Senate Homosexuality: the Thread

OMG, the slippery slope of blended fabrics finally came to fruition with the arrival of drag queens.

 

It's called the health care plan for the politicians - if only WE had the same plan as Congress.

 

Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania now support Gay Marriage.

How many Democratic Senators don't support it now, 8? And to think, 10 years ago, I don't think any supported it.

 

Maybe because merchants would rip people off by mixing lesser fabrics with more expensive ones? It's not like synthetics existed. I dunno, I always heard that pork and shellfish were forbidden originally because they were more likely to make people sick. More of Leviticus would certainly make sense if there were practical/secular reasoning behind it.

 

Opposition to marriage equality would make more sense if there were practical/secular reasoning behind it.

 

I don't know. Secular reasons can be just as dumb as religious ones.

 

Actually they can't.

 

These days, most legitimate scholars and theologians will tell you that the impetus for Leviticus is almost entirely practical/secular, like Hammurabi's code for Jews. It's couched in Jewish mythology and whatnot because that's how they understood the world, but consensus is pretty much that it was way more meant for practicality and culture-building than theology or something.

Granted, the first place I heard that was Bible college. So it should be taken with a grain of salt.

 

You can have gay sex in the missionary position.

 

Mark Kirk of Illinois becomes the 2nd Republican Senator to support Same-Sex Marriage:
http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/...d-senate-republican-to-back-same-sex-marriage

Tom Carper of Delaware also now supports Same-Sex Marriage, as of this morning too.

 

That leaves 50 Senators, I believe, that openly support it.

GOP Rep. Salmon from Arizona refuses to support gay marriage, he announced, despite his son being openly gay. What a father.

 

Plus Joe Biden, who you could say started this avalanche. I wonder if the Senate will pass a symbolic resolution, supporting same-sex marriage? Or at least repeal what's left of DOMA after the Supreme Court has its say in June.

 

I'd love to see it, except it's unlikely to pass. In 2013, the Senate now needs 60 votes rather than 50

That leaves 6 Democrats that aren't openly for it. Susan Collins will be the next Republican. Her seat is as safe as they come which gives her cover (although it's amazing that opposing it may actually hurt her in Maine now). She also was the primary Republican sponsor, I believe, of DADT repeal. When asked just the other day where she stands on it, she gave the typical ambiguous politician answer.

 

While not dealing directly with politics, Magic Johnson's son has come out of the closet. Magic says he supports his son.

 

Senator Nelson of Florida now supports Same-Sex Marriage

That leaves 6 Democratic Senators who don't...
1. Tim Johnson of South Dakota (who's retiring in a year, but his son might run for his seat)
2. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana (up for re-election in a year)
3. Mark Pryor of Arkansas (up for re-election in a year)
4. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota (just elected)
5. Joe Donnelly of Indiana (just elected)
6. Joe Manchin of West Virginia


Who else is likely?

Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska probably should soon... and maybe there's a few more unexpected Republican Senators like Portman and Kirk too. Hopefully another wave starts in the House and with the Governors too.

 

I like how nobody explains why they were against gay marriage in the first place.

 

Because they now think those views were wrong...

 

Are you still harping on about this?

Folk devils and moral panic were (and largely remain) effective means of social control. Religion excels at creating moral panic within its ranks, which in our past included practically everybody.

 

So, that's 51 Senators now who support gay marriage.

Only 16 Senators supported gay marriage in 2010.

Only 8 Senators supported gay marriage in 2008.



What changed? Did the number of people who know gay people just reach critical mass or something?

 

People have always known gay people. That isn't what has changed.

I would guess that media influence has a lot to do with it.

 

Known people who are openly gay, people who are their relatives and friends and neighbors and coworkers...

 

Plus, maybe they realise that, unlike what some radio show hosts and religious leaders believe, North Korea isn't going to suddenly start nuking us tomorrow because the US might suddenly legalize gay marriage. They might nuke us for other things, but I doubt gay marriage is high on the list.

 

Yes, people have always known people who were openly gay. They used to reject them.

This leads me to think that "knowing someone who is gay" isn't what has changed people's opinions.

 

Maybe it's knowing now that others know people who are gay too, and it's not so bad.