Word: same-sex
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Elation over Barack Obama’s victory two weeks ago was dampened by less good news for left-leaning voters, as same-sex marriage bans passed in Arizona, California, and Florida. For many gay activists, the new bans in Arizona and California were particularly disheartening, given that Arizona voted down a similar ban two years ago and that California has been allowing same-sex marriage since this summer. Over 40 states have now passed bans on gay marriage, leaving Connecticut and Massachusetts as the sole states allowing the practice...
...Proponents of gay marriage have been quick to respond to this setback. In recent days, an estimated one million people in around 300 cities have taken part in protests against same-sex marriage bans. Many of these protests have stressed first and foremost that opposition to same-sex marriage (incidentally, the position publicly held by the much-beloved Obama) stems from hate rather than from political sensibility. “5,419,478 Bigots Stole Our Civil Rights,” read one sign at a rally in Chicago. “No More Mister ‘Nice Gay?...
...Since most American voters oppose gay marriage, the question of how to proceed on the gay rights front now hinges on whether or not same-sex marriage bans constitute an act of tyranny of the majority—in other words, whether or not gay rights are minority rights. Many activists have described the gay rights debate as the most important civil rights issue of our time. This is not an apt description, as gay Americans are not being denied rights. This was not the case in previous civil rights movements. African-Americans living in the sixties were granted fewer...
...Americans are not being granted fewer rights than their straight counterparts—technically, a gay man does have the right to enter into a marriage with a woman. The push for same-sex marriage is a rally for additional rights. While this characterization of the movement strikes most gay rights activists as harsh, it is a useful distinction to be made when devising ways to advance the cause effectively. Yet gay rights advocates have not taken the appropriate cues from their defeats earlier this month, as reflected in their continued ignorance of their opponents’ thoughts and motives...
...election-cycle is that voters were responding to a decision that had been made quite suddenly by a handful of activist judges on the California Supreme Court. California has always been at the frontier of gay rights, and the state may have been well on its way toward ratifying same-sex marriage statewide. But the lack of patience on the part of gay marriage proponents sent the message to California voters that popular opinion was unimportant. It is little wonder voters sought a constitutional ban in the state, as it was seemingly the only means to make their voice heard...