Opinion: Guest column
Despite ban, Fair Wisconsin within reach
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Also by Guest Columnist:
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- Seven years after Sept. 11, ignorance still the norm (April 16, 2008)
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It has been more than a year since Students for a Fair Wisconsin went knocking on doors and putting up signs all across UW's campus. The constitutional ban on civil unions and marriage in Wisconsin had been both demonized and applauded, families had been torn apart and millions of dollars had been spent on both sides of the issue. Arguments made in defense of the institution of marriage, such as tradition, religion and biology, were all challenged at every turn by real-life experiences. Telling a couple who had been together for 49 years — like the one that I had the honor of meeting just before the vote — that they are hurting the institution of marriage just because they're men is just one example of discrimination students had to tolerate over the course of our campaign. Students dropped hundreds of thousands of pieces of literature, used countless box loads of chalk, reached out to hundreds of other student organizations, and put up window signs on thousands of dorm doors and windows. The end result: a more than 86 percent average student turnout against the ban stood as a testament to the desire students at this campus have for equality. Students broke voter turnout records by the thousands and more Badgers voted on the issue of the ban than they did for governor.
Since Election Day, I have received dozens of e-mails, letters and Facebook messages from students, faculty and staff expressing their gratitude toward the students who helped make our efforts last fall a reality. Many of the individuals identify themselves as still being in the closet, admitting to having created fake names and addresses in their messages to me. Other communications have been stories of individuals who have come out of the closet since November in light of seeing the passion UW students displayed. All of the messages seem to have shared the hope that our fight would not stop when the polls closed on November 7th.
I do my best to comfort those who contact me by sharing with them the thought that the efforts continue to pave on. Students for a Fair Wisconsin has been resurrected by some very motivated students in the hope that the advocacy, visibility and education that can be provided can hasten the ban's inevitable defeat. This group, in conjunction with the statewide Fair Wisconsin organization, has been reaching out to students and beginning its operations on campus. I strongly urge anyone who was involved during Students for a Fair Wisconsin's peak to seek out this new group so that UW-Madison can continue to be the statewide leader in promoting the destruction of the ban. In light of the recent Dane County Circuit Court decision in which a challenge to the ban's constitutional grounding was allowed to continue through the appeals system, the grassroots advocacy that students and UW faculty could provide to the public discourse could spare us months, if not years, of discrimination written into the bedrock of our legal system.
If nothing else can be done, talking to our friends about how the ban affects families can help further the public debate on this important issue. Dorm room discussions with your room or floor mates can do more to help LGBT rights than a stack of literature. A well-placed point of view or life experience can change a person's outlook on what equality and marriage can really mean. It was simple person-to-person contacts like these that made Students for a Fair Wisconsin what it was last fall and what it will finally become when the ban goes down in flames.
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w00t Eli!
Computer Hax0|2s 4 Judge
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beep beep
001001100111000000011100010001000101.
Translation: “I support Eli Judge and oppose hateful bigots who hold gay couples down.”
beep beep
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District 8, Herald! District 8! You’ve been getting districts wrong for the better part of a decade. Have you no editors? Have you no SHAME?!
Just kidding about the shame, but serious about the editors.
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A HUGE thank you goes out to Eli and all the other FW volunteers. You’re all heroes!
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Well, Eli, if gays didn’t go around bashing straights because they won’t go see a gay cowboy movie, then bitch and moan because it didn’t win Best Picture, then maybe straights would be more receptive to the idea of gay marriage.
You hurt us, we’ll hurt you back.
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whoa to the longest paragraphs in Herald history.
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“Well, Eli, if gays didn’t go around bashing straights because they won’t go see a gay cowboy movie, then bitch and moan because it didn’t win Best Picture, then maybe straights would be more receptive to the idea of gay marriage.”
I’ve seen this argument a lot in the last week, throughout the comment boards. It’s one of the most pathetic arguments I’ve ever heard - how is denying someone a recognition of their love on par with you being guilted into seeing a film? So lack of convenience is some how painful?
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8:30 - you don’t speak on behalf of all straight people. stop acting like you do.
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Ah, fixed the district number, good. Robbie Webber would have been offended.
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I don’t think 8:30’s argument is pathetic. I think it’s the out and out truth. Gays continue to be among the most militant a-holes in this country. I mean, seriously, Brokeback Mountain won three Oscars, not to mention a truckload of Golden Globes and People’s Choice awards. What more do you want? So it didn’t win best picture. It was still an excellent movie. But no, all the gays have to get their undies all up in a bunch, include best director Ang Lee. WTF!
Now all us straights, who are more level-headed and acknowledge that Brokeback Mountain cleaned up at the awards, are homophobic bigots. Come on, grow a brain! Then the gay marriage referendum came up in several states across the country and was overwhelmingly defeated. Can you guess why? Nope, it wasn’t because too many straights are turned off at the sight of two men kissing. It was because gays pissed us off with their big temper tantrum over Brokeback Mountain not winning best picture!
So there you have it. You all have become major pains in the ass as minorities. How on earth could you expect us to trust you as equals? You will stay second class citizens until you grow up and show some respect for everyone else. Otherwise, your arguments about equality and discrimination will continue to fall on deaf ears.
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10:13am and 10:16am, your comments are what’s pathetic. You both sound like a couple of babies. Do you need your diapers changed? Is it feeding time? Nap time? Goo-goo-gah-gah?
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12:26 - ummm. what? Have anything good to contribute? 12:23 - Please tell me you are not relegating a whole group of people to the issues bargain bin because some bitched about a movie not getting enough recognition. If this is indeed the case, you are an absolute idiot.
Pop culture vs. Real life relationships - there is no comparison.
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How did this become a discussion about a movie? I also don’t get how a reaction to a movie not winning an Oscar is the direct cause of people voting for a marriage amendment. The correlation just isn’t clear. Also, please do not lump everyone who fits into a certain group into having the opinion. I happen to be a gay man who didn’t really like Brokeback Mountain. Most of that stemmed from not being able to understand half the words out of Heath Ledger’s mouth. Do I get to marry now because I didn’t like the movie? Does that make me one of the “good minorities?” Please make your arguments just a scoch more logical or at least include the intermediate steps linking a movie to the state constitution.
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Hey kids, remember that judges are elected in Wisconsin - your lobbying efforts are important!
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“Well, Eli, if gays didn’t go around bashing straights because they won’t go see a gay cowboy movie, then bitch and moan because it didn’t win Best Picture, then maybe straights would be more receptive to the idea of gay marriage.”
Yeah, that’s the same thing as denying civil rights to a bunch of people because they make you and your parochial friends a little uncomfortable with what they do in private.
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1:21 Best Herald Discussion Board comeback EVER
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love the 1:21 post. if you idiots are basing your votes on a god damn movie, then we have bigger problems than people who love each other wanting to be recognized legally. get your heads out of your asses and come up with a better argument than a two hour film.
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How about this for an idea?
Marriage, being originally religious in nature, should not be recognized AT ALL by the state.
Civil union should be the only couple arrangement the state provides, encompassing current legal benefits of marriage like taxation. No limits can be imposed on a civil union—sex, age, heck, even number of people involved (although putting an upper limit on that might be a good idea).
If you want to get married, you can do so under the auspice of the religion or church you choose, but it has no legal bearing.
Discuss.
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“if you idiots are basing your votes on a god damn movie-“
It wasn’t the movie, idiot, it was the way the LGBT community carried itself. Go ahead and deny that most of you made total asses of yourselves, but we straights don’t have to care about you if we don’t want to. Call us bigots all you want. But remember this: If it weren’t for our willingness to start changing things for you by accepting that you are an underclass that has been treated unfairly, you’d all still be in institutions getting shock therapy. Gay sex would still be a felony in every state. You wouldn’t even dream of coming out of the closet.
The more you harrass us no matter how tolerant and enlightened we strive to be, the more discouraged and indifferent we will become. It’ll be your problem, not ours. So be careful what you ask for, because…
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The above argument doesn’t make any sense. At all. So, if I decide to call myself a “Nazi” and kill Jews. Then I stop killing Jews. Under your logic, they need to thank me, because after all, if I didn’t change my thoughts on them, they’d be getting killed still!
I am going to bet that you do not go here. And yes, you are a bigot. Okay, now I just pray to God you do not go here. Bigot.
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Godwin’s Law.
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Still greasing yourself for that political career, huh, Eli?