BANGOR, Maine — In some ways, it was a typical summer wedding in Maine. Vows were exchanged, lips were locked and couples danced.
“I proclaim my committment out loud to you with pride and joy for all the world to see,” brides and brides, grooms and grooms and brides and grooms said to each other Saturday in West Market Square.
The ceremony, led by two Unitarian Universalist ministers, did not include the standard promises to love and honor. It also wasn’t legal.
That was the point organizers of Bangor’s annual Pride Festival and parade wanted to make — a majority of the couples who took part in the mock wedding ceremony can’t legally marry under Maine law because they are of the same sex.
If a referendum on the ballot in November is approved by voters, same-sex couples would be able to wed.
“We’re very much in love and a committed couple,” Debbie Dunkle, 60, said about why she and her partner Jan Matter, 70, participated in Saturday’s ceremony. “She’s my fiancee and I’m hers.”
The Holden couple has been together for three years.
“If we were allowed to legally marry, we would get rights we don’t have now like inheritance rights,” Dunkle said.
Same-sex couples must have attorneys set up the legal rights opposite-sex couples get when they say, “I do.”
Greg Music, 56, and his partner, Mark Bridges-Music, 42, both of Bangor, are planning to get married Labor Day weekend 2013. That’s the second date they’ve set. The first was for the same weekend in 2010.
Their plans were scuttled when a same-sex marriage bill passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. John Baldacci more than three years ago was repealed. Mainers on Nov. 3, 2009, voted 53 percent to 47 percent to invalidate the law.
After the loss at the ballot box, EqualityMaine began an outreach campaign to talk about the issue and began gathering signatures in August 2011 to put a question before voters again. Advocates turned in petitions from 453 towns and cities on Jan. 26. The Maine Secretary of State’s Office announced in February that enough valid signatures had been turned in to put the question on the ballot.
Violet DeCarlos, 37, who attended Saturday’s festivities with her partner Nycole Grenier, 27, and their two dogs, said it was more important this year than in previous years to attend because of the pending election. The Milford couple sported multicolored leis, as did their dogs, Libra, a 2-year-old Siberian husky, and Brock, a 7-year-old Boxer mix.
Rainbows inundated Bangor’s downtown Saturday as the f estival got underway with a parade down Main Street to West Market Square.
Banners, streamers, shirts, flags and balloons were adorned with rainbow colors symbolizing support for and pride in the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.
More than 100 people took part in the parade, then crowded into West Market Square. Organizers estimated that more than 1,000 people attended the festival during the afternoon and early evening.
The parade, sponsored by Queen City Pride, included children carrying signs that read, “I have two moms,” and a man carrying one that read, “Adam and Steve? You betcha!” Members of Central Maine Roller Derby skated down Main Street with signs that encouraged spectators to “Skate, Don’t Hate.”
Groups that support same-sex marriage including EqualityMaine, the Religious Coalition Against Discrimination, the Penobscot County Democrats and the First Universalist Church of Pittsfield marched in the parade.
While members of a small local church regularly protested during gay pride parades in the 1990s, no one appeared to be protesting this year’s parade or festival, although Protect Marriage Maine is running the campaign in opposition to the referendum.
Bangor’s first gay pride parade was held in 1992 and organized by a student at the University of Maine, according to the Bangor Daily News archives.
Mainers United for Marriage, the campaign supporting the referendum, had workers wandering the downtown area with clipboards, talking to attendees.
“We’re looking for volunteers to help out,” Mikayla Reed, a field organizer for EqualityMaine working on the campaign, said. “We’re asking people to get involved and help us change hearts and minds.”
The 17-year-old Ellsworth resident will be old enough to vote by Election Day. She has been part of teams of workers going door-to-door talking to people about gay marriage.
“The response has been very positive,” Reed said. “People who are conflicted have been very open in talking about that and, in talking with them, they are changing their minds to support us.”
This is the fourth year the Bridge Alliance has sponsored the Pride Festival in West Market Square, Music said Saturday. The Bridge Alliance, founded five years ago, grew out of Northern Maine Pride, which for more than a decade sponsored a gay pride parade in Bangor. The Bridge Alliance also has offered dances, a prom and events for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender families, such as Halloween and Christmas parties.
Did the “Dykes on Bikes” ride in the parade?
Wait a minute, I thought it was being promoted as Bangor’s Pride Parade , when the heck did it become a Gay Pride Parade?
Fewer syllables = easier for BDN readers to comprehend?
Good for them. Nobody should have to feel ashamed of themselves for this. Thank you for sending the community such a positive message :)
And just like snowflakes they are each wonderful, unique and beautiful! Happy Pride Day Bangor!
can we expect a hetero parade as well,, or would that be just wrong in today’s world??
If you wish to organize one feel free to do so.
Go ahead, but it might be helpful to look up the reasons as to why gay pride celebrations began. I don’t think heterosexuality was ever criminalized and/or subjected to systematic and government sanctioned discrimination.
BDN=Gay News All The Time.
Boohoo.
You should be reading the news at the Maine Heritage Policy Center, tin foil hat is optional.
Actually it’s the pro gay marriage crowd who are the ones with the tin foil hats on,
How do you know so much about the “gay marriage crowd”?
Because several live around me and they bring around their dysfunctional groupies.
Gay people must be VERY tolerant to live in a neighborhood with a bigot like you.
Actually they all like me, I’m not fake to them. They know where I stand on an issue, plus they do agree with me regarding their dysfunctional “friends”.
I’m sure you are an expert on all things dysfunctional.
My dear, why would you say that? I suppose we’re being paranoid and that the reports of beatings and murders are all in our gay little minds…..?
Have a blessed and love-filled day, my fabulous quartz24!
It is news.
Dont like it? Dont read it.
Stay in the county….oy
It’s a topical issue, brah. You don’t have to read it-there are scores of other articles on the BDN about Syria, domestic abuse, the Euro, tick season, or whatever.
The homosexual rights movement began with the Stonewall Riots in Greenwich Village in 1969. It was claimed that some of the rioters were upset over the death of Judy Garland,which occurred shortly before the riots.
The movement was organized by Harry Hay, who is called “The Father of the Gay Riots Movement” — a card-carrying member of the Communist Party of the United States.
Good point. I could expound on your comment and prove even more of its validity, but those around us would become even more enflamed.
They weren’t upset over the death of Judy Garland, they were being rounded up and arrested every single night. Gays were subjected to McCarthy era witch hunts as well. As soon as it was found out they were gay, they would lose their jobs.
Do you think that is right? Do you think that is fair? Why do you have such disdain for gay people?
Shall we list the dozens of hypocrites and charlatans who have come and gone as mouthpieces for your anti-gay, anti-equality hate groups? Like George Rikkers, who claimed to ‘cure’ homosexuality only to be found vacationing with a “rent boy”? Or Ted Haggard, who politically supported bad anti-American laws against gay and lesbian equality, only to be exposed as having secret homosexual relationships?
The regularity in which your side is exposed as deceivers and hypocrites is sadly predictable. I expect us to learn the same about Michael Heath any year now.
The Judy Garland story is a myth.
Also, Joe McCarthy is dead. Give it a rest now-it’s not 1954 anymore…
Everyday is a hetero day. You’ll survive 1 day of a parade you’re not a part of.
stop complaining and put one in motion, but no public displays of affection, ’cause that just way too nasty!
You have hetero parades…they’re called “parades”. Seriously, you haven’t seen sexuality on display in non-gay parades? The skimpy outfits worn by dancers, majorettes and the like?
How about Carnival? Or Mardi Gras…famous for “Show us your (ahem)!”
Sex is on parade constantly. Sometimes, it’s just a bit more organized.
I thought homosexuality was about love not sex. Someone is sending mixed messages.
The anti-gays are fixated on sex. Scientists know why:
“Homophobia is apparently associated with homosexual arousal that the homophobic individual is either unaware of or denies.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8772014
what a joke. one of the stupidest statements I’ve read here in this thread.
You could say the same about heterosexuality. You have no argument. You’re pretending to be confused.
No confusion, just what I’ve read here in BDN about Gay;s reason for wanting to get married.
Don’t need to be married to have sex.
No, it has more to do with the 1,100+ rights and protections that come along with civil marriage. I think you’re just trying to distort the issue. Why don’t you actually meet a gay couple waiting for those rights before jumping to conclusions? You’ll probably see that they’re just like the rest of us.
Cut it out, I doubt anyone has that many rights unless your talking about what clothes to buy and sandwiches to eat what you want to watch for a movie as part of those “rights”. I have yet to see any gay person being told they cannot do any of that.This bull is the sort of thing that goes against the cause and even those who could have cared less about the marriage are turning against it.
I do happen to know and are friends with several gay couples and they only lack making claims on S.S.I. unless they have children together if one of them dies, just like unmarried hetro couples. I know for a fact everyone is entitled to medical knowledge, homes, life insurance and etc IF they include their lovers name on everything, just like hetro couples. If their family’s have a problem with their life style then they need to straighten their families out before they get sick, injured or die. A co-workers homosexual lover died, the survivng partner got everything including the hospital and funeral bills as it should be.
You don’t know what you’re talking about. There are over 1000 rights associated with marriage. Just because you’re ignorant of the facts doesn’t mean they don’t exist.
A court just ruled DOMA unconstitutional because a surviving spouse was forced to pay 350,000 in estate taxes. That doesn’t happen for heterosexual couples as they have joint ownership. Even if a gay couple jointly owns property, the government doesn’t recognize that. Do you think that’s fair? Owning something and then having to pay hundreds of thousands in taxes on it just because you’re gay?
So if what your saying is true, why is it a sib and I of the same sex, co-owned a place and we both had our names on it and when they died I did not have to pay 100s of thousands of dollars in taxes?
List 25 of these rights that are being denied . I’ll wait right here.
What I am saying IS true. Like I said, ignorance isn’t an excuse. How could I make something that went through the court system and appeals system? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windsor_v._United_States
Here are a list of those rights and responsibilities. Now you don’t have an excuse for being ignorant. Read up, buddy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rights_and_responsibilities_of_marriages_in_the_United_States
No I did not ask you to give me some online place that is notorious for being wrong. I specifically ask YOU to tell me 25 things. Things that cannot be refuted.
Try again, I don’t have all day I have a job to go to, to pay taxes and benefits .
So you’re going to deny facts? Every fact on that site is properly sourced (scroll down and see). You didn’t even bother to read. Don’t ask for information if you’re just going to deny it and pretend it doesn’t exist. You’re too lazy and would rather just deny facts than actually learn something. Pathetic.
Not denying anything. I’m ignoring an “open source” that anyone can go in and edit. Most colleges will NOT accept Wikipedia as a go to reliable source.
You are denying answering my question. A chance to “prove up” exactly what gays are being denied, beside S.S.I. benefits which single non-gay couples are denied too.
Life insurance, inheriting homes, medical involvement not to be included because I know from several gay couples who are my friends had no problems with, did NOT pay taxes on homes they bought together with both their names on it.
So here’s your chance to prove to all us readers what the problems are, excluding the abfore mentioned.
It’s a summary of an actual case! If you don’t like the source, then look up the case elsewhere. I gave you the name of a highly publicized court case that proves you are wrong.
Sponsors husband/wife immigration, disability/property tax/income tax benefits, next of kin status, joint insurance, right of survivorship, right to inheritance, permission to make funeral arrangements, joint adoption and foster care, etc.
You may find legal means of accomplishing these goals (most you can’t), but it is much costlier and strenuous than for heterosexuals who automatically have these rights conferred to them through civil marriage.Also, what a joke you are. You won’t accept aggregated and cited sources, but you want me to believe your “I have friends who” story? Talk about holding others to a higher standard than yourself. That’s called hypocrisy.
Thats not limited to relationship preference. it applies to all unmarried couples, no matter what your relationship is called.
Where does any single group decide they can make claims that they own entirely, a political snub in the fair taxation department? What does it matter who gets what from whom, no one is going to get out of paying taxes.
It’s far from being a ‘ just Gays alone’ issue. I resent the implication of that and the under tones that un-married hetro couples get more ‘right’s’, then Gays do.
You keep attacking this straw man, pretending that our point is this different issue you are arguing.
No one has suggested that unmarried heterosexual couples get more rights than gays do, but heterosexual couples have the opportunity to marry that gays do not. And that is where we need to rectify this unnecessary discrimination.
People who do not wish to marry can stay single.. just like people who don’t want to buy car insurance don’t have to drive.
Unmarried hetero couples have the right to marry. That means they have more rights. I tried to use no polysyllabic words to make it easy on you.
Good of you to do it but I don’t think it will help much. :0)
So you think you deserve special rights. I get it.
How about 12 CATEGORIES? From a US Government document…
Category 1: social security and related programs
This category includes the major federal health and welfare programs, particularly those considered entitlements, such as Social Security retirement and disability benefits, food stamps, welfare, and Medicare and Medicaid. Most of these laws are found in Title 42 of the United States Code, The Public Health and Welfare; food stamp legislation is in Title 7, Agriculture.
Category 2: veterans’ benefits
Veteran’s benefits, which are codified in Title 38 of the United States Code, including pensions, indemnity compensation for service-connected deaths, medical care, nursing home care, right to burial in veterans’ cemeteries, educational assistance, and housing. Husbands or wives of veterans have many rights and privileges by virtue of the marital relationship.
Category 3: taxation
The distinction between married and unmarried status is pervasive in federal tax law; this is one of the largest categories, with 179 provisions.
Category 4: federal civilian and military service benefits
This category includes laws dealing with current and retired federal officers and employees, members of the Armed Forces, elected officials, and judges, in which marital status is a factor. Typically these laws address the various health, leave, retirement, survivor, and insurance benefits provided by the United States to those in federal service and their families.
Category 5: employment benefits and related laws
Marital status comes into play in many different ways in federal laws relating to employment in the private sector. Most such laws appear in Title 29 of the United States Code, Labor. However, others are in Title 30, Mineral Lands and Mining; Title 33, Navigation and Navigable Waters; and Title 45, Railroads.
Category 6: immigration, naturalization, and aliens
This category includes laws governing the conditions under which noncitizens may enter and remain in the United States, be deported, or become citizens. Most are found in Title 8, Aliens and Nationality.
Category 7: Indians
The indigenous peoples of the United States have long had a special legal relationship with the federal government through treaties and laws that are classified to Title 25, Indians. Various laws set out the rights to tribal property of white men marrying Indian women, or of Indian women marrying white men, the evidence that is required, and the rights of children born of marriages between white men and Indian women.
Category 8: trade, commerce, and intellectual property
This category includes provisions concerning foreign or domestic business and commerce, from the following titles of the United States Code: Bankruptcy, Title 11; Banks and Banking, Title 12; Commerce and Trade, Title 15; Copyrights, Title 17; and Customs Duties, Title 19.
Category 9: financial disclosure and conflict of interest
Federal law imposes obligations on Members of Congress, employees or officers of the federal government, and members of the boards of directors of some government-related or government-chartered entities, to prevent actual or apparent conflicts of interest. These individuals are required to disclose publicly certain gifts, interests, and transactions. Many of these requirements, which are found in 16 different titles of the United States Code, apply also to the individual’s spouse.
Category 10: crimes and family violence
This category includes laws that implicate marriage in connection with criminal justice or family violence. The nature of these provisions varies greatly. Some deal with spouses as victims of crimes, others with spouses as perpetrators. These laws are found primarily in Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure, but some, dealing with crime prevention and family violence, are in Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.
Category 11: loans, guarantees, and payments in agriculture
Under many federal loan programs, a spouse’s income, business interests, or assets are taken into account for purposes of determining a person’s eligibility to participate in the program. In other instances, marital status is a factor in determining the amount of federal assistance to which a person is entitled, or the repayment schedule.
Category 12: federal natural resources and related laws
Federal law gives special rights to spouses in connection with a variety of transactions involving federal lands and other federal property. These transactions include purchase and sale of land by the federal government and lease by the government of water and mineral rights.
Category 13: miscellaneous
This category comprises laws that do not fit readily in any of the other categories and that did not warrant a separate category. It is a heterogeneous mix of provisions from 14 titles of the United States Code.
Then perhaps you should educate yourself:
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04353r.pdf
Gays are going to squabble about a $300.00 ( thats three-hundred dollars) death benefit!? Thats it, all a married partner gets, burial money, pay like everyone else.
Single unmarried hetro couples in long term relaionships don’t get that big $300.00 dollars either. Neither will they ever get benefits of S.S.I.or military benefits. Get a job, join the Armed Forces if you want benefits.
Should my parents die before me, I have to pay taxes, why should I pay taxes, I mowed the lawn, took out the trash, painted the house, weeded the garden, helped build their business, helped with laundry and cleaning, repair damage. Baby sat younger sibs. Changed the oil in cars and lawn mowers, plowed the yard. I’m their child, their blood, WHY DO I HAVE TO PAY TAXES on what they might leave me?How fair is that? As a blood child I’m being discriminated against!!!!!
Why do gays hate hetrosexuals in relationships without marriage, why do we have to be the ones punished, persecuted, paying higher taxes, discriminated against by everyone?
No, we’re pointing out that there are many aspects of civil marriage irreproducible by any other means.
Survivor benefits from social security go far beyond the ‘death benefit’ that barely pays for a floral arrangement at the funeral. There is also the issue of access to military housing and commissary privileges, available to spouses but not unmarried partners.
You really go off the rails in your ranting at times, I fail to see how homosexuals can be said to hate heterosexuals in relationships without marriage— you obviously have a choice on whether to join in civil marriage or not. We are simply asking that this same choice be made available to us, as well.
You don’t get it? Because homosexuals think because hetrosexual are against any more financial drain on their money so they claim, all hetro hate them. You don’t get my rants, when people whine about falsehoods, I just mirror their absurd claims, because thats what it sounds like to me. As I have said many times before, gays would have better served their purposes by saying all non married couples are discriminated against.
My partner will not get any benefits either not even for floral arrangements, unless I die (or my pard does) while our kids are minors and then neither will get anything either, just our kids.
People want military housing? Your arguing with a former Air Force person.
There is no choice about marriage when you have to pay the government money to get permission to do so and permission at a cost to end it Screw that I don’t need their permission. Keep in mind some states have a limit to the amount of times you can get married, keep in mind, you cannot makes claims on all your ex’s S.S.I. or military benefits. If you want military benefits join the military yourself.
Your beef seems to be with reality, not gays and lesbians seeking civil marriage.
You can’t even say the truth behind this desire for marriage, thats the reality. Gays want “special” rights and it’s all about money, someone elses. Here’s reality, everyone gets to pay out of pocket for funerals, no one gets special treatment on that just the bill. Only marrieds get 3 hundred dollar death benefit. No one gets jack if their under 65.
Complete and total B.S. about inheriting homes, life insurance etc, if your lover doesn’t want you to have anything of “Theirs” after they die, thats between you and them. Married people don’t “have to” leave a damn thing to their spouse IF the spouse name isn’t on it already or the survivng spouse might just have to pay inheritance tax.
Now if you want to quit the childish games and bull crap and tell me something thats valid, I’ll listen but as long as the lies continue I will respond with equal absurd remarks.
Equal access to civil marriage is not ‘special’, it is equal. That you disagree with civil marrage altogether is a hypocritical reason to oppose us while others get married every day.
——–
Wow, I bet your mom is proud.
You should work in D.C.! Your spinning abilities are awe-inspiring!
You’re right. But are you saying that being married removes sex from the equation? Or are you saying that we want to get married so that we can have sex? Either way, you are choosing to deliberately confuse the issue.
Don’t tell that to the world’s oldest profession!
Nice post. Seriously, I love it when someone from the anti-equality crowd posts something that demonstrates their total inability to comprehend a topic.
Bravo.
and your post reveals the same …
Really? Why is that? As a gay person, I know the topic quite well. I also understand the difference between a person’s sexuality and the pursuit of removing walls of discrimination based on that sexuality.
So please, feel free to elaborate on how I don’t comprehend the topic. Unless you were just sniping, as happens when you really have nothing to say but want to say it anyway.
I love the quality of your argument. Neener, neener, neener, is not, is so, is not, is so. That is the type of argument used by the intellectually destitute or the bigot.
I believe the proper term is lust.
bingo!
You’re choosing to mix the message in your own mind.
They don’t do a parade because every day our airwaves and media is filled with sexual scenes of heterosexual couples. Everyday heterosexuals sexuality is celebrated and promoted on television and in the movies.
you mean “NORMAL” couples…
Please expound on what a “NORMAL” couple looks like?
There were actually quite a few straight people at the Bangor Pride event — everyone was welcome.
But TLMMSW was right in suggesting that every day is hetero day. I’m a straight guy and I wear a wedding ring — that wedding ring flaunts my heterosexuality. I’ve never had to hide the fact that I’m straight.
Thank you for your support, penzance, but hundreds of thousands of legally married American same gender couples wear wedding bands also.
Point taken, and this is a good thing.
I’ve never had to hide my heterosexuality, but for many years gays and lesbians have had to hide who they loved. I’ve always been able to wear my wedding ring and “flaunt my heterosexuality.” Gays and lesbians are now gaining the legal freedom to marry — yet this is a recent development.
What about the fellow wearing the “Zombie Alert Response Team” showing a bloody chainsaw? the fellow with several face piercings and the gothic clothes?
This was a family event? Are you mad?
Nope, just you.
I view the pride parades as important to show everyone that no matter how you differ from the majority, there is a place for you in this world.
I would totally support anyone joining the pride parades to show the world the are valued, too.
Go for it! Let me know when so I can come down and geer and whistle and boo at you like you would them.
Wasn’t there a stations of the cross procession back around Easter? That’s pretty “hetero”.
Why was that “hetero”, I thought Jesus was here for everyone?
I want to attend a gay divorce, with two snarly lawyers … now that would be fun.
Actually the joke in Augusta when this was being discussed was , we haven’t seen anything until we see gay divorces. And you would all be shocked if you knew who said that, but of course at this time she would deny she every said that, because she parades as being Miss Open-minded, liberal.
It annoys me to know end when people complain that there is no straight pride parade or white history week or men’s studies. The default in everything for most all time has been “straight white male.” But if there is enough want or desire for such events, then go ahead and start them. Don’t come down on US because WE aren’t creating them. This is a gay thing.
If you want a straight thing besides the saturation of straight that already surrounds us every day, then get to it.
I hope you all noticed I was not there. I have been called one a few times in my life but i assure you i am not. hehe
How is it “sick”? Do you find heterosexual public displays of affection equally “sick”?
Good for them! Glad they had yet another opportunity to celebrate their sexual preference.
Sexual ORIENTATION. The term “preference” is used by anti-gays to push the standard anti-gay LIE that LGBT Americans “choose.”
Well we all know that heterosexuals choose their sexual orientation too……right? Come on we all remember that special day when over a cup of coffee and a bowl of cheerios (while deciding which sweater went better with which pair of shoes) deciding…..Well I guess I’ll be…… straight…..no gay…..no straight……no bisexual…..no straight…..the blue sweater….no the brown sweater……blue, no green, no red…….isn’t that how we all DECIDED our orientation?? See it’s as simple as picking out a sweater…….
But the real question is: Which sweater makes a gay look fat?
Our lives are full of choices. Some, choose to argue over semantics for example.
Yes, anti-gays try that, but any reasonable person knows that “choice” nonsense has been proven false.
I think that people do their best to prove that people do not make choices, but I think you’ll have a hard time, especially by citing an experiment that pretty much disproves your point by its premise alone.
Biologically, I could say that most men have tendencies to mate early and often with as many partners as possible. Some, make a choice to marry one woman and remain faithful to her for the rest of their lives. It may go against male tendencies, but it does happen.
Still trying to claim “it’s a choice,” huh?
I’m still trying to determine how you disproved it as a choice. How would your subjective interpretation of a scientific study be any more correct than someone else’s subjective interpretation of a scientific study?
If I have a tendency towards violence, does that mean that it’s OK for me to give into that and hit my wife or my children? If I’ve got a natural ability and excel at math, does that mean I don’t have any choice but to go into a field that involves math? If I’ve got alcoholic tendencies, does that mean that I’m not making a choice to drink and get behind the wheel? If I have natural urges to procreate with every woman of age in the world, does that mean my wife would be wrong to expect me to be faithful to her?
I believe that all of these things I just mentioned are choices. Do you agree or disagree? I’m all for a real discussion with grown up words, as you kind of laughed along at someone else’s post in another comment. (See, interpretation, has 5 syllables!) If you can pardon the term preference in this instance, please explain how sexual “preference” is different from these.
Are you saying it’s nothing more than a birth defect?
That’s the same kind of logic that murderer’s are using these days – ‘ I couldn’t help myself’. I was predisposed to be this way., I have mental problems. It wasn’t my choice, drugs and alcohol were controlling me, ect… Everyone is able to come up with excuses and bogus arguments for their poor choices and we all supposed to buy into it. Homosexuality is a choice. It is Not hate speech to say its not. It is fact.
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. – Ephesians 4:32
How? How do “reasonable” people know IF THEY DON’T ASK?
And when they do ask, you criticize them for asking!!!!! How DARE they not already know the answer to YOUR question!!!!!
See, even when I am trying (very hard) to be supportive, you smack me down!
Some DO choose, others are born that way. Which are you?
Your narrow mindedness is what is sick and makes me sad.
Somehow I don’t think mocking God even entered their minds – nor should it have. This was a beautiful celebration of love.
Why would you want to parade your sexual preference? What about an abortion parade? Maybe some could organize a coming of age parade. The point is who would care to watch it? What’s the point?
Do you screech at the St. Patrick’s Day parade that it’s not all about you? Do you screech about the marching band not playing your favorite song in the parade? Not everything has to be about you. Don’t go if you don’t like it.
It’s a celebration of life and of being comfortable with oneself and as you can see by all the couples hugging, it is a celebration of family.
What about the women, are they sodomites as well?
Lets all of us normal people have a parade.
I think you’re having one on July 4 and just had one on Memorial Day. What is normal anyway? Just how you are?
I am man and like to take my wife and family to the parade. Not a gay parade that not normal to me and my family. Does that explain it to you????
Look up what the parade is about. It started as a call to action to not hide anymore. Gays were and are discriminated against and are and were not treated equally under the law. Was heterosexuality ever criminalized? Gay people are still attacked for their sexuality. Does that happen to straight people?
Why does every parade have to be about you? I’m French and I don’t go screeching that I’m being discriminated against at a St. Patrick’s Day parade.
Being anti-gay is not normal, homophobia is a mental disorder.
And homosexuality is a birth defect, so what?
Here’s a thought……DON’T GO to the parade……is this like a quantum physics question for you or something?
Well then don’t go to this particular parade. You can choose to mind your own business about this parade because it hasn’t hurt you one bit. Does that explain it to you?
Do you understand the irony of your screen name? LOL
I’m thinking not.
Hm. Last I checked, they were “normal” at the parade, too.
Take your narrow minded bigotry somewhere else.
If by “normal” you mean a heterosexual parade….we do, every day of the week and twice on Sunday.
‘Normal?’ try again sweetie…….
I think any parade full of happy people accepting one another and celebrating a beautiful day would be a wonderful thing!
Normal is nothing more than a cycle on a washing machine.
That’s right Pal. Because God is love and nothing else. Love celebrates God!
As would I. As would I.
Funny. I don’t see the devil anywhere and I don’t think anyone else did either (except maybe in your narrow minded imagination).
God is agaimst a gay lifestyle.His rules.They will have to answer to him for it.Its a immoral lifestyle.
The Bible contains six admonishments to homosexuals and 362 admonishments to heterosexuals. That doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love heterosexuals. It’s just that they need more supervision.
Not everyone believes in your man in the sky. The world does not revolve around Christianity. You are shoving your religion down other peoples’ throats and no one wants it.
I have nothing to answer for as I do not believe in your God, do not have the promise of Heaven if I’m a good little girl or the threat of hell held over me if I’m bad (wow, bribe/black mail your believers? Yes, that’s a way to convince them to believe in you).
the devil is alive and well, and he goes to Bangor bapts.
I bet more people go to Bangor Baptist on Sunday than was in your parade
Maybe everyone attending today’s Parade should go count the number of persons coming out of that “church” tomorrow. I’m sure you’d lose that bet.
War. Rape. Murder. Poverty. Equal rights for gays. Guess which one the Southern Baptist Convention is protesting? ~The Value of Families
Sorry Bangor Baptist is Independent baptist.
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. – Ephesians 4:32
I’m not gay, sorry to break your bubble, I have little use for religion.
And the video link has what to do with the article?
From the number of post removed by the BDN I would say you are correct in your observation…hate does the Devil’s heart good.
You may have the rainbow symbol now, but you will meet the guy on the cross later. I should have said you will meet Jesus later at the throne. He not on the cross he has risen.
It is you who should be concerned about meeting Him. He specified you should love others as you love yourself. Shame on you for trying to threaten others with your fake Jesus.
Let me see God is love, but Jesus is a fake!
You never learned in Sunday school “Jesus is God”. No one is threating anyone. Jesus said more about Hell than Heaven. Jesus Christ is the creator!!! Jesus is LOVE thats why he gave his life, but understand there is also a Christ that will be a final Judge against sin. Believe what you want it doesn’t change the final outcome.
What is “god”? Define it. You really believe in these abstract mythologies? It really is delusional let alone illogical. Had you been born in ancient Greece, you would be saying the same irrational things about your love of Zeus. If you were born in ancient Scandinavia, you would be singing the praises of Thor. And don’t worry about going to heaven. What do think? That you will be issued a cloud, wings, and harp? It is all just so silly. Be a good person. Live a good life. Do well by doing good for others. And when you die, it will be just like it was before you were born. Sheer nothingness. And that wasn’t so bad was it?
You are playing God. You think you know better than the Christ you talk about. He was very clear about not being the judge and jury of your fellow human being. He told us that we all sin and that he who is without sin cast the first time, yet you throw granite slabs. You are to lover your neighbor as yourself, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Honestly, did you read the Reader’s Digest version of the Bible?
Wow…here is the hatred of God at the heart of the homosexual rights movement.
It is as the Bible says: you turn from the knowledge of God, then you are overcome by lust, and end in madness.
Thanks for revealing the hatred of God at the heart of your movement.
I see this as more of a hatred of hypocrisy. But from your numerous statements here, you hold hypocrisy in high regard.
Where in the bible did Jesus ever speak about homosexuals? Oh, wait. He never did.
Well geeze should we help him down off the cross?…or leave him up there? doesn’t he have super powers? So he can probably get himself down off that pesky cross.
Matthew 27:41-43
41: Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, 42: He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. 43: He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.
Congratulations, you’re a star in the Bible!
Speaking of mocking…….
Six likes?!
Demonic, demonic, demonic….
Now I hope my neighbors see why sodomy is the ONLY sin which calls down fire from Heaven.
7 now….
Some people don’t believe in your guy on the cross.
I know it’s shocking, but not everyone is Christian. Not everyone is interested in being Christian. And most shocking of all, not everything revolves around Christianity.
So kindly take your religion out of other peoples’ lives when it doesn’t belong there.
Some gay people already have…
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=437539362934873&set=a.111187555570057.11714.109200595768753&type=1&theater
He hasn’t gotten himself off that yet??? dang…
I think you’re the one in for a shocker!
Exactly right.
When they meet Jesus at the throne, they can just apologize and all is forgiven, right?
I think you know the answer to your question
You honestly think he would be patting you on the back after taking over his job and already doing the judging and condemnation. You are mocking him by trying to do his job for him. I’d be a little scared if I were you. You certainly don’t speak like a follower of Christ, just some hate-filled person casting stones at creations of God.
What does someone’s sexuality have to do with the devil?
Read the Bible. (In reference to those who will answer with hatred and talk about intolerance I was answering her question.
WHICH Bible, bruce? Modern Biblical scholars have proven the Bible was intentionally mistranslated relatively recently in order to provide “Biblical cover” for then-rising levels of homophobia. For example, the word “homosexual” didn’t even exist until 1850. Many major Christian and Jewish denominations condemn misusing the hate-based mistranslations to attack their fellow Americans and are marrying same gender American couples now. About 400-years ago, a group of religious authorities (sanctioned by King James I of England), secretly manipulated the English version of the Bible to reflect their own heterosexual attitude; they opposed the king kissing other men in public. But in revised versions, religious authorities re-defined the Greek word “arsenokoites” of 1Corinthians 6:9! The most accurate translation, abusers of themselves with mankind [KJV], was pretty vague. Nevertheless, they replaced this vague 5-worded text with the not so vague and purposely targeted 1-word text, “homosexual(s).” Either way you cut it, this text does not describe homosexuals. This campaign gave those who were looking for a reason to justify their own homophobia a license to openly express their bigotry.
You just proved my point, if a person does not agree with you, then they are a homophobe, and a bigot. And you talk about intolerance. If you are going to quote the Bible , I guess then you know what it says. I am not the Judge, nor do I judge a person. Modern Bible Scholars?, the Bible also says beware of false prophets.
Yes I enjoy reading fiction it just needs to be somewhat believable and good fiction…..
Why is it that, as a culture, we are more comfortable seeing two men holding guns than holding hands?
Are you talking about holding hands, or flaunting and fauning.
You can’t read?
Stop the H8 on the heterosexuals! Enough of calling them “breeders” and other slurs.
Poor, poor mixed-sex couples, can’t get married, can’t file their income taxes jointly–WAIT A MINUTE, mixed-sex couples have those “special rights”!
Judgmental mean people=the anti-Christ and the downfall of America
Much-Ado-About-Nothing. This is a waste of time and money.
WHINING about it is a waste of time, all right!
But fighting for equality is definitely worth it. You might understand that if YOUR equality was being denied you.
It is not me that is “WHINING”. There is NO EQALITY in this world. Get over yourselves.
Wow, can’t even be honest about your whine that’s still right there above your silly denial? Sigh, we know anti-gays are simply not connected to reality.
I’m so sorry to learn you aren’t an American and have no equality. Sad for you…
If you mean your deity is annoyed, I think your deity comes from the opposite direction from God.
Bishop Malone’s reported condemnatory comments on today’s Bangor parade are, if true, shameful. He should be repenting on behalf of the many Catholics in Maine molested by priests over the years rather than reemphasizing the alleged sins of gay marriage and the so-called “gay lifestyle.” Maybe he checks in with disgraced Cardinal Law in Vatican City for spiritual guidance. I pray that these reported comments are not true.
It could be hubris on the part of Malone.
The Maine Ethics Commission caught the anti-gay Hate Cult NOM red-handed violating our campaign finance and disclosure laws. NOM is STILL in VIOLATION of our laws, unlawfully hiding their contributors. Many believe most of NOM’s slush fund comes from Mormons–and Catholics. Perhaps NOM is trying to protect Malone and his tax-exempt status.
“We cannot embrace gay marriage anymore than we can accept arranged marriage, child marriage, common-law marriage, group marriage, polygamy, and the like, including pet
marriages. There are documented cases of people marrying their pets and at least one website that advocates it. Will marrying your pet gain in popularity as it slowly becomes legitimized like the gay movement with marriage did? Will we soon see referendum questions on ballots asking us to vote for it or be a bigot?” Not mine, from WOT7.com.
And yet it’s the anti-gays who are going on and on about their sexual obsessions!
I would prefer it if anti-gays would take those sexual obsessions to a more appropriate place. This is a family newspaper. The children of same gender couples–and mixed sex couples–will be reading this article and should not be exposed to the nasty sexual fantasies of anti-gays.
Are you NUTS? “The children of same gender couples will read this and shouldn’t be exposed to this”…!? You really said that, didn’t you? What are they exposed to every day of their lives? And again, same gender couples DON’T have children. It is a physical impossibility–what don’t you understand about that?
More…
“However, at this point, even the most die-hard among us know all too well that gay marriage is here to stay. Much of the ferventness that swirls about the issue lies not in the idea or act of it, but rather in the veiled attempt to legitimize it by calling it something legitimate.
If the piracy of the institution of marriage stopped many would stop trying to stop the gay movement from having a legally binding institution of their own.
Gayriage anyone?”
“Much of the ferventness that swirls about the issue” comes from silly anti-gays, screaming how their minority “beliefs” should trump the United States Constitution’s guarantee of Equal Protection Under the Law.
It’s sad to see anti-gays hate our Constitution and America and want to hurt our country through LGBT Americans.
It seems jack is caught up in a swirling vortex of homophobia. A strong MAJORITY of Americans ALREADY accept marriage equality for their family members, friends, neighbors and coworkers who are LGBT.
It’s sad to see anti-gays persist in their many unfounded beliefs, but we need to remember that psychologists have identified homophobia as a mental disorder since n953. Anti-gays are not well. Hopefully the few remaining anti-gays will seek treatment.
“Homophobia” means “fear of humans.” Could you at least use some correct diction in the matter? Just like the meaning of the word “gay” has been forever altered.
From dictionary.com:
“ho·mo·pho·bi·a /ˌhoʊməˈfoʊbiə/ [hoh-muh-foh-bee-uh]
noun
unreasoning fear of or antipathy toward homosexuals and homosexuality. ”
This is 2012. Homophobia is what it is, and you sound like you’ve got a bad case of it.
While we’re on the topic of phobias, here’s one for you: metathesiophobia. It’s the fear of change, and I think it’s in epidemic proportions among the anti-gay crowd.
Gay can also have the meaning of happy!
I’m always one and very often both of the definitions :)
I am glad to hear it!!! I feel we should always be proud of who we are!
Question for you. Are these the same psychologists that said homo-sexuality was a mental disorder?
yawn
Shame on you for trying to recruit God to help you hurt your fellow Americans who are LGBT. Modern Biblical scholars have proven the Bible was intentionally mistranslated relatively recently in order to provide “Biblical cover” for then-rising levels of homophobia. For example, the word “homosexual” didn’t even exist until 1850. Many major Christian and Jewish denominations condemn misusing the hate-based mistranslations to attack their fellow Americans and are marrying same gender American couples now.
And spare us this nonsense about the rainbow being something your fake God did, a rainbow is a naturally occurring part of nature, just as gay and lesbian Americans are.
Oh, I see . . . the Bible was mistranslated. Well, that explains everything . . .
These denominations have married same gender couples in 7 US States and the District of Columbia:
The Episcopal Church
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Metropolitan Community Church
Reform Judaism
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
Unitarian Universalist Church
United Church of Christ
These and many other denominations reject the hate speech inserted in the bible to hurt LGBT people. Modern Biblical scholars have proven the Bible was intentionally mistranslated relatively recently in order to provide “Biblical cover” for then-rising levels of homophobia. For example, the word “homosexual” didn’t even exist until 1850.
….and this makes it RIGHT? The Bible doesn’t have hate speech, just posters on this website.
The bible is full of hate, wars, murder, rape, slavery, misogyny, etc, etc, etc……
Ummm have you read the bible? Because I have and I find it rather ridiculous…it’s full of stuff that people do EVERYDAY in clear violation of the bible……..
Study history and science much?
And just what is “nature”? Where did “nature” come from? God created the universe so “nature” is from God, including the rainbow. And I’m not trying to recruit God for anything. I just know what His guide for humans today is–and one of the recurring themes of the the Bible is condemnation of homosexuality. You say the word homosexual didn’t exist until 1850. Well, when did “gay” start being used as a politically correct word for homosexuals? And when did the rainbow become a symbol for homosexuals? Certainly since 1850. And even if the word homosexual wasn’t around before then, people for thousands of years have been practicing whatever you prefer to call it. Also note: neither God, nor the Bible, nor I have condemned people who are homosexuals, just their actions. People can change and many, many do. And it truly doesn’t really matter what you or I, or the other posters think about the subject–it will all be decided by the One who tells us how we should act. That’s the bottom line.
“I have condemned people who are homosexuals, just their actions.” Are you out of your freakin mind freddie? Who died and made you the almighty god? What give you the right to judge other people for what they do in the privacy of their own lives? I for one wouldnt want anyone telling me what I can and cant do with my husband. Why should I be telling LGBT what to do with their lives? And you keeping going on about God and meeting him at your last stop; I wonder what He will say when he knows how judgmental you are being of fellow man that you are saying that he created? Get a grip Freddie…you points are weak at best
You do know rainbows are optical illusions, correct? Has nothing to do with a god. Read a science book one day instead of your bible.
Edit: A great book for you would be “The Magic of Reality” by Richard Dawkins. I bought it for my daughter but I enjoyed reading it myself and you will learn all about rainbows and lots of other stuff.
Uh, let’s see if I get your point right….rainbows are an optical illusion….but magic ISN’T? By the way, the Bible IS a science book in many ways. It has never been proven to be wrong on the scientific truths in it.
Swing and a miss………..
Rainbows are for fact an optical illusion. No sort of god causes them to appear.
As for your magic comment, take that up with Richard Dawkins. He wrote the book and gave it the title.
Your bible is also not full of scientific truth, at all. Dead men don’t come back to life after 3 days, ever. The earth is not 4 to 6 thousand years old. There is not enough water on this planet to flood the earth as stated in the bible. Noah’s Ark is also not true and a bunch of other bible stories.
Read a real science book and educate yourself a tad.
Kevin you keep telling everyone the Bible isn’t true. You keep telling everyone how smart you are right up to the great white throne judgment.Then you will say Jesus is LORD
Yeah and he’ll be rushing to welcome you into his arms for being such a Christlike person. (Ya right.)
So, how DOES light refract? Where did the water come from? How did the oxygen and hydrogen come into existence, how did they form correctly to become water? Your godless mind cannot explain any of this. Your ignorance about the Bible AND science is stunning. Just because you haven’t studied something doesn’t make it untrue. You have no concept of the water that covered the earth. Explain how giant mammoths were found above the arctic circle with fresh grass in their mouths and scientists said they had been there that way for about 4,000 years. The flood explains it. You are right about one thing, though, the earth is billions of years old. Whoever told you that it is 4 to 6 thousands years old doesn’t understand what the Bible really says. You don’t know ANYTHING about the Bible, yet you say it isn’t true and you also say I should read a science book. How come science books are outdated when the are published? How come Darwin in his later years said he questioned his own theory of evolution? Science books are incredibly inaccurate many times. It’s amazing you will deny the Bible, yet put your faith in science. You must lead a sad existence. You have no hope for the future….how sad.
You live in the camp of. God said, I believe it and that settles it so it is pointless for me to even offer a rebuttal.
So let me make sure I understand what you are saying……..instead of complex chemical reactions and interactions causing various elements to come into existence…. you believe that there is some invisible guy, who lives in the sky, who has a wand, and who apparently had nothing better to do except POOF make the world and the people and then destroy it with a flood all to ignore that same world from there after…….makes PERFECT sense…..if your 5.
Like what? What has the bible offered that is scientifically empirically based evidence on anything?? I must have missed that along with the citations in the bibliography of where the empirical evidence was derived from and replicated by other scientists….pffffffft.
Please enlighten us dear one show us where there is scientific evidence and truth in the Bible? Share with us those passages where we can see that the Bible is a science book.
Sure, glad to. Perhaps a couple to make the point:
Isaiah 40:22 “There is one dwelling above the circle of the earth.” While the ‘scientific’ opinion at the time this was written was that the earth was flat, but Bible said it was a circle. How did Isaiah know that?
Job 26:7 “…hanging the earth upon nothing.” The ancient ‘scientists’ thought the earth was held up by giant turtles. How did Job know the earth was suspended in space?
OK, one more–naval architects today say that the dimensions of Noah’s ark were perfect. The length, height and width are the exact proportions used today in large ships. The Bible says Noah had never built an ark before, how did he know how to do it? And why would an accurate naval building design be including in a book of myths?
However, your question was full of sarcasm, so it appears you aren’t REALLY looking for the truth in the Bible and these brief passages won’t change a thing in your mind. That’s up to you, but it doesn’t change anything about the accuracy of the Bible.
Good to know. I’m going to start planning my science curriculum because now I realize what an extensive science book that it is.
The Bible is a record of stories and personal accounts written from various writer’s points of view. The book and writings have been manipulated over time by religious and political powers in order to keep the people obedient sheeple.
Like any other piece of writing in human history, some things in the Bible are fairly accurate, other things are merely a reflection of the writer’s point of view and belief system.
TrueNative–I knew you really didn’t want an answer, you just wanted to be stupid and sarcastic and you succeeded at both. The truth is the last thing you want because it doesn’t suit your lifestyle.
Can some just state what this “truth” is that we choose to not accept? Just in a nutshell, not a whole lot of wind or excessive hyperbole, just boil it down for us simpletons, please.
In a nutshell–the truth is The Bible. There it is–simple, but still to hard for you to accept.
Look at these comments. They want to claim they don’t hate gay people? That it’s not bigotry? Come on.
Gay pride has a historical purpose. It’s about not hiding and refusing to be made to feel ashamed. Have you every been made to feel ashamed for your heterosexuality? I haven’t. I can’t find a time in history that heterosexuality was criminalized either.
And why does the parade have to be specifically about you? Do you get upset about the St. Patrick’s Day parade? Are you devastated when your local high school marching band isn’t playing your favorite song?
You constantly express your OWN sexual obsessions here, in a failed attempt to “project” your own sexual obsessions onto LGBT Americans. Face the fact, jack, we DO NOT want to know what your turn-ons are.
Scientists know why jack is parading his sexual fantasies here:
“Homophobia is apparently associated with homosexual arousal that the homophobic individual is either unaware of or denies.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8772014
That is not a reply to my post.
You’re the one who’s posting your own sexual fantasies. While they are being deleted, readers remember you’re the one expressing that.
Need directions to Key West?
You’re the one with the problem. Need directions to JFK for your flight to Iran?
Gay people are everywhere. Deal with it.
So are heterosexuals! In fact, we are the HUGE majority!!! You deal with that !
It’s okay!!! You’ll still matter, even after gay people can marry!
So wait…are you saying that 35 straight men chose not to be gay even though they may have the tendencies?
Hmm…Be careful carrotcakeman, you may be inadvertently arguing against one of the long held tenets of the LGBT movement, and certainly of these comments. :) So much for the long standing belief by many supporters that there is absolutely no choice involved. This oft quoted study, does seem to be somewhat of a double edged sword.
On the one hand, it proves we all have tendencies. (Yay science for figuring that one out) On the other hand, it proves that people can choose not to be gay even though they have those tendencies. Well, that’s one scientific study NOT to bring up again on this topic. Maybe I’m misinterpreting it, or maybe the study doesn’t necessarily prove what you’re trying to say it does?
Just who are these “35 straight men”?
“people can choose not to be gay”
Wrong. There is NO SUCH THING as “ex-gay”:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/20/john-smid-former-ex-gay-minister-sexual-orientation-_n_1022417.html
The former director of the ex-gay Christian ministry Love in Action has now come forward saying not only that he is gay, but that it is impossible to change one’s sexual orientation.
In an appearance on Chris Matthews’ “Hardball” program earlier this week, Smid — who was previously considered one of the foremost leaders of “reparative” or “ex-gay” therapy — expressed sentiments about sexual orientation that, by all accounts, were a far cry from his earlier beliefs.
Here’s the original MSNBC information:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44961750/ns/msnbc_tv-hardball_with_chris_matthews/t/hardball-chris-matthews-tuesday-october/#.TqWaXHFUPk8
Here’s what the EXPERTS say:
“In a resolution adopted on a 125-to-4 vote by the APA’s governing council, and in a comprehensive report based on two years of research, the 150,000-member association put itself firmly on record in opposition of so-called “reparative therapy” which seeks to change sexual orientation.
No solid evidence exists that such change is likely, says the report, and some research suggests that efforts to produce change could be harmful, inducing depression and suicidal tendencies.”
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=8261359
Quote the ‘experts’ all you want, many people who were gay have changed. It was their choice to do so. They chose to be gay, then they choice NOT to be gay. I know several people who are ex-gays. Amazing how you will believe somebody on Chris Matthews’ show and ABC News reports, but not other sources that differ. You are so narrow-minded you don’t even know you are. Your brain must rattle around in your head when you walk.
You found a gay Christian to say it’s impossible for all people to change their sexual orientation. My argument is shot now, right? I bet if you dug really hard you would find many an alcoholic who says it’s impossible for them to stop drinking as well.
I don’t believe I came down saying that you can force someone who is homosexual to become heterosexual, or vice versa. If I had, I would grant you that your second study would have been very powerful evidence.
What I was talking about was your study that YOU quoted. What of these 35 men who were so-called “homophobic straight men”? The study suggests that they just have homosexual tendencies and choose not to be gay. What are your thoughts on this?
What does this mean? Is this in response to the “evidence” that you brought up?
Is this about the 35 men in your “evidence”?
The ones in the study you qouted!
Pride comes before the fall… this autumn.
You mean how like Gay Pride is celebrated in the fall in some cities?
Richmond, VA celebrates in September.
Jack is that you?
Some people don’t believe in your guy on the cross.
I know it’s shocking, but not everyone is Christian. Not everyone is
interested in being Christian. And most shocking of all, not everything
revolves around Christianity.
So kindly take your religion out of other peoples’ lives when it doesn’t belong there.
I love it- ‘he would never destroy all humankind AGAIN…’ hilarious- yeah because killing everyone once wasn’t bad enough (if you actually believe that) but of course rape, child abuse, slavery, misogyny, torture, etc., etc., are all good……
Wow–did you go to school to learn to twist words, or were you born that way? The Bible certainly does not approve all those other things you mentioned, in fact, in one place in the Bible homosexuality is included in the same sentence as many of those things you mentioned. It’s interesting that people who share my believe are attacked verbally by the same people, including you, who don’t think the action of homosexuals should be criticized. I keep reading about love and dignity etc. about homosexuals, but how come it’s OK to be sarcastic and insulting to people who see it differently? The epitome of hypocrisy, wouldn’t you say?
I believe the phrasing used earlier was…”
the most demeaning, degrading, demonizing and dehumanizing terms to refer to us”
No what I would say is the ‘epitome of hypocrisy’ would be spewing out biblical crap and condemning others with them…..it’s a dumb book……nothing more……and I don’t know what bible you have read but the bible everyone else reads clearly expresses that rape, marriage derived from rape, child sacrifices, torture and slavery are all fine……if you have a bible verse that disputes that let’s have it because I have all the bible verses which condone them…….
Now who are we going to believe, you or Abraham Lincoln? “Dumb book,” indeed.
There is a penalty for making such a false report.
Look, readers, at just how hateful and hurtful anti-gays are, even wanting to come between children and their loving parents? Every time I think anti-gays can’t be yet MORE filthy and hateful, one of them sinks yet lower.
Do children that age have the judgement to support something as controversial as gay marriage? The law clearly states that they do not. Please leave the children out of this!
You BROUGHT the children into this, attacking them as well as their parents.
I am still wondering about the dogs?
I’m wondering why you hate gay people so much.
Surprise, I don’t. I just don’t like them hijacking marriage, which is one man and one woman, period.
“However, at this point, even the most die-hard among us know all too well that gay marriage is here to stay. Much of the ferventness that swirls about the issue lies not in the idea or act of it, but rather in the veiled attempt to legitimize it by calling it something legitimate.
If the piracy of the institution of marriage stopped many would stop trying to stop the gay movement from having a legally binding institution of their own.
Gayriage anyone?”
You just said that a child having two moms is child abuse. You hate gay people. Period. Quit trying to mask your bigotry.
Quick biology lesson here: anytime a child is conceived, a male is involved, PERIOD. A child cannot have two moms–it has a father (male) and a mother (female). Why is this so hard to understand? It is so simple. When two males can procreate and/or two females can procreate, please post the info here.
Please post how that is relevant. There is no procreation requirement in marriage.
I believe YOU brought up about two moms, etc. No one said procreation was a requirement in marriage. I just pointed out that it is impossible to have two moms. To have a child requires a male and a female. Why do you have so much trouble understanding that? It really isn’t difficult. If the whole world went homosexual, and it seems like people would like it that way, the population would eventually die off. A male + a female = children. There is no other way. This isn’t rocket science.
Excuse me, that’s a disgusting attitude you have. So adoptive parents aren’t real parents? What kind of backwards thinking is that? The whole world isn’t going to go gay, so calm down. There is no shortage of people on this earth, so why are you acting like there is?
You missed the point completely. Adoptive parents are not biological parents, quite a difference. There still had to be a male and a female involved. Not two moms or two dads.
Let it go wolf, ignorance has been around since the beginning of time and neither you or I will ever be able to change it. Bigotry unfortunately is here to stay.
Leave the children out of it. Please!
No. You don’t get to dictate the makeup of someone else’s family.
We do not want to know any more about your inappropriate interest in dogs or any other animals.
Interestingly, the Bible classifies homosexuality and bestiality in the same sentence. Is the Bible wrong, or is it a major perversion for humans? It is indisputable, they both are disgusting perversions.
Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read. – Groucho Marx
Your accusations are disgusting and hateful. You’re not a dictator, you’re not the king, you don’t get to decide how other families are structured. If you’re going to claim that a child having two mothers is tantamount to abuse you’re multiple things: hateful, a bigot and plain wrong.
The law doesn’t do anything that you are claiming it does. Quit lying. Again, it’s disgusting and hateful.
Did you find it controversial growing up to love your parents?
Why would children of same-sex parents be any different?
There is NO WAY they are both his parents. It is impossible. God made the woman for the man. Only that relationship produces children and parents. It is a fact of nature. Homosexuality is “against nature”
“For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. ”
(Rom 1:26-27)
But Jesus’ mother was a virgin! Talk about FAIRY tales!
So why are there over 1500 different species that practice homosexuality in nature?
And you are one of them…stay away.
In your zeal to oppose homosexuals, you denigrate adoptive parents, step-parents, and grandparents raising children?
God condemns rape, not love. There is nothing sinful about two people in a supportive, monogamous relationship.
“Do children that age have the judgement to support something as controversial as gay marriage?”
I don’t think there’s anything at all controversial about gay-marriage, it’s a non issue, it should be allowed.
But how about little kids that carry abortion signs thats ok ? yes an i bet the kids love them tooo whats wrong with love ?
Well apparently it’s A-ok for the Jonesboro Baptist Church to have small children carrying sighs that say ‘god hates f@gs’ and apparently it’s ok to indoctrinate children into going to church before they are old enough to make an informed decision….I guess none of THAT is child abuse…..interesting.
Good point!
How about it, James, are YOU a member of that (Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas)?
What i ment to say is that the kids that have 2 mommies or daddies that they love them very much an yes its wrong for little kids to carry signs like that
That’s not abuse anymore than a child saying they have a mom and a dad is. Enough with your hatred and bigotry. Don’t you have something better to spend your energy on?
Anti-gays typically lead tragic, wasted lives. Even they know they have LOST their “agenda” to destroy our equality.
And you talk about anti-gay hatred! Now you know where we learned it!
I am thankful for all who have come before me, for they enabled my partner and I to grow up in a world where we could see a future for ourselves other than closeted, fearful isolation. The first gay pride parades occurred in the early 70’s— just a few years before, gays and lesbians were fearful to be out and open with who they were! In the 60’s, gays and lesbians would only appear “out” on television if their faces and voices were masked. The pride parades were courageous and necessary to build a world where we didn’t have to lead double lives and all of the stresses that created.
I understand those who see pride parades and question their existence— rhetorically asking what the reaction would be if there were a straight pride parade, or a Christian pride parade. I hope that you can learn to understand how vitally important these gatherings are as we continue our struggle for equal treatment by our government, and visible presence in our communities.
We are your neighbors, your coworkers, your family and friends. We come from all walks of life— being gay or lesbian is a trait we have, a minority trait like being left handed… and through these celebrations we have, we hope to show those questioning their sexual orientation that there is a place for them in this world. We’ve been there, and are here to say it gets better if you can be true to yourself, rather than life a life of miserable denial.
I hope that this November, more Mainers will see the ballot question, “Do you want to allow same sex couples to marry?” and answer with a resounding YES! Civil marriage is very important to many of us, for this legal license issued by our government has very tangible benefits and privileges that help us protect the lives we build together with our loved ones.
And yes, I do understand that there are people who feel the word marriage has a special meaning. I hope you can understand that same-sex couples have the same aspirations, the same commitment, the same companionship and support as any other couple who has sought to say “I do” to that special person in their life. There are already civil marriages out there your church may not agree with; interfaith marriages, second marriages, even interracial marriages are forbidden by some churches. Your church will continue to be able to accept or refuse any couple who wishes to wed, and I absolutely think the first Amendment freedom of religion is an important American value that deserves protecting, just as important as the fourteenth Amendment’s demand that we all receive equal protection under the law.
A SPECIAL WORD TO THOSE WHO WILL UNDOUBTEDLY RESPOND TO THIS POST, BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE:
I was never involved in these discussions prior to 2009. I’ve lived in Maine many years and never made it a secret that I was gay, and no one ever made me feel uncomfortable here. Not my neighbors, not my coworkers, and not even the people I interacted with in neighboring towns. I never saw any need to be vocal about my need for equal treatment, because I saw no one visibly wanting to treat me differently due to my sexual orientation or the gender of my soul mate.
When the Catholic church of Maine and NOM organized to take away rights our state legislature had granted me in early 2009, I suddenly became aware of an entire subset of Mainers who saw me and my life as some threat to them. I decided I needed to become engaged in these discussions to put my point of view in front of them.
Most of the time, I realize I’m not changing their minds. But along the way I have found so many others here who support my rights, even if they aren’t affected by my lack of them.
So thank you— and thanks to everyone here who stands up for the gays and lesbians who are fighting for equal treatment under Maine law, who are willing to take time to counter these baseless accusations and hurtful attacks that these trolls put forth.
One anti-gay poster has attacked the families attending the parade and threatened to make false reports to the authorities, saying the loving parents “abused” their children by bringing them to this family-friendly event. Of course that was just a nasty anti-gay LIE.
Let’s make sure everyone has access to the FACTS about same gender parents:
“[S]tudies on children dating back 25 years conclude that children raised by gay and lesbian non-adoptive parents fare as well as those reared by heterosexual parents (Breways, Ponjaert, Van Hall, & Golombok, 1997; Chan, Raboy & Patterson, 1998; Golombok, Perry, Burston, Murray, Mooney-Sommer, Stevens, & Golding, 2003; Wainwright, Russell & Patterson, 2004).”
A 2008 report from The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Agency, America’s most respected experts on adoption.
http://www.adoptioninstitute.org/policy/2008_09_expand_resources.php
http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;109/2/339
“Children deserve to know that their relationships with both of their parents are stable and legally recognized. This applies to all children, whether their parents are of the same or opposite sex. The American Academy of Pediatrics recognizes that a considerable body of professional literature provides evidence that children with parents who are homosexual can have the same advantages and the same expectations for health, adjustment, and development as can children whose parents are heterosexual.1–9 When 2 adults participate in parenting a child, they and the child deserve the serenity that comes with legal recognition.”
“The bulk of evidence to date indicates that children raised by gay and lesbian parents are no more likely to become homosexual than children raised by heterosexuals. As one researcher put it, “If heterosexual parenting is insufficient to ensure that children will also be heterosexual, then there is no reason to conclude that children of homosexuals also will be gay”. 11
Studies asking the children of gay fathers to express their sexual orientation showed the majority of children to be heterosexual, with the proportion of gay offspring similar to that of a random sample of the population. An assessment of more than 300 children born to gay or lesbian parents in 12 different samples shows no evidence of “significant disturbances of any kind in the development of sexual identity among these individuals”.”
http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_gay/f_gayb.cfm
No actually I am looking forward to Heaven through our lord and savior Jesus Christ.
Where does it say in the Bible for you to try to hurt other people who have never done YOU any harm?
It says in the Bible to not turn your back on other people and to tell them the truth.Hate the sin.Not the person.True love is helping each other to Heaven.God is waiting for each one of us to turn to him before its to late.
That’s great! So are many of the parade participants.
Then they had better change their lifestyle before they have to face God with mortal sin on their soul.
The Lord is my Shepherd and he knows I’m gay.
leave now avoid the crowds
Why would you wish broken homes on children? Growing up with two parents has been proved to be a benefit to a child’s development, regardless of whether they are natural parents, step parents or same-sex parents.
Let us all face the reality that this forum will succeed in
changing the minds of NO ONE. We all know how we think on this issue. The polls
will show the results this fall. Again.
But, aren’t you coming here hoping to infect readers with the mental disorder homophobia, Mr. LaGrange? It IS true that NO anti-gay will EVER change someone into being anti-gay.
But it’s easy to prove that Americans are increasingly changing our minds to support our fellow Americans who are LGBT. Here it is, and from a right-wing publication, too!
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2011/07/27/new-study-support-for-gay-marriage-grew-faster-in-past-two-years
“According to the report, polling data from sources including Gallup, CNN/ORC, ABC/Washington Post, and Pew Research Center indicate that average support for legalizing gay marriage grew at a rate of approximately 1 percent per year between 1996 and 2009, but the rate increased to 5 percent growth per year from 2009 to 2011. “That’s actually a 500 percent increase in the rate of change,” Benenson said at a press conference. “We rarely see that kind of upward spike in support around an issue.”
Because of that growth, several national polls show a majority of Americans now support legalizing gay marriage, including Gallup (53 percent), Public Religion Research Institute (51 percent), CNN/ORC (51 percent), and ABC/Washington Post (53 percent).”
See, Mr. LaGrange, 5% of Americans EVERY YEAR changes our minds and decides to act like AMERICANS.
Pure Gibberish!
so wearing people down is your method. don’t execpt it just allow it because people are tired of having it thrown in our faces.
I’m straight but I’ve spent so much time in gay bars that I’ve been mistaken for a Republican.
Providence Rhode Island?
Gay Republicans are in closets all over the country not just in RI, professing hatred for gays and then trying to pick up men in airport bathrooms, Praise the lord!
http://badmouth.net/top-five-republican-gay-sex-scandals/
The pollsters know the demographics of the poupulations… If they call people in Pengree’s area then it would be yes. If they call dexter/dover area it will be no.. don’t trust the polls.. People are led easily. if they think the majority is going in one direction they will vote that way as not to be left out. But if these parades stand out like they are supposed to people will get tired of it. Sort of like no one wants to listen to Obama speak anymore.
Who don you suppose were the parents of Noah’s great grandchildren? Or better yet, the grandchildren of Adam and Eve? Does that mean, acording to God, it’s Ok to do your sister or your cousin as long as it’s not your gay sister or gay cousin? By the way, isn’t there something in the Bible about judging others? If you are going to read the Bible, read the whole thing and not just the parts that suit you.
“However, at this point, even the most die-hard among us know all too well that gay marriage is here to stay. Much of the ferventness that swirls about the issue lies not in the idea or act of it, but rather in the veiled attempt to legitimize it by calling it something legitimate.
If the piracy of the institution of marriage stopped many would stop trying to stop the gay movement from having a legally binding institution of their own.
Gayriage anyone?”
Since our country’s inception there have been groups that have seen the promise of our Constitution, and petitioned our society for equal rights, access to government, and legal protections. And all along the way there have been people predicting doom and gloom and national destruction if we extend these things to one more group, race, sex, or other minority.
And every time they have failed, and every time our nation has failed to self-destruct. This is just the next way in which our constitution is fulfilling its promise to ALL Americans.
I am hopeful that the vote this November will add Maine to the list of states which allow all families access to civil marriage, that they may protect the lives they build together and the children they raise together.
How many times are you going to copy and paste this same nonsense? Do you think you will fool anyone if you tell the same lies repeatedly?
More from WOT7.com…”Gay or same-sex marriage are oxymorons. There is no such thing. From the beginning of time marriage has been, as it biologically must, between a man and a woman. It can be argued that two men or two women can raise a child as well as a hetrosexual couple, but they cannot produce a child, which is prima facie evidence that marriage was meant to be between a man and a woman.”
By what name should we call the group of Americans that hate and fear LGBT Americans and that have organized to try to hurt us and deprive us of equality?
First of all, the name can’t be a pejorative. Even though the members of this group routinely use the most demeaning, degrading, demonizing and dehumanizing terms to refer to us, we can’t stoop to their level.
Also, we can’t call them “homophobes,” since the term “homophobia” has been used as the name for a mental disorder for over 50 years. Even the many psychologists and psychiatrists in our community can’t diagnose a patient’s mental disorders without an examination, and that would be unpleasant for us, wouldn’t it?
The term that may be most appropriate is “anti-gays.” It isn’t insulting, it’s simply a concise statement of fact. The strongest unifying characteristic of the group is being anti-gay. True, it’s ironic that we’d give some consideration to the feelings of a group united in dedication to making LGBT Americans suffer and that make no effort whatsoever to treat us with common decency, but there are standards to being an American that we will meet or exceed no matter how low the anti-gays sink. Yes, the anti-gays will whine about this and insist that LGBT Americans, as well as our families, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and all the other Americans that love and support us, are the ones who “hate” them because we defend ourselves and our common freedom and equality. The anti-gays attack our supporters by saying they must be gay, too, so, yes, it’s our supporters’ battle as well.
What the anti-gays keep denying is that this group of Americans of which LGBT Americans are a part is much larger than theirs. They keep insisting “the majority” of Americans hate and fear us the way they do. That ship sailed about the time of Anita Bryant. Let them continue to scream their demands above reasonable voices. Despite the press dutifully repeating their nonsense, no one is listening to their shrieking.
How about calling us people who follow the wishes of God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
You mean the guy who preached love and peace among one another and told us not to judge each other?
I can only give the information as God wants me to.What you then do with the information is up to you.I’m not judging.God will be the one doing the judging.According to God true love is helping each other to Heaven.
GOD does not want you to lie. GOD does not want you to poison our political process. YOUR “god” won’t be judging anyone or anything.
yes by making everyone else’s time here on earth difficult and crappy. If people spent less time being in everyone else’s business and minded their own business life would be better for all of us…and….I, for one, don’t need nor want any help getting into heaven or hell or where ever……I’m worm food and I’m good with that.
“If people spent less time being in everyone else’s business and minded their own business life would be better for all of us…”
Agreed. But that is the wrong comment from a group of people who keep putting their “business” on display. It seems that you’re looking for approval, and if you don’t get it, then comes the hissy fit. Just quietly go about your business like everyone else and people will ignore you. Or… is the flamboyant “look at me” behavior the way to get people to mind their own business?
I’m sorry but what ‘business it that? YOU don’t like attending a parade don’t attend, YOU don’t believe in gay marriage don’t marry a gay…..Your problem is solved.
Unless you’re willing to use legislation to stop other sins, you’re being a hypocrite. Why aren’t you pushing for a ban on pre-marital sex? Or a ban on divorce? Why are gay people the only target?
Gay lifestyle,abortion,pre-marital sex,divorce,etc its all sins.When we finally turn to God and stop our sinful ways God will forgive us.
That’s not what I asked. Why aren’t you using the law to ban those things? Why are you using the law against gay people and not against something like those who engage in premarital sex?
Anti-gays want to make sure LGBT Americans aren’t able to protect our spouses, but better NOBODY criticize THEIR fun!
Because we don’t need a law to justify abnormal defective behavior.
I could explain that to you, but even using clinical terms, and saying nothing derogatory, the comment would be flagged and removed.
Much like the rigged telephone polls. On a proposed ten question survey, and the second question being if you approve of homosexual marriage, and your answer is no, they hang up and move on. Since the first question was about wind power to draw you in, one has to assume that when they don’t get the answer that they want about homosexuals to boost the fictitious polls, they try another number looking for approval.
Do not believe the polls. It is propaganda trying to sway peoples opinion.
Please don’t forget gluttony, envy, and money lending.
Divorce? Comparing loving, long-term, committed same gender American couples to the marriage-go-round of mixed-sex Evangelical couples is hate speech, nothing more.
Evangelicals have the HIGHEST divorce rate of all Americans. Massachusetts, the US State with Marriage Equality the longest, has the LOWEST divorce rate of all US States.
“And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?”
Obviously, wolfndeer is 100% correct.
Sure hypocrite works for me….
So your calling God a hypocrite?
Answer my questions. Otherwise it looks a lot like hypocrisy.
God isn’t the one who jury-rigged the Bible.
I’d love to type out how I feel about your so called god but if I did the message would never get posted.
so your one of them haters.
Get this, the anti-gay is whining that “you GAYS are the REAL haters!” That’s guaranteed to make every normal person laugh.
Why yes I am Bruce…… what are you going to do pray for me? While your at it pray for all of god’s hypocritical fan club as well…….
I already do.
and we all know what praying means and does NOTHING…….praying is used as an excuse to DO nothing but make yourself feel better while doing nothing. So pray away and pretend you are actually DOING something when you’re not doing anything but making yourself feel better. What a farce.
We know that isn’t true. God isn’t homophobic. Modern Biblical scholars have proven the Bible was intentionally mistranslated relatively recently in order to provide “Biblical cover” for then-rising levels of homophobia. For example, the word “homosexual” didn’t even exist until 1850. Many major Christian and Jewish denominations condemn misusing the hate-based mistranslations to attack their fellow Americans and are marrying same gender American couples now.
The Bible is written by man based on translations of the teachings of Jesus. Man’s prejudices and ability to understand what they were hearing no doubt filtered those teachings and left us with the greatest work of fiction on Earth. Organized religion – same thing. Man massacres those teachings and warps them to their way of thinking. My Jesus loves us all.
I don’t see the hate. Your using political tactics, Shame is one of them, Next you try to convince people that if you vote a certain way, you will be voting with the majority and one with the people.. like I said I don’t see the hate your discribing
….
More from WOT7.com…”Gay or same-sex marriage are oxymorons. There is no such thing. From the beginning of time marriage has been, as it biologically must, between a man and a woman. It can be argued that two men or two women can raise a child as well as a hetrosexual couple, but they cannot produce a child, which is prima facie evidence that marriage was meant to be between a man and a woman.”
Sam ole anti-gay propaganda we’ve seen a million times and that no reasonable person accepts.
Most men can beat a woman of the same age to a pulp. Is this evidence of male superiority? In the 1850s most blacks were either slaves or had nearly no rights. Did that prove slavery was right?
God didn’t write the bible. Man did. It was written to manipulate the masses like you who can’t think for themselves. God is all about acceptance and love. God isn’t a bigot, the Devil is. Remember that the next time you feel hatred in your heart.
There is no devil but if there was one it would not be a bigot. The devil is the one that gave humans free will, not your god. Adam and Eve didn’t even know they where naked. They where mindless drones until a talking snake came along.
It makes you appreciate the snake, and Eve, doesn’t it?
I will post one time and one time only on this topic… In “YOUR” post you clearly state ADAM and EVE didn’t even know they where naked… Yes in the beginning it was Adam & Eve, “NOT” Adam & Adam or Eve & Eve. It was Adam & Eve, one man and one woman. Nuff Said.
So no matter what I type you will not respond then, correct?
As for Adam and Eve they had to have sex with their own children. Don’t you find incest a tad creppy? A lot of incest had to happen if Adam and Eve where the first two humans on this earth.
I’m sure Adam had a lot of fun having sex with his daughter and I’m sure Eve enjoyed having sex with her son and flag this comment if you desire but by your account that is what did take place.
Just tried to share a link but it was deleted, BDN has it’s censorship tools turned on! Beware! Leads one to wonder whose side they are on. Okay, ready, set, delete.
Anyone that doesn’t know which side BDN is on on this or ANY liberal agenda needs to be buried, they’re dead!
Yahoo.com
Bear with me while I test their censorship tools…
pressherald.com
seacoastonline.com
journaltribune.com
Seems like they don’t want you to see…MAINE.net…replace the “I” with a “-“…
And I repeat what does your link have to do with the article?
Confirmed, just ran a battery of tests, visible and not, and they have banned the MAINE.net…replace the “I” with a “-” link from being posted here. What are they afraid of? Always a bad thing when newspapers engage in censorship.
Put on your tin foil hat and protect yourself from the conspiracy!
Nah, BDN is not a player. I have bigger fish to fry!
You mean you’re going to go post anti-gay propaganda elsewhere? Don’t bother, it won’t do the anti-gay agenda any good.
Was this a sexual gathering??? If so did the Romantic Market have a booth set up… I had to work and drove by an thought wow a sex parade.. I get my fair share but hugging and kissing and rubbing everywhere, now thats the american way.. another great business idea for the downtown bars and resturants is to sponsor something everyone likes sex!!!!! right there in the Enterainment Corridor.
No, this was NOT a “sexual gathering” except in the feverish imaginations of the anti-gays. Read on, and you will see anti-gays try to “project” their own sexual obsessions onto LGBT Mainers.
Then what was it?
Flaunting a persons sexual preference and having a parade and party in downtown Bangor is about what you said a sexual obsession… This whole thing is about one thing the sexual nature of certain people. period.
I am just wondering one thing If I vote for gay marriage and my vote is the tie breaker, will I continue to see these massive sexuality parties in Banor or not… If the parties end and people stop shoving their sexual preferences at me I will vote yes if if they continue I’ll vote no.. I don’t shove my sexuality in your face
That’s not what it’s about. Look into the history of it. Have you ever heard of the Stonewall Riots?
It’s not a sex party, it’s about not hiding. WAs there ever a time when heterosexuals had to hide who they were? Not talk about their significant others? Where heterosexuality was criminalized? etc?
Well of course we never had to hide who we are, one does’nt need to hide that which isn’t wrong.
Being anti-gay is wrong. Oops, you messed up and used the wrong sock puppet. You have to hide your anti-gay nastiness behind a pseudonym. If hating and fearing LGBT Americans was as popular as anti-gays claim, they could post their real name, address and phone number here.
Exactly, why flaunt it. I suspect this thread (335 comments and counting, many of which are inflammatory) would not be like this had they exercised discretion.
The anti-gays’ posts are the only ones that are inflammatory. The anti-gays are the only ones whose many posts containing inapppropriate sexual content have been DELETED by the monitors. And I’m glad they were deleted. I DO NOT want to know the sexual obsessions of anti-gays.
“We cannot embrace gay marriage anymore than we can accept arranged marriage, child marriage, common-law marriage, group marriage, polygamy, and the like, including pet marriages. There are documented cases of people marrying their pets and at least one website that advocates it. Will marrying your pet gain in popularity as it slowly becomes legitimized like the gay movement with marriage did? Will we soon see referendum questions on ballots asking us to vote for it or be a bigot?”
Here’s the cool thing you don’t have to DO anything except mind your own business….I know it’s clearly a foreign concept but give it a try…
If you cannot argue against gay marriage without bringing up bestiality and polygamy, you have no argument against gay marriage.
Seriously, none of that has come to pass in nations or states that have extended civil marriage to same sex couples. Why are you lying?
I hope you are not against Polygamy?? Think about that one for a minute..
I am seeking civil marriage for same sex couples. Polygamy has gone before our Supreme Court already, and not found to be constitutionally protected.
people are being denied the right to marry more then one person because it is not constitutional protected???? How do you feel about that??? do you approve that polygamy is illegal???
Again, if you cannot form an argument against gay marriage without bringing up polygamy, you don’t have an argument against gay marriage.
so censorship is cool with you if you don’t like what people say.
You have no right to post your sexual obsessions here in a deceptive attempt to “project” your own sexual obsessions onto LGBT Americans any more than e a right to shriek “FIRE!” in a crowded theater.
Your obsessions have blinded you that all people have rights of free speech, you my friend are a danger to this countries freedoms
I would rather call LGBT citizens. “Americans” would be pushing the envelope.
We wouldn’t expect anything less from you, o judgmental one.
About 100 of them are yours!
Straight, white and proud of it!
and Republican?
registered!
So are you extremely wealthy, or do you vote against your own best interest because the GOP promises to hurt people you don’t like, like LGBT Americans?
The RepubliCAN’T Party:CAN’T govern
CAN’T plan a war
CAN’T tell the truth
CAN’T stop spending
CAN’T stop pampering the rich
CAN’T stop corporate welfare
You just proved my point, if a person does not agree with you, then they are a homophobe, and a bigot. And you talk about intolerance. If you are going to quote the Bible , I guess then you know what it says. I am not the Judge, nor do I judge a person. Modern Bible Scholars?, the Bible also says beware of false prophets.
He must have been talking about anti-gays, who jury-rigged the Bible relatively recently for “Biblical cover” for their immoral desire to hurt LGBT persons.
And there’s nothing more RIDICULOUS than an anti-gay claiming he isn’t homophobic. Homophobia is what defines anti-gays. This is all just a statement of fact that any normal person will understand.
I could care less about what people do in the bedroom, thats there business.. Im not anti-gay or any of that crap, what I dont understand about gays and lesbians is in every gay relationship one is the man figure and one is the woman figure, if they are gay why dont they act like the same sex if thats what they prefer?????????????????????????????????
that’s a bunch of boloney. “For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. (Romans 1:26-27) for example has always been in the Bible as has been the Factual account of Sodom and Gomorrah
And your god is a bunch of boloney.
You will believe once again kevin
There is no god.
I will pray for you.
And I will think for you.
There’s just NO use your telling that same lie under a sock puppet additional screen name. Modern Biblical scholars have proven the Bible was intentionally mistranslated relatively recently in order to provide “Biblical cover” for then-rising levels of homophobia. For example, the word “homosexual” didn’t even exist until 1850. Many major Christian and Jewish denominations condemn misusing the hate-based mistranslations to attack their fellow Americans and are marrying same gender American couples now. About 400-years ago, a group of religious authorities (sanctioned by King James I of England), secretly manipulated the English version of the Bible to reflect their own heterosexual attitude; they opposed the king kissing other men in public. But in revised versions, religious authorities re-defined the Greek word “arsenokoites” of 1Corinthians 6:9! The most accurate translation, abusers of themselves with mankind [KJV], was pretty vague. Nevertheless, they replaced this vague 5-worded text with the not so vague and purposely targeted 1-word text, “homosexual(s).” Either way you cut it, this text does not describe homosexuals. This campaign gave those who were looking for a reason to justify their own homophobia a license to openly express their bigotry.
They call me crazy because I believe in love. They call me socialist because I believe in equality. They call me idealist because I believe in the possibility of world peace. I wish they’d just call me Christian.
and I just ate too
The Maine Ethics Commission caught anti-gays RED-HANDED violating Maine campaign finance and disclosure laws. One anti-gay Hate Cult, NOM, is STILL in violation of Maine laws.
If you can PROVE those who support marriage equality have done ANYTHING wrong, go see them and swear out a deposition. Did you know if they discover you lied that you can be sent to prison for perjury?
“We cannot embrace gay marriage anymore than we can accept arranged marriage, child marriage, common-law marriage, group marriage, polygamy, and the like, including pet
marriages. There are documented cases of people marrying their pets and at least one website that advocates it. Will marrying your pet gain in popularity as it slowly becomes legitimized like the gay movement with marriage did? Will we soon see referendum questions on ballots asking us to vote for it or be a bigot?”
WOT7.COM…”We cannot embrace gay marriage anymore than we can accept arranged
marriage, child marriage, common-law marriage, group marriage, polygamy, and the like, including pet marriages. There are documented cases of people marrying their pets and at least one website that advocates it. Will marrying your pet gain in popularity as it slowly becomes legitimized like the gay movement with marriage did? Will we soon see referendum questions on ballots asking us to vote for it or be a bigot?”
From WOT7.com (Don’t blame me!)…”We cannot embrace gay marriage anymore than we can accept arranged marriage, child marriage, common-law marriage, group marriage,
polygamy, and the like, including pet marriages. There are documented cases of people marrying their pets and at least one website that advocates it. Will marrying your pet gain in popularity as it slowly becomes legitimized like the gay movement with marriage did? Will we soon see referendum questions on ballots asking us to vote for it or be a bigot?”
Jack, you can’t seriously think that these are equal comparisons??? 2 consenting adults,no matter what gender or race, should be able to be the spouse of each other! They should be able to treated as each others spouse, have insurance together, and treated within the law as spouses. Also why would you care Jack? I am pretty sure no one will be hauling you off and forcing you to marry a person against your will, so why would you care?
“However, at this point, even the most die-hard among us know all too well that gay marriage is here to stay. Much of the ferventness that swirls about the issue lies not in the idea or act of it, but rather in the veiled attempt to legitimize it by calling it something legitimate.
If the piracy of the institution of marriage stopped many would stop trying to stop the gay movement from having a legally binding institution of their own.
Gayriage anyone?”
There needs to be a spam filter on the BDN forums it appears.
The rules here do not specifically forbid posting the same exact thing again and again, but I know of another website where moderators take them down on sight.
as maine goes silience critics of their beliefs. freedoms of speech and opinions don’t apply there.
Anti-gays are always whining they “don’t have free speech” now that NO ONE will listen to their lies and whining. You are still lying and whining, aren’t you, anti-gay? You have “free speech,” your lies are still here.
”
DHHS should be contacted.”
If that is the way you feel wouldn’t it work better if you picked up a phone and called them instead of coming on a web site and saying they should be called?
guess what…DHHS places foster children in gay households! What do you think of that!
But you have no problem telling a child they will burn in hell, right?
I’m pretty sure the message is they they have the choice to burn in hell, right?
You suffer from the “God” delusion. Had you been born in ancient Greece, Zeus would be your god. If in ancient Scandinavia, it would be Thor. If India, the Hindu gods. If Arabia, Allah. If Africa, maybe the Juju god under the sea. You have the right to believe what you want, but as to “God,” for which there exists no evidence whatsoever, I believe you’re hallucinating. And it usually is born out of fear of death and the belief you will somehow live in “heaven” after death. Stop being afraid. Death is just nothingness, just as it was before you were were ever born. That wasn’t so bad was it? Life is just a bonus. Each of us might never have been born in the first place for numerous reasons. Be a good person. Leave the mythologies to the ancients.
And your beliefs AREN’T mythological? Whoa!
I don’t think someone filled with ‘gay pride’ is an authority on the Bible that is re pleat with it’s condemnation of homosexuality as sin against God and against nature (or the natural laws He put in place). It’s a sinful choice and we don’t need a law to protect it.
The bible says more in support of slavery than it says against homosexuality.
And truly, there is nothing sinful about two people who love and support one another, building a life and raising children. That holds true whatever the gender of the spouses.
I don’t think someone that expresses hatred and fear of your fellow Americans and tells lies about us is an authority on anything to do with us, and your hate-based “beliefs” have NO meaning in the Law. Shame on you for showing contempt to the United States Constitution. You must place very little value on your OWN freedom and equality.
I don’t think someone with the moniker GodIsTrue is an authority of the bible either……Pffffffft
OMG, why do people care, if somebody wants to be married it is then their concern……the government shouldn’t have a say, neighbors shouldn’t have a say….who cares!!!! Personally I do not think a marriage certificate makes partner love and respect other partners more, but if it makes people feel better then I say “Lets have at it for every FOR EVERY ONE GAY OR NOT!!!!!!! Let just respect everyones wishes!!!!!
We want to pay the exact same taxes as any other loving, committed married couple, and have the same rights they have. Did you know in some locations hospitals won’t even let same gender couples visit each other in the hospital? This is why we want to be married.
Carrotcakeman, I am for same sex marriage if that is what a person wants and that is how I will be voting, but………really I am not for marriage I don’t see where it did me any good, and I will just stay a domestic partner.
The trouble is, if we allow gay marriage chipmunks will be taking jobs from real Americans. Vermonters will be buying property on Mars. Makes as much sense as the bigotry against gays.
so they pretended to have a pretend wedding?
Hopefully we will have true civil marriage available from our government after the vote in November!
The public display of your sexuality today didn’t help your cause.. people don’t like being spit on and called bigots.. The hate through your comments for God and Hetrosexuals won’t get you votes… and as for the governemt giving you permission, the government governs with your consent
Your prejudice is causing you to see things that simply aren’t there… Where have I made any hateful comments, toward god or not?
Really?? ‘The government governs with our consent??’ Gee I bet black people will be interested in that epiphany as well as Native Americans, women, Asian Americans and any OTHER population that isn’t WHITE AND MALE…….hilarious have you EVER read a history book?
the people can always say no… but most people don’t want to disturb their comfort level to produce change.
To me, I detest the corrupting of Gods Glory!!!
Ezekiel 1:28As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.
God made man and woman to be together!
No one is forcing you to be with anyone you don’t want to be with.
Why is it so hard to let people you don’t even know protect the lives they build together with civil marriage? Why hold such judgement in your heart, when no one is asking you to judge?
I’m afraid we know the answer, anti-gays suffer from the mental disorder homophobia, and apparently that makes them unable to mind their own business and support the US Constitution like real Americans do.
The constitution seems to only apply when you want it to.
kinda like the bible does
Not once have I pushed the bible here. Your hate is exposed..
Pfffffffft LOL
The US Constitution’s protections end where you wish to oppress other American citizens’ rights.
You have the freedom to express your opinions, but our government must treat us all equally. This is why civil marriage for same sex couples will come to Maine one day, hopefully this November!
If anti-gays (also know as NORMAL people) suffer from a mental disorder (homophobia) that gays in fact must suffer a far more debilitating condition – a defect of birth. After all, in no other mammalian species are like sexed individuals reproductive! And if it’s not about reproduction, then it’s about sexual pleasure. Now granted, you should be free to enjoy your jolly stick however you like, as long as you don’t hurt anyone else or prey ont he young.
It certainly isn’t about love, because even gays are capable of loving the opposite sex, are they not.
Psychologists report that the most commonly observed symptom of the mental disorder homophobia is an inability of those so afflicted to accept documentation that contradicts their deep-seated phobia and hatred of LGBT Americans.
Perhaps that’s why this anti-gay poster is trying to deny his own mental disorder and “project” it onto LGBT Americans.
Why do ant-gays even bother misquoting the Bible when it has NOTHING to do with America’s laws? Especially since that is NOT what the Bible says! Modern Biblical scholars have proven the Bible was intentionally mistranslated relatively recently in order to provide “Biblical cover” for then-rising levels of homophobia. For example, the word “homosexual” didn’t even exist until 1850. Many major Christian and Jewish denominations condemn misusing the hate-based mistranslations to attack their fellow Americans and are marrying same gender American couples now.
Fine. You are gay. We are fine with it. Just remember that marriage is 1 man, 1 woman. Thank you.
We’re also taxpayers, and American citizens— just remember that our laws must protect us all equally, and that includes civil marriage.
You’re mistaken. The 2010 US Census recorded 131,000 legally married American same gender couples. New York State established marriage equality since then through legislative action, as Maine did also–only to be messed up by anti-gays who committed criminal acts poisoning our political process and THROWING that anti-gay Hate Vote.
Sorry your idea of keeping legal marriage as a “special right” for only the couples YOU like didn’t work out. Maybe you should try a country that does not guarantee “Equal Protection Under the Law” as it does in our United States Constitution.
ever been divorced? ever been remarried? it’s NOT 1 man and 1 woman…..half of all marriages end in divorce ALL SINS in the bible…….so stop saying ‘1 man and 1 woman’ unless you add at a time……1 man and 1 woman AT A TIME.. hypocrite much?
LGBT Americans and our many friends have been gathering for over 42 years now in some US cities. There’s just no use of the few remaining anti-gays whining about this. If you are so many as you claim, anti-gays, why don’t you have that Anti-Gay Pride Parade you’re always babbling on about? We look forward to counting how many participants you can attract. Why don’t you do that next Saturday? Surely you can get at least $100,000.00 from the anti-gay hate cult NOM that the Maine Ethics Commission caught RED-HANDED committing criminal acts in violation of Maine campaign and finance laws in 2009! Don’t they get their slush fund from the Catholic bishops? We all know those guys are rolling in the dough.
Spare us.
Instead of spending money on advertising, petition the legislature with the stipulation including a 10% “gay marriage” tax and it will be legal by the end of the next session.
Gay people already pay much more in taxes as they can’t file taxes jointly and they can’t have the same kind of ownership as legally married couples do.
the statement was they would legilize anything for money
Mock weddings – now THAT’S funny!
If the mock weddings don’t work out, will they get mock divorces?
They wouldn’t be mock marriages if it were legal for gays to wed as it should be.
I have no problem with couples getting married! I just don’t want them pushing the issues in school!! This comment is not being rude to anyone!! i was just thinking of all the drama that was going on at Nokomis!! It was okay to be all for it, but when a guidance councelor voiced his opinion he almost got fired!! I think if debates are going to be in school, show both sides! If we can leave it out of the schools , you have my vote! Kids dont learn about same sex marriage at school, so they dont need to learn about gay marriage either!!
But then do you think it’s fair that a heterosexual teacher talks about her spouse during class? Has a wedding ring on? A photo of her husband on her desk?
I feel like gay people are held to a higher standard and criticized for doing the exact same thing that straight people do. That’s wrong.
Then you have nothing to fear! Because Maine schools curriculum is set at the local level! If you want to have a say in what children are taught in your area, participate in your school board!
And the guidance counselor at Nokomis absolutely did not “almost get fired”!
Exclamation points make sentences exciting!
That is why we need to priviatize schools. to be able to fire teachers who promote the socialist agenda rather then teach.
You mean like how the Catholic church fires teachers for such slight offenses as expressing their opinion in a letter to the editor?
There was a sunday school teacher who simply wrote a letter to the editor in 2009, supporting civil marriage for same sex couples. She was fired from her position by the Catholic church without any recourse.
I wish the Catholic church had such zero tolerance for pedophile priests as it does for people who see no reason to hate homosexuals.
and if you are an educator at colgate you can’t do the opposite.
Kinda hypocritical to decry one college firing based on what opinions an employee holds, while expressing a need for other schools to be able to do just that.
Yes, that what they do best, mock marriage. They don’t really want to get married they just want everyone to accept their aberrant lifestyle. Let’s have more of these events so everyone sees how dysfunctional they are. And yes many of the people who are featured in the articles I know and yes they have major issues.
Well, your blanket prejudicial statements just don’t apply. My partner and I want to marry so that we may better protect the life we are building together. There are many same-sex couples in Maine raising children, and civil marriage helps protect them, too.
“They don’t really want to get married”
The 2010 US Census reported there were already over 131,000 legally married American same gender couples. You don’t know what you’re talking about.
“And yes many of the people who are featured in the articles I know and yes they have major issues.”
Anti-gays always stoop to making personal attacks. No one is impressed with how hateful and how hurtful anti-gays try to be.
Gays want to ‘shout down’ everyone who does not agree with their lifestyle. No way to garner suppport from those whose minds you are trying to change.
I don’t shout, I ask. Why is it so wrong that we seek equal treatment by our government, as so many groups before us have done?
How will you ride if you have no stick to beat the horse
If this is an answer to my question, you’m have to clarify yourself.
We do not want to read about what you want to do to some poor horse.
But people want to shout them down to
That’s exactly what the anti-gays posting here thought they might be able to do.
We don’t need to “shout down” anyone. We already have the support of the majority of Americans. No one cares that anti-gays are still whining about our majority support.
We are seeking civil marriage because there are over 1,100 benefits and privileges associated with it. The ability families have to protect their lives with civil marriage cannot be reproduced any other way.
I look forward to your eventual realization that same sex marriage really doesn’t affect your life, no one is asking you to get gay married.
Anything that continues to degrade the moral fiber of my community, State and Country affects me greatly and I look forward to your eventual realization of that, but I don’t intend to hold my breath.
Since our country’s inception there have been groups that have seen the promise of our Constitution, and petitioned our society for equal rights, access to government, and legal protections. And all along the way there have been people predicting doom and gloom and national destruction if we extend these things to one more group, race, sex, or other minority.
And every time they have failed, and every time our nation has failed to self-destruct. This is just the next way in which our constitution is fulfilling its promise to ALL Americans.
Stop drinking the kool-aid. It has nothing to do with civil rights and never has. It’s sole purpose is to justify a life-style and nothing more. The civil rights argument is nothing more than a smoke screen to garner sympathy and support for the cause. All of these alleged 1,100 benefits and privileges can be gained through legal means without changing the law to allow SSM. The sole purpose of the change in the law is so that homosexuals can claim that their “abnormal” lifestyle is “normal”.
You really have no idea what you are talking about, do you? You cannot reproduce the civil marriage benefits that allow spouses to file taxes together, inherit social security benefits or disability pensions; access to military housing, commissary privileges, special status in orders of protection, and hundreds more too numerous to list.
The argument that we don’t need civil marriage to gain the same protections is demonstrably false; more importantly, it obviously violates the equal protection clause of our 14th amendment to the constitution– one group of americans get more comprehensive protections with far less financial investment, and there is no valid reason to restrict this from same sex couples.
Actually I do, and so do you. The only difference is that you refuse to admit because it would invalidate your cause. Instead of devoting your energy to changing the marriage law you could be devoting your time and energy to revising the laws that control the tax codes, social security, pensions, etc., etc.
Instead of spending your time and energy trampling on the foundation of this country, you could devote your time trying to be a decent American who upholds the Constitution and all of the principles that helped shape this great country.
also just to point out homosexuality has been around since the dawn of time and is only abnormal to jerks like you!
I doubt that you have been around since the dawn of time, but if you have it is unfortunate that you have yet to learn that it is bad manners to resort to name calling!
it is called being educated as far as knowing it has been around and as for bad manners, its also bad manners to judge a persons way of life and yet your are still doing it.
If you are as educated as you pretend to be then you would know that homosexuality was considered just as abnormal during the dawn of time as it is now. I’m not judgeing anyone’s way of life. I just don’t particularly care for it when people try to change my way of life just so they can feel better about theirs.
Well being gay as I understand it is not your way of life so how is it changing it? Also I will re state, if things didnt get changed, women wouldn’t have the right to vote and slavery would still be legal. Let me guess, you would be ok with that?
Ignorance at its finest.
Please define “normal.” (This should be good, snicker…snicker.)
You want to pay our lawyer the money to gain these benefits and rights through legal means?
You think it’s alright that we have this unfair burden that straight couples don’t have because they can obtain a simple legal document from the state?
Your obvious bigotry is degrading to real Americans.
Yes. I feel the same way about people like you. You degrade the moral fiber of my community with your bigotry, hatred and unAmerican behavior. I look forward to your eventual realization, and like millions of others, you may just have it.
The crusades ended years ago.
We are a nation of free Americans, not a theocracy where people of one religion can shape laws to make those of other religions conform.
I by far make no claim of perfection, but the fact is, this is not an uncommon response. It wasn’t then, and it’s not now. If you read the Bible, you would find that the wisdom within it applies as much today as it did then.
The bible is a wonderful text which helps show us how to better connect with our spirituality. Jesus preached that we should love one another, and not judge each other.
I really don’t see the Bible being adhered to by the people here who stand so steadfastly against the rights of same-sex couples whom they don’t even know.
I don’t see the Bible being adhered to by a lot of people who identify themselves as Christians. There are many occasions in which I don’t do “right” by the Bible. Admittedly, I’m pretty new when it comes to being a Christian, but I’m learning daily and prayer is a big part of the changes that I’ve seen in my life. Not that I’ll be perfect by the time I’m an old Christian… :)
Here is the thing in my opinion. Marriage as it is stated in the Bible, is between a man and a woman. Marriage as it states in the Bible, is also intended to be til death do you part. There are a lot of things said in the Bible as it pertains to marriage that are not adhered to today. I don’t believe that marriage in the eyes of God can be between a man and a man, or a woman and a woman. However, the people who are asking for this “right”, are not asking to be recognized by God, they are asking to be recognized by the Government. Honestly, marriage today doesn’t even have to be recognized by any church, even when it’s between a man and a woman. If people want to be recognized as husband and husband or wife and wife in the eyes of the State of Maine or the United States of America, that’s a different fight IMO.
At the same time, no church should be forced to perform a wedding that they don’t feel would be approved by God, however this again, isn’t the case here.
I hope that the work that I’m called to do with lead others to Christ, and I pray that I’ll have the wisdom to help them as others have helped me. Let me apologize in advance if there are any typos or poor sentences in this post, but it’s too long for me to go reread again in this tiny little space of 5 lines.
Thank you for your support! And I will surely stand with anyone for the defense of a church’s right to decide who they allow in their congregation, for weddings or fellowship. That is an important protection that makes America such a great place for so many.
Everything about this story and these pictures is just wrong.
Including your comment.
Why? What is wrong about couples blessed enough to find supportive partners in this life?
Then why are you here again staring at them and whining?
There is nothing perverted or immoral about the decades-old, monogamous, supportive relationship I have with my partner. We seek civil marriage to better protect this life we have been blessed to build together.
Move to VT of MA and you can have the marriage you have always wanted. We voted on this two years ago and said NO.
Why? We have a great life here in Maine, and aside from anonymous posters here on BDN, we don’t know anyone opposed to our need for civil marriage. Our friends and family are all looking forward toward attending our wedding here in Maine!
I am a straight female woman who was born and raised in Maine and I fully support gay marriage! I make sure I am at the voting polls whenever this comes up wishing th people of Maine would stop being so stuck up and thinking they are protecting marriage. Marriage is for two people who love each other and want to spend the rest of their lives together and I dont believe that I have any right to deny that from anyone! I am so glad you and your partner have found happiness in one another and hope we have more couples like you come to Maine and balance us out!
My dear, I’m afraid you’re misinformed! Marriage is for a man and a woman who want to create babies for the benefit of society. If there is love involved, that is merely incidental-certainly not a requirement!
” Marriage is for a man and a woman who want to create babies for the benefit of society” So are you saying that all men and women that can’t reproduce don’t have the right to get married? To bad your parents weren’t gay instead we get an ignorant a** like you!
Gheeze, next time, before you fly off the handle and call a gay man who volunteers for Equality Maine an a**, make sure you understand sarcasm.
“I don’t know how Nixon won, no one we know voted for him”.
Get out of your bubble and understand that the people of this state voted against gay marriage by over a 5% margin last time out. So it would seem your friends aren’t telling you the truth of how they voted.
Seriously, my life doesn’t affect yours, why would I go out of my way to let yours affect mine?
How long was the fight for racial equality? You might want to dig out a history book and brush up a little on these things then you would realize that issues of equality don’t go away after one vote or one rejection.
5% margin? That’s hardly a mandate. If it doesn’t happen now, it will soon.
I’d prefer you move. We don’t need Americans like you around.
These parades are not to prove to the general public its OK. It’s to prove to themselves..
You really have them all figured out.
You are right to an extent: it is important that we have these pride parades, to show anyone who for any reason differs from the majority that they need not live a life of fearful isolation— there are others in this life that will accept and support them, and with whom they too can find happiness.
The general public doesn’t need pride parades, for no one is trying to ostracize them or tell them they need to hide their love away.
The general public ALREADY thinks we are AOK. Fully 80% of Americans wanted and GOT DADT revoked because they already think we are AOK.
Lets just stage a pretend wedding ceremony use one of the few churches that will recognize gay marriage even though the lionshare of gay/lesbian are atheist and get the public more used to what they are seeing (social engineering). I’m sure the Young Communist League and CPUSA is tickled about events like this.
and I’m sure you can cite where you obtain your information re: what % of LGBTQ are atheists?
There have been no official polls ( I know libs love polls) but there is no concrete evidence. But due to the reaction most religions give the gay lesbian community, one can make there own summary. This is much more than “equal marriage”. It’s more about delivering on a socialist agenda in this country. It has gone way beyond face value, which is why a lot of straight people really don’t “hate” gays for being gay, they just don’t like the underlying agenda that follows the gay community.
So your point is that you have no valid reason same-sex couples should be denied marriage, so you would rather argue against unrelated opinions you have on so-called socialist agendas…?
At least you admit your original claim (that most gay people are atheists) has no real basis in reality.
I didn’t admit to anything. I just stated that there is no reputable data backing any claims of religious background of gays, or the lack thereof. would you like me to make the blanket statement that indicates most gay people are very religious in nature and model their lives by their higher powers moral standards? Would you also like me to make the blanket statement that most gays are very patriot toward their government and democracy as it stands today with no future wholesale changes in our polical system needed? I can certainly do so if that makes you get warms fuzzes, but I’m sure there are a lot of gay/lesbians out there that would disagree with these statements.
“I didn’t admit to anything.”
Yes, you admitted, for example, that you made up that nonsense about all LGBT Americans being atheists.
“Would you also like me to make the blanket statement that most gays are
very patriot toward their government and democracy as it stands today
with no future wholesale changes in our polical system needed?”
The answer is obviously YES. Everyone can see that LGBT Americans are properly following the Rule of Law to seek redress for wrongs committed against us, while the Maine Ethics Commission caught anti-gays RED-HANDED violating Maine campaign finance and disclosure laws so as to POISON our political process and THROW the 2009 anti-gay Hate Vote.
“there is no concrete evidence”
Thanks for admitting you just made it up because you thought it might convince readers to hate and fear their fellow Americans who are LGBT.
And here’s your next anti-gay fantasy:
“they just don’t like the underlying agenda that follows the gay community.”
Wrong. Please note my source is a right-wing publication:
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2011/07/27/new-study-support-for-gay-marriage-grew-faster-in-past-two-years
“According to the report, polling data from sources including Gallup, CNN/ORC, ABC/Washington Post, and Pew Research Center indicate that average support for legalizing gay marriage grew at a rate of approximately 1 percent per year between 1996 and 2009, but the rate increased to 5 percent growth per year from 2009 to 2011. “That’s actually a 500 percent increase in the rate of change,” Benenson said at a press conference. “We rarely see that kind of upward spike in support around an issue.”
Because of that growth, several national polls show a majority of Americans now support legalizing gay marriage, including Gallup (53 percent), Public Religion Research Institute (51 percent), CNN/ORC (51 percent), and ABC/Washington Post (53 percent).”
“the lionshare of gay/lesbian are atheist”
Another anti-gay fantasy…
What is wrong with a kid saying that they have either 2 mommies or 2 daddies as long as they are loved an not abused ?
wow!!!
a comment gets flagged when a number of users flag it. BDN then either removes the flag or the comment.
I’m sure yours will be restored, but I agree the BDN could respond more quickly to do one or the other.
These were commitment ceremonies, not “mock” weddings. That reads offensive and may even be the BDN editorializing on gay marriage. Soon enough another small bit of equality will be ours.
I am straight and it will not be your equality. It will be equality for everyone. I can not be equal unless I see you as equal. We can share equality, only the bigots want it all for themselves.
You’re right, all LGBT Americans have ever wanted is the same rights everyone else takes for granted.
I believe I used the collective pronoun “ours”. That does not even imply what you suggest.
You took my comment the wrong way and read too much into it.
Ours means yours and mine.
Matthew 7:1-5 – 7 Judge not, that ye be not judged.2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
No one alive today is perfect, there is no if necessary. Although, all I’ve asked about is the interpretation of the “evidence” that was posted by CCM on this post. I don’t think the study says what he believes it to say.
As to this thread, I just responded to what I felt was an inaccurate depiction of prayer, nothing more. I don’t believe it is my place to judge others, yet I am called to speak the Truth. I have clearly fallen short of where I’m supposed to be, as we all have, but I am trying to get closer each day.I don’t find the Bible to be “some inane book”, but you are certainly able to believe as you do. I do believe that others have their own choice to make, and they have their right to. Everyone can live their lives as they see fit. It’s not my place to judge.
But don’t be surprised that there are Christians out there that will still reach out to you, will still pray for you and will still care about you. It is our charge.
Mark 16:15 – And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
When you have no valid argument, you ridicule the appearance of others. Classy.
Hey….wait just one cotton-pickin’ minute ! Have you not heard Michelle Obama declare the #one health problem in America is Obesity (tubbiness) which puts people at risk from several serious illnesses, including diabetes and heart disease ?
A comment was inadverdently posted.
I do have a valid argument but I’ve already posted it (at length) in previous articles on SSM. The same players always get in on this chronic and repetitive POV food fight. The comments are the same, over and over again.
So I thought I would take a different tack today. The Health Standpoint. (And it got “flagged.”)
One of the homosexuals’ chief concerns is “in the event” of their partner being hospitalized, they grumble and gripe about some sort of limitation put on them when trying to visit their partner.
I commented on the corpulence of the gays and lesbians in the pictures and how obvious it is that they aren’t health conscious. It’s apparent that hospitalization is on the horizon for them from heart disease to diabetes and many other illness stemming from their portliness. So, no wonder hospitalizations are tops on their list of concerns.
////
Boy, kiki, you need to get out!
First- “Grumble and gripe” about not being allowed to visit a loved one in the hospital is rather insensitive and plain mean.
Second-you should check out the go-go boys in pride parades in other cities, or check out the gyms in those cities. There is actually a stereotype of gay men being gym bunnies. Heck, most cities have scores of fit and healthy gay men-eye candy galore!
reposting this as the reply that it was meant to be.
No one is perfect, you’ll get no argument from me.
I don’t see the Bible being adhered to by a lot of people who identify themselves as Christians. There are many occasions in which I don’t do “right” by the Bible. Admittedly, I’m pretty new when it comes to being a Christian, but I’m learning daily and prayer is a big part of the changes that I’ve seen in my life. Not that I’ll be perfect by the time I’m an old Christian… :)
Here is the thing in my opinion. Marriage as it is stated in the Bible, is between a man and a woman. Marriage as it states in the Bible, is also intended to be til death do you part. There are a lot of things said in the Bible as it pertains to marriage that are not adhered to today. I don’t believe that marriage in the eyes of God can be between a man and a man, or a woman and a woman. However, the people who are asking for this “right”, are not asking to be recognized by God, they are asking to be recognized by the Government. Honestly, marriage today doesn’t even have to be recognized by any church, even when it’s between a man and a woman. If people want to be recognized as husband and husband or wife and wife in the eyes of the State of Maine or the United States of America, that’s a different fight IMO.
At the same time, no church should be forced to perform a wedding that they don’t feel would be approved by God, however this again, isn’t the case here.
I hope that the work that I’m called to do with lead others to Christ, and I pray that I’ll have the wisdom to help them as others have helped me. Let me apologize in advance if there are any typos or poor sentences in this post, but it’s too long for me to go reread again in this tiny little space of 5 lines.
This is one of the few comments from someone of faith that gets it right.
Thanks for that.
Relax, all this nonsense about some church being “forced” to marry a long-term, loving and committed same gender American couple is nothing but an anti-gay LIE. Every time we examine some incident that anti-gays claim “proves” their lie, we see the anti-gays lied. Again…
Why would any same gender American couple want to get married in some anti-gay “church”? These denominations have married same gender couples in 7 US States and the District of Columbia:
The Episcopal Church
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Metropolitan Community Church
Reform Judaism
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
Unitarian Universalist Church
United Church of Christ
These and many other denominations reject the hate speech inserted in the bible to hurt LGBT people. Modern Biblical scholars have proven the Bible was intentionally mistranslated relatively recently in order to provide “Biblical cover” for then-rising levels of homophobia. For example, the word “homosexual” didn’t even exist until 1850.
well moutain man, if it wasn’t for people wanting to leagalize something they feel is right, then women wouldnt be allowed to vote! So excuse my maine butt for strongly disagreeing with your extremely stuck-up self.
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It’s sad to see how the anti-gays only want to discuss their own sexual obsessions.
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Much of the hate speech anti-gays post here has been copied from what the Southern Poverty Law Center identifies as anti-gay Hate Cults:
“Even as some well-known anti-gay groups like Focus on the Family
moderate their views, a hard core of smaller groups, most of them
religiously motivated, have continued to pump out demonizing propaganda aimed at homosexuals and other sexual minorities. […]
Generally, the SPLC’s listings of these groups is based on their propagation of known falsehoods
— claims about LGBT people that have been thoroughly discredited by
scientific authorities — and repeated, groundless name-calling.”
http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2010/winter/the-hard-liners
What does any of this have to do with the celebration in Bangor on Saturday, or the referendum in November?
This is exactly what I meant about anti-gays and their sexual obsession with LGBT Americans. Scientists know why anti-gays have this obsession:
“Homophobia is apparently associated with homosexual arousal that the homophobic individual is either unaware of or denies.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8772014
Anti-gays are always whining about Gay Pride events, and they say “What if we had our own parade?”
Go right ahead, anti-gays, form an Anti-Gay Pride Parade. Why not do it next Saturday? We’ll see how many anti-gays will show up in public.
We have gay marriage here in New York. A year ago, when it was approved, there was much controversy. The controversy has diminished in the last year and gay marriage has worked out for our citizens. I lived in Maine for quite a few years and love the state. I used to be against gay marriage, but now have seen that it is better for all to have it legal.
We have gay marriage here in New York. A year ago, when it was approved, there was much controversy. The controversy has diminished in the last year and gay marriage has worked well for all of us. I lived in Maine for quite a few years and love the state, I used to be against gay marriage, but now have seen that it is better for all to have it legal. Despite religious opposition, many churches are supportive of gay marriage.
Have you ever noticed that when the opponents of SSM start getting to many likes on here that their posts are flagged, removed for review and never get put back.
Yes, it is a dasterdly conspiracy by people who simply want to treat same sex couples in Maine with fairness and equality!
Take a look at who likes them and you will see their list of sock puppets. In other words, they are creating fake profiles to recommend their own propaganda. This alone would alert the moderators, but the fact that these same “popular” posts tend to be pornographic is another issue. No sense whining about the porn being taken down, I’m sure you will find it from the same tiny group of anti-gays on “Free Republic” or other places where ONLY anti-gay posters may post. I myself prefer not to see these posters’ sexual obsessions and addictions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AXAOT_swIE&feature=related
Here is the proper view on homosexuality, before this society lost its mind.
Just proof that life gets better over time.
What are you so afraid of?
Ha, ha…”proof that life gets better all the time”…good one!
Serial killers, broken families, corrupt art and music, bankruptcy, racial tension, corrupt politicians, widespread drug use, a 60% divorce rate, loss of our national identity…
If you call this “getting better” what in Heaven’s name do you call falling apart?
Those things have always been here sweetie… they’re nothing new. The more of us there are, the more you’ll see such issues. Sorry you don’t see the world in a positive light. These are amazing times to be alive!
So tell us… what are you so afraid of?
Well, perhaps they aren’t getting better if your self-worth is based on your ability to dehumanize and slander others… I can see why you get so angry.
Only a foolish anti-gay would try to blame those things on LGBT Americans. No wonder normal Americans just LAUGH at anti-gays!
This is why the pride parades have been a necessary part of our effort to better the lives of gays and lesbians.
This is also why “coming out” has been an important part of anyone’s personal growth as they learn they can indeed live in truth and love, not in fearful isolation from hateful, judgmental people such as, oh, “SonofBangor”.
In the words of Harvey Milk:
Yes, if only this country had stayed put in 1967 when this program was made. Well, before 1967 because by then the minorities and women were getting too big for their britches, eh? Or is it just the homosexuals you want to keep down?
Woah…am *I* late to the game! 638 comments!
In any case, I was there, I was at a table, and I had a great time!
It was a great weekend for it!
You didn’t miss much. Just the same debunked, invalid arguments that get put forth by folks who don’t put much thought into how civil marriage affects the rights and liberties of Mainers. And of course the small group of mentally ill people who focus on serial killers and general hatred and pretend it’s relevant.
Did the gays+drugs+murder=marriage argument come up again? I don’t have time to read all the comments.
It was telling, I think, that there weren’t any protesters there. But I’m glad-6 hours of music, food, conversation, meeting new people, lots of pictures too! A beautifully sunny day-the best weather! It was very good to see so many churches involved, even Christian churches!
You wouldn’t find it if you looked, SonofBangor has a habit of being so disgustingly offensive that he might as well change his name to comment removed.
Glad to hear it was such a great day, even Jonesport looks like it had a fun parade!
I just want to say to those people out there who are throwing the “religion” out there to the gay community, that in the bible it says thou shall love they neighbor as well as thou shall not judge! So listen to it and do not judge a person on their way of life. Its not yours so back off!