"Why is homophobia acceptable in our society"

Are you crazy? Go ahead and try to call someone a "fag" today and see what happens. Amanda, we have to see this referendum for what it was: an election year gimmick. Don't get upset, just continue to live your life and love your fellow man.

The votes have been cast. Conservatives, don't complain. Liberals, don't complain. The arguments were made, judgments were made, and democracy has proven effective.

Well, Amanda, it just goes to show that the far-left cannot possibly force its own morality down everyone else's throat. Not everyone has to agree with you, and calling them homophobic bigots certainly won't help either. Homophobia wouldn't be so pervasive if the LGBT community would just get its act together and stop whining like babies every time they don't get their way.

"it just goes to show that the far-left cannot possibly force its own morality down everyone else's throat."

nor should people force religion down others' throats, right?

and I mean, gay marriage is definitely the reason Britney and K-Fed broke up.

Amanda,

Don't take this personally, but your letter is a perfect example of the type of stupid and nonsensical gay propaganda that the voters wisely rejected on Tuesday.

Firstly, the amendment in now way "dismisses domestic violence cases between unmarried couples". That's silly. Across the country gay activists have tried to confuse the issue with such lies in the hopes that you can get people to not support the amendments.

Voting for the amendment (which I would have done was I still living in Wisconsin) does not tell gay people that they are sub-human. It reaffirms what every society in human history has known and practiced for thousands of years. Marriage is the most important institution. Destroy marriage and you get social turmoil. Children need a mother and a father who are married, because that is the best possible environment for all. Marriage in America has been suffering in the past 30 years, and look at all the negative consequences.

"Ironically, such was the status of African Americans throughout most of American history..."

Really, Mandy? Are you comparing the status of homosexuals today to that of African Americans? How arrogant, and insulting of you. Were gays ever kept as slaves? Denied the right to vote? Segregated? Forced to drink from only from rainbow-colored fountains?

Think about it.

Also, stop comparing homosexuality to race. Race is an inborn, genetic trait. I am not saying it is a choice, but no one has ever shown homosexuality to be inborn and genetic. It is the result of many factors, some of which environmental. Nature AND nurture. Homosexuality is an unhealthy sexual behavior. Yes, unhealthy. Take off your pink (pun intended) glasses and read some studies.

Discrimination against unhealthy behaviors (behaviors, not people) is not only acceptable it is necessary.

I know you're used to calling people bigoted, but if you can't inform yourself why the other side thinks the way it does and what evidence they have to support their views, you're the one who is being narrow-minded.

As for "homophobia", can't you see that gays are unbelievably influential, get away with pretty much everything, and are immune from even the mildest criticism? Have you never heard of political correctness? At Madison you get gay propaganda shoved down your throat daily.

I think the militant gays in Madison may have brainwashed you just a little bit.

"America has been suffering in the past 30 years, and look at all the negative consequences."

The "suffering," if you must call it that, has everything to do with the increasing divorce rates. Divorce is a problem the "straights" have created, but refuse to fix.

If marriage is truly the MOST important institution, then we should really consider a ban against divorce and the subsequent "suffering".

"Homophobia wouldn't be so pervasive if the LGBT community would just get its act together and stop whining like babies every time they don't get their way."

Are you kidding me?! I hardly call passing a piece of legislation that is pure discrimination in action something petty to be upset over.

Voting Yes was about beliefs, specifically conservative religious views. Voting No was about gaining equality. Homophobia wouldn't be so pervasive if some junk of a book, the Bible, wasn't used to defend the hatred that exists in this country.

E.O.

What about marrying my dog? We have a good relationship.

HELLO!!! Can you hear me? This issue is closed, SHUT UP. You live in a democracy and you have to live with the results. What don't you understand?

Badger Herald, please don't run anymore columns about this topic unless our civilization unravels as the direct result of the altered state constitution.

Everyone, suck it up.

-Liberal

"Are you comparing the status of homosexuals today to that of African Americans? How arrogant, and insulting of you. Were gays ever kept as slaves? Denied the right to vote? Segregated? Forced to drink from only from rainbow-colored fountains? "

First of all not only is your whole letter is smug and arrogant but your claims are unfounded from a scientific perspective (unless, of course, you believe in Kansas-"science"). You aren't trying to change anyone's mind here. You're just trying to provoke. How very Christian of you.

And actually gay people have been denied and segregated. How dare you ever claim otherwise. Ever heard of Matthew Shepherd? Ever been a gay kid in a locker room? It's not a one-to-one comparison but it is completely valid because your type have claimed that some sort of long standing marriage tradition is a reason to deny status to LGBT people. You can't have it both ways. If you claim tradition is a reason to discriminate agianst LGBT people then you must also be consistent and think that racial discrimination and second class status of women is also warranted because, after all, that is what tradition dictates. Perhaps we should go witch hunting too! How ridiculous you are.

Now why don't you go back to your bible and come up with some more passages that you can selectively choose to follow or ignore based on your whims.

To Anonymous 12:49 PM
Dogs aren't human. You could still bonk him anyway, teach him to worship a failed god, and then maybe fry him up for lunch. Enjoy!

Can I marry my first cousin? I hope so, because I'm sick of the Liberal and Republican Incestiphobes.

Anonymous (November 9, 2006 @ 2:21pm):

Are you discriminating against Patches? Who are you to say he's not human? Whatever happened to EQUALITY???

"You live in a democracy"

No, the United States is not a democracy. Hint: look up "republic" and "tyranny of the majority".

To Anonymous 2:01 PM:

This is the guy who posted at 11:22.

I did not intend on responding, but your post was so hate-filled and ignorant that I felt compelled to say something.

If you read through what I wrote carefully, you will see that I NEVER made Christian references or used religion to support my arguments. I am NOT religious, all my arguments are secular. I do not own a bible and have never even read it.

Your entire anti-Christian rant was pointless and completely irrelevant to the arguments I made in my post.

I wonder which claims are "unfounded from a scientific perspective". You didn't say...

Regarding Shepherd. That was a tragedy, of course. According to the police report, the main motivation of the killers was robbery. That does not diminish the tragedy, but it does indicate you should stop politicizing it for propaganda purposes. There was a woman killed by a gay man because she shared her Christian belief that homosexuality is wrong. There are idiots on both sides.

"It's not a one-to-one comparison..." At least you admit how faulty your reasoning is.

As for your witch-hunting comment...that's crazy and doesn't make sense. At some point people like you are going to have to realize that insults do not substitute for arguments. That just shows intellectual weakness.

"nor should people force religion down others' throats, right?

and I mean, gay marriage is definitely the reason Britney and K-Fed broke up."

Hey, what goes around comes around. It's not so much that heterosexuals feel threatened, it's just that you wanted to deprive heterosexuals of their rights for the longest time, so we're going to do the same to you. Deal with it!

"...if some junk of a book, the Bible,..."

See, there's another reason the LGBT's aren't getting anywhere! You trash our Christian religion left and right. We certainly can't let you do that. And we won't. You and your sick perverted lifestyle will stay in the gutter where it belongs.

Thank you to the above poster arguing against gay marriage without reverting to bible thumping. That annoys me (a conservative) just as much as my liberal friends.

If we're not a democracy, why are we trying to spread it around the Middle East? If majority doesn't rule, why did Macaca concede this afternoon?

"Ironically, such was the status of African Americans throughout most of American history..."

Seriously? Comparing gays to blacks? You should ask Bassey Etim what he thinks about that.

Although I agree with the sentiment, this article troubles me. As a person of color who identifies at LGBT, I'm well aware that both homophobia and racism are thriving in this country today. To talk about racism as if we've conquered it, and now homophobia is the next institutionlized hatred to overcome is simply not correct.

Now, I know this next part doesn't help anything, but I must say this after Tuesday's results.

For all the "5's" who commented on this article, you disgust me.

I plead for honest answers:
Were there any other reasons that one voted Yes other than, 1) on religious ground or 2) dislike of the gay lifestyle?

In response to (Anon at 4:52) "See, there's another reason the LGBT's aren't getting anywhere! You trash our Christian religion left and right. We certainly can't let you do that. And we won't. You and your sick perverted lifestyle will stay in the gutter where it belongs."

You say that LGBT's aren't getting anywhere, but yet another supporter of your side states LGBT's basically get whatever they want. Interesting.

I question your Christian religion because very often it is used to judge others. Don't you agree that the Bible is not straight forward? It was translated how many times? Why is it that Christians feel that everyone will be judged by God, when he is not yet proven to exist?

Lastly, I speak as a heterosexual, non-believer in the existence of a god.

E.O.