Video: Gore Supports Same-Sex Marriage

What our presidential candidates should be saying when asked if they support gay marriage:

Aaron Toleos

Comments

[Pat Gozemba]

Okay, finally a leading political figure comes out for equality. Let's draft Al Gore to be the democratic nominee for president. The way that all of the democratic nominees, with the exception of the "correct on every issue" Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel, dance around the issue of marriage equality is maddening. Hillary and Barack especially gall me--they've been in the position of being discriminated against--they need to speak the truth. People are ready to hear it. Please Al Gore, give them a seminar in what it's like to finally speak the truth.

[John]

While I commend Mr. Gore for his stance, I lament that way too many politicians only talk sensibly when they are not running for anything.

[ryan charisma]

Funny, this isn't something new, and I don't recall him saying this during his campaign. Hmmmmm. YES - all the candidates today should say this. But the don't. hmmmmmmm. Could it be that they're pandering to the stupid people? And by stupid people I mean the Christian fundamentalists.

Either way, Democrats suck, not the Republicans don't. But Democrats should stand up for something, anything. How about truth and honesty? Equality?

Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

[John Howard]

Well, he didn't say that gays should be allowed to marry someone of their same sex! He says "gay men and women" should be allowed to join together in marriage. haha. I know that's not what he meant. I agree with him about how loyalty and love ought to be encouraged, but that doesn't mean we should give same-sex couples conception rights together. Everyone should have the same rights, but everyone should only be allowed to have conception rights - aka marriage - with someone of the other sex. When a man and a woman marry, they should be guaranteed the right to attempt to use their own genes to conceive children together. We'd be denying that if we said that a same-sex couple would have all the rights of marriage but did not necessarily have a right to conceive together.

But all the rights that Al Gore mentions can still be given to same-sex couples through Civil Unions that are defined as all the rights of marriage except conception rights. This not only would avoid stripping conception rights from marriage, thereby preserving everyone's natural conception rights, it would make it much easier to get federal recognition for CU's and make it possible to enact these CU's in every state.

I wonder how Al Gore feels about same-sex conception, and how he would react to The Egg And Sperm Civil Union Compromise?

[John]

"conception rights - aka marriage "

You need a new dictionary. If you think "conception rights - aka marriage" you are WAY behind the times.

[John Howard]

Nope, marriage has not yet been gutted of its essential meaning, it still means that the couple is allowed to conceive children together. These days people seem to be allowed to do it without marrying, but that hasn't changed the meaning of marriage as being conception rights.

And you pull that phrase out of a sentence that made a pretty unambiguous point: we should only have conception rights with someone of the other sex. Do you really mean to put my right to conceive with a woman on the same plane as my right to conceive with a man? That is offensive and assaults my basic civil rights.

[Lula]

Mr. Howard, long time no see.

When did the shuttle land?

[John Howard]

Banned from the L's and the T's, and only allowed guest posts at the B's, so I'm back to hanging out here with the G's, at the invitation of JHG. What's new?

[John]

John Howard, NOBODY is threatening your right to conceive.

[ryan charisma]

I've decided that I want the right to conceive. NOW!

As a single gay man, I demand my right to have a baby and raise it the 'right' way.

NOW

[mamcwifey]

if someone *was* threatening his right to conceive, i think, most of us here would be an ally, and fight to protect his rights. no?

[John]

"if someone *was* threatening his right to conceive, i think, most of us here would be an ally, and fight to protect his rights. no?"

Your damn right I would, mamcwifey.

Armed if necessary.

[John Howard]

But you guys are putting my conception rights on the same level as my right to attempt same-sex conception. You also advocate for donor sperm, selected for its quality. You try to deny that marriage has conception rights. These things are all attacks on natural conception rights. While I won't be prohibited very soon, it might be common in 10 years for people to not use their own genes, and they might be pressured and coerced and eventually prohibited from conceiving with their own gene.

Marriage has to continue to protect conception rights. And same-sex conception should not be allowed.

[ryan charisma]

oh shut up with that noise, do you even realize who you're preaching to?

shut up, NO ONE cares.

[John Howard]

I'm preaching to you guys because you DO care about getting equal protections and federal recognition, in every state. Right? You do care about that, right? Well, just stop demanding something that you say you don't care about, and you can get what you want with CU's that are exactly like marriage but don't give you what you don't want anyway: conception rights. And I'd get what I care about, I'd get marriage's conception rights preserved, equality preserved, and more resources directed to health care of actual people.

Really Ryan, if you truly don't care about conception rights, stop demanding them, and OFFER THEM UP. Negotiate. By giving them up, progress could be made immediately, which would help real couples right now both in Massachusetts and in every state in the country. Of course, you have to understand that it means accepting these "all-but-conception-rights" CU's in place of marriage, because the rights will be different, they require a different name to preserve the conception rights in marriage. Plus, the compromise won't get anywhere if they don't get to preserve marriage, after all, we might never be able to do same-sex conception safely enough, so offering to give that up won't be enough to get federal recognition, you have to let them see that marriage is being truly preserved as a man and a woman or they won't be happy at all.

[mamcwifey]

i will NOT negotiate my rights! that's just absurd! what a pompous ass!

john howard = chicken little

[John Howard]

Same-sex conception is not actually a right, as in a basic human right that people have always been allowed to do. And, most gay people don't even want to do it. And, it might never be possible anyhow, they have not been able to repeat the Kaguya experiment in any other animals, as far as I know. So, you are negotiating with something that is only a potential right, in order to get real protections right now for actual couples that really need them.

Consider that congress could ban same-sex conception and the country ould enact an FMA to preserve marriage, without you getting anything out of it in terms of protections or progress. What I am suggesting is real immediate progress, and you don't give up anything that you can do or you want to do anyhow.

[John]

FMA does not preserve marriage.

It institutionalizes bigotry.

[John Howard]

Well, the point is that it is what will probably happen if you keep pushing for marriage and conception rights.

Why can't you guys put some effort into addressing the point I'm making. Ask yourself if you really think conception rights are more important than equal protections? Take some time to respond, don't just make a non-response like "you're crazy" or "we don't care" or "equality!" like you usually do.

[Lula]

"Take some time to respond, don't just make a non-response like "you're crazy"

If the straightjacket fits...

[John]

Hi, Lula, it's been a while since we talked.

John Howard, have you forgotten that we all already given you numerous, lengthy responses to your proposal?

[Lula]

Hi, John. I've missed you. Have just had a lot going on.

As for you, Mr. Howard ("Take some time to respond")...people were initially very patient with you...until you started talkin Cracker Jacks.

[John]

Lula, I hope the what you have going on is good stuff.

[John Howard]

The initial responses didn't get past Go. You haven't chewed on the proposal, you have just dismissed it, but without explaining why conception rights are more important than equal protections. That's what I want to see. Why are you prioritizing marriage and conception rights over civil unions and equal protections? Go on the record, why do you need conception rights? (Note that holding out for "marriage and equal protections" is NOT happening, that combination is stuck and insisting on it is not only not helping families that need protections, it is also really dangerous to reproductive rights, natural conception, etc.)

[mamcwifey]

here we come chicken little!

www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-6725.html