Family Council pulls in Dobson group to stop gay marriage suit

How is it, exactly, that allowing Gay couples to marry somehow “undermines” marriage? That Gay couples seek to marry is not an attack on marriage. If anything it is an ENDORSEMENT of marriage, an acknowledgment that it far better to encourage couples toward monogamy and commitment, rather than relegating them to lives of loneliness and promiscuity.

Ask any Straight couple why they choose to marry. Their answer will not be, “We want to get married so that we can have sex and make babies!” That would be absurd, since couples do not need to marry to make babies, nor is the desire or even the ability to make babies a prerequisite for obtaining a marriage license.

No, the reason couples choose to marry is to make a solemn declaration before friends and family members that they wish to make a commitment to one another’s happiness, health, and well-being, to the exclusion of all others. Those friends and family members will subsequently act as a force of encouragement for that couple to hold fast to their vows.

THAT’S what makes marriage a good thing. Gay couples recognize that and support that. And I suspect that those who want to prohibit Gay couples from marrying do so only because they don’t want to allow Gay couples the opportunity to PROVE that they are up to the task.

Bring it, Dobson. BRING IT!

Lets rewrite Lorence’s statement slightly “No provision of the Minnesota Constitution gives individuals the right to define marriage and force that definition on everyone else,” Lorence said.” The is no difference between “redefine” and “define” in this case. So if no prevision of the constitution supports the concept of not forcing a definition on everyone because of a “redefinition” then it follows that there is also no provision to support ANY definition to be forced on anyone.

The sad fact is that Conservatives have planted their feet on sand, and the tide is moving in!

The obvious lack of logic that these groups use does more harm to their cause than anything else. Stopping people from getting married logically does NOT strength marriage. Obviously, if you REALLY were interested in marriage as an institution, you would want MORE people involved regardless of who they marry, not less. The fact is, saving marriage is not the goal of Dobson and his group. His goal is, was and always will be against homosexuals regardless of what they do. Growing up in the south, I saw the same rhetoric used to keep black people from healthcare, voting, marriage etc. It’s the same mentality now. Real Americans should continue to oppose any group whose only goal is to keep civil rights from people based on color, gender, orientation or ethnicity. Dobson and the Minnesota “Family” Council have shown clearly that they really care nothing about families or people in general. They only care about getting their way to force prejudice on all of America. I hope the people of Minnesota stand up to this intrusion and tell Dobson and his group to go back where they came from.

These guys really want to defend marriage, work to abolish divorce. Suer they will go after that… the number one cause of marriages ending… being able to divorce.

In September my (male) partner and I will celebrate our 55th anniversary as a couple; our committed relationship began as college freshmen. On Friday of this week (at age 73) we’ll celebrate our 1st anniversary as legally married spouses; we were married last June during our 50th college class reunion in CT. (See the 6/7/09 New York Times.) Bob is a retired secondary school math department head, and I’m a retired Episcopal Church canon/priest and college professor of philosophy and religious studies. We currently live in an inclusive, Florida continuing care retirement community of 1000 residents.

If you care to visit our family friendly website http://www.nolan-pingpank.com, you will find a mainstream living Christian couple which has led a rather ordinary, responsible life.

We know all of the arguments against our relationship and the many like it. We find them not persuasive, but hopelessly antiquated and uninformed by the best from contemporary biblical, social scientific, and scientific knowledge.

We can agree to disagree with those who are persuaded differently. However, we are astounded at the interest, sometimes obsession, with homosexuality. Are there reckless, obnoxious, immoral gay people? Most certainly – as there are reckless, obnoxious, immoral heterosexual men and women.

Fortunately, as our understanding of human diversity increases, the Law will catch up. We have experienced terrific progress in the past 55 years, but there is still a long way to go!

The Rev. Canon Dr. Richard T. Nolan
Robert C. Pingpank

[...] Full Story from the Minnesota Independent [...]

[...] Minnesota Independent: “In response to a lawsuit filed in Hennepin County last month challenging Minnesota’s ban on same-sex marriage, the Minnesota Family Council is bringing in the Alliance Defense Fund, an evangelical legal group founded by James Dobson . . . ‘We should be strengthening marriage, not undermining it,’ [Jordan Lorence] said in a [press release] Wednesday. ‘Once again, activists are trying to use the courts to force something on the people that they have repeatedly rejected.’” [...]

Andy, I am wondering just what exactly is a “notice of intervention” as well as whether MFC/ADF as a third party has any standing to be able to butt in on this lawsuit and if so, what that standing is. Can you find out and keep us posted? Thanks.

Isn’t telling people who they can and can’t marry an intrusion by government into the private lives of individuals? I guess Republicans hate gays even more than they hate government.

Andy again, many of us would appreciate your dogged coverage of this important lawsuit given the absence of quality LGBT news reporting in Minnesota. Lavender Magazine – oh puhleez! Thanks.

Lane, I agree. Lavender Magazine is only interested in profit, profit, profit: advertising to the affluent LGBTQ among us, and fluck anyone else.

Intervention requires some personal stake in the outcome of a lawsuit. Upholding the constitutionality of a law is not a personalized injury. Before the court lets these yahoos intervene, they should be made to show how they, personally, will be affected by this suit.

and Once again the TAX Exempt American Taliban Shoves its brand of Theocracy into the Political fray…they should have ZERO say in matters of CIVIL LAW! None! Zero! Zip! Nadda! …again for the Bigots out there…I said CIVIL LAW!

The American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and the National Association of Social Workers state:

“There is no scientific basis for distinguishing between same-sex couples and heterosexual couples with respect to the legal rights, obligations, benefits, and burdens conferred by civil marriage.”

http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/courts/supreme/highprofile/documents/Amer_Psychological_Assn_Amicus_Curiae_Brief.pdf

Thus, mental health professionals and researchers have long recognized that being homosexual poses no inherent obstacle to leading a happy, healthy, and productive life, and that the vast majority of gay and lesbian people function well in the full array of social institutions and interpersonal relationships.

http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/courts/supreme/highprofile/documents/Amer_Psychological_Assn_Amicus_Curiae_Brief.pdf

The research and clinical literature demonstrate that same-sex sexual and romantic attractions, feelings, and behaviors are normal and positive variations of human sexuality.

http://www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/resources/therapeutic-response.pdf

The longstanding consensus of the behavioral and social sciences and the health and mental health professions is that homosexuality per se is a normal and positive variation of human sexual orientation.

http://www.apa.org/about/governance/council/policy/sexual-orientation.aspx

This was taken from another poster that shows why we need to legalize gay marriage. If you don’t feel for this person after reading it, you simply aren’t human.

“I am not sure what our President thinks of this dicission but coming from a poor family and knowing what discrimination is all about I would assume he would not care if “Gays” have equal rights. The whole reason why they are asking for rights to be considered married is from the same reason why I would be for it. My own life partner commited suicide in our home with a gun to his heart. After a 28 year union I was deprived to even go his funeral. We had two plots next to each other. But because we did not have a marriage cirtificate “(Legal Document)” of our union his mother had him cremated and his ashes taken back to Missouri where we came from. That is only one example how painful it is. His suicide tramatized me so much and her disregard for my feelings only added to my heartach. That happened on March 21 of 2007 and I still cannot type this without crying for the trauma I have to endure each day. Oh did I mention I am in an electric wheelchair for life? Yes I am and it is very diffacult to find another mate when you are 58 and in a wheelchair. “

The National Library of Medicine pubs confirm that sexual orientation is natural, biologically induced in the first trimester of pregnancy, morally neutral, immutable, neither contagious nor learned, bearing no relation to an individuals ability to form deep and lasting relationships, to parent children, to work or to contribute to society.

From the American Psychological Association: homosexuality is normal; homosexual relationships are normal.

The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Psychological Asociation and American Psychiatric Asociation have endorsed civil marriage for same-sex couples because marriage strengthens mental and physical health and longevity of couples, and provides greater legal and financial security for children, parents and seniors.

America’s premier child/mental health associations endorse marriage equality.

For those of you claiming homosexuality is a “lifestyle”, that is a false and ignorant statement. Homosexuality is not a choice. Just like you don’t choose the color of your skin, you cannot choose whom you are sexually attracted to. If you can, sorry, but you are not heterosexual, you are bi-sexual. Virtually all major psychological and medical experts agree that sexual orientation is NOT a choice. Most gay people will tell you its not a choice. Common sense will tell you its not a choice. While science is relatively new to studying homosexuality, studies tend to indicate that its biological.

http://www-news.uchicago.edu/releases/03/differential-brain-activation.pdf
http://www.newscientist.com/channel/sex/dn14146-gay-brains-structured-like-those-of-the-opposite-sex.html
Gay, Straight Men’s Brain Responses Differ
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,155990,00.html
http://www.livescience.com/health/060224_gay_genes.html
http://www.springerlink.com/content/w27453600k586276/
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/06/16/172/

There is overwhelming scientific evidence that homosexuality is not a choice. Sexual orientation is generally a biological trait that is determined pre-natally, although there is no one certain thing that explains all of the cases. “Nurture” may have some effect, but for the most part it is biological.

It should go without saying that a person should be allowed to marry whomever they choose. Until the right-wing, religious fanatics in this country stop trying to control everybody else and force their “morals” down the throat of the country, there can be no real freedom in the United States. Civil rights cannot simply be “voted away,” that is the purpose of the Bill of Rights. Religious activists should be left out of these decisions completely. I invite you to my web pages devoted to raising awareness on this puritan attack on our freedom: http://freethegods.blogspot.com/2009/06/san-franciscos-gay-pride-parade.html

When the religious groups bring their traveling carnival to these trials, they usually call upon “expert witness” George Rekers (yes, the Family Values guy who took a male prostitute to Europe for two weeks to ‘handle his baggage’ — eeeww) to testify. Do you suppose he’ll be part of the show this time around?

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/brain-and-behavior/articles/2010/06/07/kids-with-lesbian-parents-do-just-fine.html

nuff said.

I understand gays desire to “marry” the one they love. I also agree that homosexual nature may not be a choice although I do believe for some it is. However, we cannot as a society allow the marriage of homosexuals. Just as we cannot allow the marriage of multiple partners or to animals or to children. I know this is highly offensive to you to place homosexuals in this category but this is how it is. The line must be draw somewhere and for now you are on the other side of the line. It is your right to fight this as it is my right to oppose. It is highly annoying and ignorant to place people like me in the bigot category. Like you, I have an idea of right and wrong. I could place you in the bigot category too- A Bigot against Christians. So let’s stop throwing around HATE language. I do not hate any homosexual. I just don’t want my kids growing up to think that women should be with women. Isn’t this my right? I believe that homosexual behavior is destructive to a society. Now if I believed this with no evidence than I would be a fool. There is evidence. You do the research yourself. I pray that God will guide you to the truth. God is in the business of changing hearts and minds. The unrest you feel will be solved. Jesus said, “Come to me all who are weak and weary and I will give you rest” Matt 11:28