OT - how would you feel about this?

[mttafire]

And THIS statement is exactly why the original is so offensive. Until you walk a mile as the saying goes, but then again, I would never expect someone who is obviously closed minded to understand. So your argument carries no water. But I think your opinion needs to stay here for all to see just to show that there are those out there who feel it's their personal responsibility, as a direct result of their ignorance, that we still have a fight ahead of us.

If you feel that equality is only for certain people, then you clearly do not have any sense what the word "equal" means. If you feel that marriage is ONLY between a man and a woman, then perhaps you should look into your own relationship and really understand what is driving your opinion. Perhaps you should pay closer attention to yourself and not what others are doing privately.

To the OP, yes, the statement was offensive. To mttafire, because you seem to be so flip about the word "offensive", how about, yes, the statement would downright piss me off.

The heterosexual community does NOT own the word "marriage" but if the term "civil union" or "commitment ceremony" makes them hush up because they are getting embroiled in semantics, then have it. I'm all for getting civil unioned or whatever the term du jour might be.

People who tend to be so emotionally invested in what homosexuals are doing behind closed doors just confuse me. They always make me wonder exactly why they are just so darned interested to begin with.

Ah, HUH? I am...with you...you understand. YES...IM GAY!! Im simply saying that way TOOO many people get offended anymore. Is ridiculous. You went on a rant for no reason my friend. However, YOU nor ME own the right to criticize anyone for thier feelings towards an issue.
Even our "criticts" have the right to criticize. That does not make them closed minded or narrow minded. I came out in 95. One year after serving in the Air Force. Im proud of that. My point is and still is even MORE after reading YOUR reply is..Too much whining, Too much "offended folks". We ALL need to chill and STOP making people or forcing them to understand us. you get much more folks converting to our opinions through education NOT "In your face rants".
My original point was....99% of Americans that are married are hetrosexual..thats not offensive. Its just the way it is. That does not bother me.

 

[RickinNYC]

Ah, HUH? I am...with you...you understand. YES...IM GAY!! Im simply saying that way TOOO many people get offended anymore. Is ridiculous. You went on a rant for no reason my friend. However, YOU nor ME own the right to criticize anyone for thier feelings towards an issue.
Even our "criticts" have the right to criticize. That does not make them closed minded or narrow minded. I came out in 95. One year after serving in the Air Force. Im proud of that. My point is and still is even MORE after reading YOUR reply is..Too much whining, Too much "offended folks". We ALL need to chill and STOP making people or forcing them to understand us. you get much more folks converting to our opinions through education NOT "In your face rants".
My original point was....99% of Americans that are married are hetrosexual..thats not offensive. Its just the way it is. That does not bother me.

Oops! Ok, I did get a chuckle.

Rest assured I didn't in fact know you were gay. Apologies for the assumption. However, I still stand by what I said and don't think the word "offensive" is being overused. Things like this do offend me BIG time. And I don't limit my rants to the DIS. I act on them.

The fact that 99% of married Americans being heterosexual, quite honestly, disgusts me. Heterosexuals DO NOT own marriage. This is the 21st century. We should be flying around in jetpacks eating instant pill sized food tablets and have robot maids named Rosie. To think that marriage could cause such a ruccus is ridiculous.

Sadly, it's not to be.

I came out in 1985 and have seen laws changed, attitudes changed, minds changed, all quite dramatically, since that time. And it does make me happy more than I can express. BUT it still hasn't changed enough. I do think that the gay community should act more than speak up when it comes to inequities in the rights we are currently entitled.

I wish we lived in a world where there would be no reason for anyone to get offended for something as simple as word choice, but as long as there are folks out there who insist upon forcing their belief systems on EVERYONE, then there will be issues taken.

As I said before, would seeing something like that offend me? Yep. But a more apt answer would be that it pissed me off.

 

[mttafire]

Oops! Ok, I did get a chuckle.

Rest assured I didn't in fact know you were gay. Apologies for the assumption. However, I still stand by what I said and don't think the word "offensive" is being overused. Things like this do offend me BIG time. And I don't limit my rants to the DIS. I act on them.

The fact that 99% of married Americans being heterosexual, quite honestly, disgusts me. Heterosexuals DO NOT own marriage. This is the 21st century. We should be flying around in jetpacks eating instant pill sized food tablets and have robot maids named Rosie. To think that marriage could cause such a ruccus is ridiculous.

Sadly, it's not to be.

I came out in 1985 and have seen laws changed, attitudes changed, minds changed, all quite dramatically, since that time. And it does make me happy more than I can express. BUT it still hasn't changed enough. I do think that the gay community should act more than speak up when it comes to inequities in the rights we are currently entitled.

I wish we lived in a world where there would be no reason for anyone to get offended for something as simple as word choice, but as long as there are folks out there who insist upon forcing their belief systems on EVERYONE, then there will be issues taken.

As I said before, would seeing something like that offend me? Yep. But a more apt answer would be that it pissed me off.

Im glad we BOTH now know where my heart is.. Anyways, NO hard feelings or disrespect. I, like you get passionate about something. We have MUCH more in common than not so.....PEACE! I actually admire your passion.

 

[RickinNYC]

Im glad we BOTH now know where my heart is.. Anyways, NO hard feelings or disrepect. I like you get passionate about something. We have MUCH more in common than not so.....PEACE!

Back atcha dude. Being gay doesn't mean one has to agree with everything another gay person says. THAT is just stupid. But to disagree, yet understand that there are still similarities and do it with civility, is a lesson to be taught to those mooks that get all frothed up about gay stuff.

I still wanna know why those holier than thous get so uppity and interested about what goes on in our bedrooms. I'm waiting for one of them to come stumbling out of my closet like the boogeyman.

 

[mttafire]

Back atcha dude. Being gay doesn't mean one has to agree with everything another gay person says. THAT is just stupid. But to disagree, yet understand that there are still similarities and do it with civility, is a lesson to be taught to those mooks that get all frothed up about gay stuff.

I still wanna know why those holier than thous get so uppity and interested about what goes on in our bedrooms. I'm waiting for one of them to come stumbling out of my closet like the boogeyman.

 

[Twingle]

OP here.

Phew - thanks so much for acting in a grown up manner. I was afraid this was going to be turning into one of those nasty bible thumping threads, which was not what I had intended at all. Lookit that - everyone was able to express their opinion, and nobody got their panties in a wad. Yay for you!

And I REALLY like the pp's suggestion about gay unions being referred to as real marriages.

 

[prgirl]

Well, I have been hearing about gay marriages too much lately because I live in Puerto Rico and here are trying to do some amendments to the civil rights. Here that has been under fire because religious people want to rule our rights and ours "do's and don'ts". Personally I feel it is a bad joke from whomever decided to write that, but then again, they recognize in some way that we are ahead of them in something!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[brendrek]

Personally, I would have brought the "material" to the attention of someone in charge of the retreat. I would let them know that statment is offensive and question their motives for printing it. Depending on the response I got, I might leave after that. It definately raises a red flag though.