Agree with Dean on gay marriage?

[CalebHayes]

I am with him on everything but this statement on civil unions, "makes me uncomfortable, the same as anybody else" Does it make you uncomfortable?

http://www.azcentral.com/news/opinions/columns/articles/1221maceachern21.html

http://slate.msn.com/id/2086952/

http://www.mountainpridemedia.org/jan2000/oe_edit.htm

-----------------------------------------

I am "uncomfortable" with the fact that we don't have gay marriage or civil unions.

[cjbuchanan]

1. Can you provide a link?

Would like to see the question that caused his response.

Thanks

[CalebHayes]

4. link

http://www.azcentral.com/news/opinions/columns/articles/1221maceachern21.html

http://slate.msn.com/id/2086952/

http://www.mountainpridemedia.org/jan2000/oe_edit.htm

He said it during a speech on civil unions.

[cjbuchanan]

6. Um, your links say something different.

All three links provided say he is talking about gay marriage, not civil unions.

From http://www.azcentral.com/news/opinions/columns/articles/1221maceachern21.html

It was about gay marriage. It made him uncomfortable, he said. And, so, a prospective presidency was born.

The individual perhaps most responsible for ushering gay marriage to the forefront of the culture wars has retained plausible deniability for his actions. As far as he's concerned, Dean just brokered a tough compromise in Vermont by supporting civil unions there. The record shows that anything more makes him . . . uncomfortable.


From http://slate.msn.com/id/2086952

Gay marriage "makes me uncomfortable, the same as anybody else," Dean said at the time.


From http://www.mountainpridemedia.org/jan2000/oe_edit.htm

Where was his mind when he said same-sex marriage “makes me uncomfortable, the same as anybody else?”


Now if you disagree with him being uncomfortable about gay marriage, I can see your point, but he was not talking about civil unions as you state in your first post.

[CalebHayes]

12. Sorry, I read...

In some book about Dean that he said this. That was around 3 AM.

But still... Whats so uncomfortable about Gay Marriage?

[adriennel]

2. No! That's not right!

not doubting you, by my goodness, did Dean really say something to the effect that gay civil unions make everyone uncomfortable? because this is a load of BS. It doesn't make me uncomfortable in the slighest.
I want to support Dean but I don't understand how his sentiment meshes with the civil union initiative in the state of Vermont?

[LeahMira]

17. Dean should speak for himself only.

... did Dean really say something to the effect that gay civil unions make everyone uncomfortable? because this is a load of BS. It doesn't make me uncomfortable in the slighest.

Doesn't make me or my husband uncomfortable either. If it bothers Dean, he needs to speak for himself only.

Of course change makes everyone a tad edgy for a while. I'm worried that if civil "unions" are permitted, some of the benefits of "marriage" might slip through the legal loopholes unless the law is written extremely well and covers all contingencies. But the idea of two men or two women marrying? Raising a family? Living next door? No problem.

[adriennel]

26. agreed

it's fine for Dean to feel uncomfortable with gay "marriage" (though it doesn't impress me). I was concerned with the notion in the original post that Dean was uncomfortable with gay marriage "as everyone would be" but that's not a direct quote so nevermind :D

[NicoleM]

3. I believe he said

calling it "marriage" made him uncomfortable.

[wtmusic]

5. Yes

Using the word marriage. He supports civil unions without qualification.

[adriennel]

11. OK, I get it...

so Dean is from the "seperate but equal" camp when it comes to gay marriage. not very admirable, imo. I'm so sick of this "civil union" vs "marriage" issue. It's nothing more than thinly veiled excuse to continue discrimination.
sorry, gotta do it...Britney marrying a friend in Vegas as a joke is sanctioned whereas gay couples who have been together for 10, 15, + years don't deserve the sanctity of marriage. the priorities in this country.....

[JasonDeter]

Answering that question on DU

is like answering your wifes question, "Is I fat?"

[Hoosier Democrat]

7. The debate makes me a bit uncomfortable.

OK, I'll admit to being a "Conservative Democrat" from a conservative state, but here's my take:

I have no problem with civil unions. My problem comes in when we allow this debate to define the 2004 election (and you can BET that His Fraudulency's puppet masters are planning to ambush the Dems with this).

Sometimes, we tend to see everyone who doesn't support gay rights as "homophobic". Often, these people just have no understanding of the idea of "gay". Here in Indiana, many of our rural folks will tell you they have never met a gay person. Their only concept of gays would be child molesting priests and pop singers, or comic characters like Jack on "Will and Grace". When we start calling these folks "bigots" or "Ignorant hicks", we just push them farther away. Once these folks do meet a "Real Live Queer" (one farmer I know's quote), they tend to see things differently. It will just take time for people's perceptions to change. Remember, it's been less than 35 years since Stonewall started the gay rights movement. Our African-American friends had to wait over a century for their full voting rights (still waiting in Florida). Change comes slow, but it does come. The waiting is the hardest part.

What Howard Dean is trying to do is to paint himself as a man with reservations on the issue (which he said during the controversy in Vermont). The truth is that any Democrat who stands up and makes civil unions THE issue of the campaign will join Mondale and McGovern in the Democratic Losers Hall of Fame.

It would be much better for us to play it low-key and then work from INSIDE the tent than to spend another four years looking in from the outside.

[CalebHayes]

9. I bet the know more "real live queers" than they think.

[adriennel]

13. everyone knows someone who is gay

you just may not know they're gay
;-)

[DuctapeFatwa]

8. I am uncomfortable with creating a "second-class tier" of committment

based on gender.

I am uncomfortable with the idea that gay peoples' marriages are to be considered by the state to be something less than those of heterosexuals.

I do not agree with the premise that same-sex couples love each other any less, or are any less committed to each other than their mixed-sex brothers and sisters, so why legislate them into a "colored waiting room?"

[CalebHayes]

10. AGREED!

[Robbien]

14. I am uncomfortable that a candidate bashing thread is in GD

Why spew this awful bashing here?

[CalebHayes]

15. I'm not bashing. For the most part I agree with him.

[Robbien]

18. But others do not, so the bashing continues on and on and on

there is a separate section for this

[lovedems]

16. I agree with civil unions and gay marriage

I have to watch my words here. I think it is silly that this issue is in the spotlight to the point the village idiot wants to amend the constitution to make marriage between a man and woman. Unless you are a pedophile or a rapist, what you do in your bedroom isn't anybody elses business. What you do in your bedroom doesn't effect the type person you are, your ability to do your job or or your ability to be a kind and thoughtful person. I think it is silly for people to make the argument that gay marriage somehow minimalizes the institute of marriage. I have an uncle who has been in a "civil union" for 25 years and I have learned alot about their wonderful relationship as compared to my many friends who have the traditional marriage that is crappy and have ended in bitter divorce.

This argument is a nod toward the christian coalition who somehow seemed obsessed with a persons personal choice (hence the abortion issue as well). The reason I need to watch my words is because this is a silly issue because it should be a non issue. People should have the right to marry who they want and should be alloted the same resources everyone else is to provide for their partner. I am at a loss as to why it has to be an issue. As a catholic, christians scare me these days.

If there are people out there who think this should be an issue for the purpose of awareness, I hope I didn't offend you. Awareness is important for knowledge and if that is what is needed then I support the cause.

[adriennel]

20. don't ask, don't tell didn't work

Thanks for your post, I found it very interesting to read.

In terms of awareness of this issue, I think of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. In other words, let's pretend the issue of gays in the military is not a problem. This policy did nothing but postpone an issue that needs to be resolved! For policies to be changed, they must be discussed out in the open, and not pushed aside pretending there is no problem.

[lovedems]

23. I agree, it didn't work

I guess my point is, this shouldn't be a problem. There shouldn't have been a problem with gays in the military, there shouldn't be a problem with civil unions and the right for a gay man to be able to put his partner on his health insurance. I realize that just because I don't have a problem with it there are many people who do. I just don't get it. That is why I said at the end of my post, to be educated, if the issue needs to be raised, I support it and will argue with anyone who wants to tell me they are against it or "uncomfortable" with it.

[adamrsilva]

19. Favoring gay marriage is a surefire way to really have a

49-state landslide for Bush.

Someday it will happen, but not now.

[adriennel]

24. *yawn*

catch up with the times, man. the time is now.

[JasonDeter]

27. Thats why the republicans would love to make this an issue.

I hope the Democratic candidate is smart enough to NOT get drawn in.

[adriennel]

28. I think they already have...

and I hope the Democratic candidate is smart and bold enough to stand up for equal rights. Dems will lose votes if they pretend this is a non-issue.

[Cocoa]

21. Dean isn't homophobic

and the dems are remarkably united on civil unions. With the exception of Lieberman, they seem to have identical positions.

Isn't that what matters? Why try making something that's not there out of that comment?

[adamrsilva]

22. Only DK, Braun, and Sharpton favor gay marriage

to try and use this against Dean is pathetic.

[Mairead]

25. Dean's position is Constitutionally terrible

The equal-protections clause of the Fourteenth Amendment states that everyone is to be treated equally under the law. The Constitution does not allow there to be one law for the wealthy and another for the poor, one law for White people and another for Black people, one law for straights and another for queers.