Homosexuality and bisexuality

Quotations about same-sex marriages
showing the diversity of North American beliefs

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We use the acronym "SSM" to represent "same-sex marriage"

A bunch of quotes, pro and con, and a snarky image:

	Testimony at the Rhode Island Legislature's House Judiciary Committee: Angela Mazaris, with her same-sex partner and their infant daughter: "Please join us for our family meals. Come with us on our walks, and join us at our playgroup. Sit with us while we read Goodnight Moon and rock our daughter to sleep at night. And then, after that, look me in the eye and tell me that my family is not worthy of equal protection under the law."   Bernard Healey, lobbyist for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, testified that opposition to SSM is not a form of discrimination: "It has been and continues to be the consistent teaching of the Catholic Church as well as the existing state law that marriage is the union of a man and a woman."   Representative Frank Ferri, (D-Warwick), a married gay man, testified: "It is embarrassing and insulting that I have come before you again to beg for the constitutional right of Rhode Island's citizens to marry the people we love." 1
	"Marriage between one man and one woman is critical to maintaining social stability. Society as a whole pays a high price when marriage is devalued. You see divorce; you see single-parenting; you see a rise in out-of-wedlock pregnancies." Shari Rendall, director of legislation and policy for Concerned Women for America. 8
	"A loving man and woman in a committed relationship can marry. Dogs, no matter what their relationship, are not allowed to marry. How should society treat gays and lesbians in committed relationships? As dogs or as humans?" Anonymous posting to an Internet mailing list.
	"It does not affect your daily life very much if your neighbor marries a box turtle. But that does not mean it is right... Now you must raise your children up in a world where that union of man and box turtle is on the same legal footing as man and wife." A line from the original draft of a prepared speech to the Heritage Foundation by Senator John Comyn (R-TX) that he deleted. 2
	"One thing is certain: these snappy comparisons make great talking points. Such emotionally-laden statements get noticed pretty quickly. But since we're really only talking about consenting adults who want to marry each other, comments like these are also irrelevant." Comment by Jim Burroway of the Box Turtle Bulletin on Senator Comyn's prepared speech and similar references by Bill O'Reilly, Senator Rick Santorum & Rev.Jimmy Swaggart. 2
	"It is legitimate and necessary to ask oneself if this is not perhaps part of a new ideology of evil, perhaps more insidious and hidden, which attempts to pit human rights against the family and against man." Pope John Paul II, referring to same-sex marriage. 3
	"The argument over whether same-sex couples should marry in the District [of Columbia] is about a decade past its expiration date. The reality of people's lives long ago outstripped the usefulness of the gay marriage debate. ... The fact that some people love differently is a massive mental hurdle that most folks have cleared here in the nation's capital. 9
	"Marriage is a union between one man and one woman, designed of God to last so long as they both shall live." Westminster Confession of Faith 4
	"I guess I just don't understand how people can be so passionately hateful about something that won't affect their lives one bit." "Stew." 5
	"If everything is marriage then nothing is marriage." Benigno Blanco, vice-president of the Spanish Family Forum, 6
	"We are in a transition between a new consciousness and old definitions. The new consciousness will win but as with every human struggle to emerge from ignorance, there will be casualties long after the issue is decided." John Shelby Spong speaking about same-sex marriage.
	" 'Sexual orientation' does not constitute a quality comparable to race, ethnic background, etc., in respect to nondiscrimination. Therefore, it is not unjust, for example, to limit the bond of marriage to the union of a woman and a man. It is not unjust to oppose granting to homosexual couples benefits that in justice should belong to marriage alone. When marriage is redefined so as to make other relationships equivalent to it, the institution of marriage is devalued and further weakened. The weakening of this basic institution at all levels and by various forces has already exacted too high a social cost." United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. 7
	"Limiting the designation of marriage to a union 'between a man and a woman' is unconstitutional and must be stricken from the statute," California Chief Justice Ron George who wrote the ruling legalizing same-sex marriage in California in 2008.
	"God ordained marriage to be between one man and one woman.  Unfortunately, some groups are now attempting to replace marriage with "anything goes" arrangements.  This disregard for marriage and its true purpose threatens to destroy this institution, to the detriment of future generations." Alliance Defense Fund. 10
	"Love is Love. When I get married, I'm gonna marry him because I love him. & When my brother gets married, he's gonna marry him because he loves him. We're gonna love our husbands no matter what their financial state is. All you need is Love. & Amazing music :P Posting by Meranda Mae Lykins to the Gay Marriage USA's facebook page.

A graphic found on Gay Marriage USA's facebook wall:

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References used:

The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.

1. Cynthia Needham, "Hearing revives R.I.'s gay-marriage debate," Rhode Island News, 2009-MAY-13, at: http://www.projo.com/

2. Jim Burroway, "About Us: The Tale of the Box Turtle." Box Turtle Bulletin, 2007-JAN-09, at: http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/

3. Philip Pullella, "Gay marriage, abortion new forms of evil: Pope," The Toronto Star, 2005-FEB-23, Page A14.

4. "Of Marriage and Divorce," Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 26, Section 6.135, at: http://www.ccel.org/ or http://www.sacred-texts.com

5. "Stew" posting a response to "Dispatches from the Culture Wars" bulletin board on the topic "Canada paves the way for gay marriage," on 2004-DEC-09. See: http://www.stcynic.com/

6. "Spanish pro-family leader decries government policies," Catholic World News, 2005-JUN-20, at: http://www.cwnews.com/

7. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, "Ministry to persons with a homosexual inclination: Guidelines for Pastoral Care," 2006-NOV-14, at: http://www.usccb.org/ This is a PDF file.

8. Nima Reza, "Vermont Gay Marriage Begins Tuesday," CitizenLink daily update e-mail, 2009-AUG-31.

9. Petula Dvorak, "Reality Makes Gay Marriage Debate Obsolete," 2009-SEP-04, at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/

10. "Same-sex 'Marriage'," Alliance Defense Fund, undated, at: http://www.alliancedefensefund.org/

11. "Wall Photos," Gay Marriage USA's facebook page, at: https://www.facebook.com/

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Latest update: 2012-JAN-25
Author: B.A. Robinson

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