that the TN economy would plummet if all the gay's up and left, this is the response I got:

I'm willing to risk it. Have a nice trip.

Then they have to make the comparison of our long-term, committed relationships to a whole host of harmful actions. I'm surprised they didn't throw in murder while they were at it.

The science of the matter is that homosexuality is a behavior, just like alcoholism or beating your wife (oh, partner, sorry!) is a behavior. You have a choice to act one way or the other.

And, of course, the grand finale:

To all you people being fooled by Satan into thinking homosexuality is not a choice see Leviticus 18:22: "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination." This passage is God's answer to homosexuality. You are in my prayers. As Christians we dislike the sin, not the sinner.

Ah, yes, tell me something I didn't already know or have had hurled at me a thousand times in my lifetime. Being original is not their forte!