Is the issue of Gay Mairrage versus Civil Unions an example of the 60's 'Seperate but Equal' policies?
148742
No, its not a case of separate but equal. Its a political compromise to provide some relief to gay persons in an atmosphere where the majority of persons don't want actual same-sex marriage. Yes, it might not be "the same" as heterosexual marriage, but then there is nothing in this that is similar to the civil rights movement where you were talking basic human rights in the separate but equal doctrine. The separate but equal doctrine was actually a way to institutionalize discrimination rather than reducing it. The civil unions movement is an attempt to remedy the discrimination.
757066
BRILLIANT!! THANK YOU FOR BRINGING UP THIS POINT!\nExactly right now we are being governed by a minority.  The MAJORITY govern the MINORITY if a majority of people want gay rights then let it be, if they dont then dont let that happen.  That is essentially how the US system of govt is supposed to work.
979849
The 60's were definitely an era of change in more than one area. It was a revolution of sorts. Not all the boomers were into free love, sex, and drugs. Throw in the Vietnam War and there was a lot of controversy about the times, the generation, the beliefs at the time.....it was as each significant era distinctly its' own. I lived it, didn't agree with all of it, look back try to make sense of it all, and realize your kids just like you are gonna do what they are gonna do, and all the song and dance doesn't stop it merely changes. You usually don't learn from someone elses mistakes unfortunately. So ironic and humorous not really simply par for the course......of life.
886554
Uhh....because this country was founded on people's right to do and be whatever they want.  Last time I looked "gays" were just as capable of being in the military as a heterosexual.  And as for Muslim's, I do believe we are allowed to practice whatever religion we so choose, kind of the reason we got away from England.  And not all Muslim's are extremists.
139886
Same sex marriges are illegal in all states except Massachusetts. Vermont allows civil unions, bot not gay marrige
882560
Only one, Massachusettes.  Although recently a ruling was made by the New Jersey Supreme Court that they must offer equal rights to gay relationships but the name hasn't been determined.  Whether they call it "marriage" or "civil unions" hasn't been determined yet.
973772
Hell no. Remember that during the segregation era, southern states hindered the advancement of equality by declaring they were "sovereign states" and didn't had to obey federal law. I support states rights to some limit and I think when states conflict with federal government then we are in trouble.
187150
I don't think any state does. I think it's a federal law that they can't. Some states however can get civil unions.\n\nMy opinion is that not allowing gays and lesbians to be married is steping on our constitutional rights. The only way they can justify why they can't get married is what. Due to thier beliefs that it should only be man and woman. I'm sorry but this sounds like a religious view to me; and in the U.S. we have freedom of religion. We also have Seperation of church and state, so what is thier reason for this.
729292
Interestingly enough, the 1960's era civil rights movement in America was HIGHLY influenced by Reverand Martin Luther King-whose claim was that the moral laws of God were not being carried out in the laws of America, he used the lack of equality as an example of this. \n\nThis is religion in government. Also, growth in the popular movement for Americans to free their slaves came about because most Northern abolitionists were preachers and church goers who thought slavery was a sin against man. This is why they wanted slave laws removed from their legal systems. \n\nReligion plays a very important role, and though we may claim to govern "secularly" there is no way around the moral influence of religion.
920943
It's not about being gay... you hit the nail on the head, it is about hypocrisy of the Republic party. \n\nPpl think I am joking or being facetious when I say they live by a double standard. When I make that statement, I am completely serious.
602451
Interesting point.  The 9th was put forth to clarify that "the enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people."  \n\nSo in this case, saying the Constitution doesn't say anything about gay marriage is a moot point.  \n\nThe 14th says, in part, "No State shall...deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."\n\nSo it could be interpreted that "equal protection" would apply to those legal rights regarding heterosexual marriage as being equally applied to gay marriage. \n\nI'm not a legal scholar (obviously), but I see your point.
940385
A same sex union forms a part of the framework of civil unions. Marriage is a more religious name for the same thing. There are a few differences depending on where the law exists, but essentially they are the same.
212627
In modern society there are two institutions of marriage. One is religious and one is secular. The religious institution of marriage is the one most people think of: two people stand before a minister and promise to remain faithful to each. Whether or not the religious institution accepts gay marriage is a question for each congretation.\n\nThe secular institution of marriage is the institution recognized by the government. To enter into a secular marriage, two people must sign a marriage contract before a justice of the peace. It has nothing to do with religion, and everything to do with the wide array of social and economic protections afforded to married people. These range from everything to tax breaks to visitation privledges in hospitals.\n\nYou're probably going to get a rebuttal argument about civil unions that says, gays should be ok with civil unions because they function as a marriage without calling them a marriage. The response to this is that the black civil rights movement demonstrated that the idea of "separate but equal" does not work. Quite frankly, civil unions never going to afford all the protections of marriage unless they're called marriage.\n\nThe US Constitution includes a guarantee of the separation of church and state. The state cannot force its mores on churchs, and churchs cannot force their mores on the state. Therefore, for the state to discriminate against marriage between two people of the same sex simply on the basis that they are of the same sex and the religious institution has a problem with that is unconstitutional (in my interpretation, it violates the 14th Amendment's due process clause).\n\nHope this helps.
204863
equal rights/affirmative action while noble in thought are actually divisive in that there is one side that gets screwed over the other.  It is a joke and I can't believe that there are still occurances from what you described.  I really feel for you man.  hope your luck changes.
704063
Most likely the Stonewall Riots of 1969. Many cite this occurence as the origins of the gay rights movement in the US. Shortly after the riots the HRC was formed, which is in existence still today fighting for gay rights. However, as early as after WWI and WWII there were organized, although unofficial, networks of gay soldiers who stayed in touch, although they didn't necessarily lobby for rights or anything.\n\nBut Stonewall Riot has been written on extensively...Just google it.\n\n[Note...not gay, just took a class of origins of civil rights in the US that happened to include a chapter on gay rights]
445428
During the 1950's and 1960's, southern states continued to pass "separate but equal" laws. These laws are referred to as segregation laws because they segregated (or separated) people based on race.\nOn May 17, 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court took up the issue of "separate but equal" in public schools in the case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. The Court ruled segregation in public schools was inherently unequal. However, segregation remained in private schools. Did you know Thurgood Marshall was a lawyer for the NAACP who argued Brown v. Board of Education? Later, Marshall became the first African-American U.S. Supreme Court Justice.\n\nIn September, 1957, nine African-American students tried to attend the all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. The governor sent the Arkansas National Guard to stop the students from entering the school. President Eisenhower stepped in. He sent U.S. soldiers to Arkansas to escort the children to school for the entire school year.\n\nThe Montgomery Bus Boycott was one of the first protests of the Civil Rights Movement. In March, 1955, teenager Claudette Colvin refused to give up her seat to a white passenger, and she was arrested. On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was also arrested for the same reason. Parks was found guilty and required to pay a $14 fine.\n\nJo Ann Robinson, the president of the Women's Political Council, and E. D. Nixon had a plan to boycott the city buses of Montgomery. They distributed 35,000 leaflets asking African-Americans to stop riding the buses. Community leaders and church ministers, including Martin Luther King, Jr., met to discuss the protest.\n\nThe next Monday (December 5), 50,000 African-Americans did not ride the city buses. They decided to continue the boycott until segregation on buses ended. For over a year, African-Americans walked, hitchhiked, rode bicycles, or shared car rides.\n\nOn November 13, 1956, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Alabama's state and local laws requiring segregation on buses were unconstitutional. The boycott ended on December 21, 1956. It had lasted 382 days.
902524
I love when people speaks of equal rights...(this is discrimination against a sector of the population) (I do not believe people choose to be gay, hated, beaten and have to hide themselves)\n\n(we just ask for the rights of marriage, they can call it the forsaken union for all I care)\n\nIn our politically correct society maybe I should not be referred to as gay (I am not always happy)....hetrohandicapped... (they could give us a special sticker and a good parking place)