More amusing is the so called Xian right's constant whining that they are being "persecuted" for their faith, when in fact they are being politically oppossed in the political arena for attempting to legislate their religious beliefs as well as have the government promote their religious/polticial beliefs for them. Oh, boo hoo. The left says that we are wrong, so we are being persecuted.

Now, discrimination is another matter.

A group of people don't have to have the same things done to them to be discriminated against but lets look at where there might be some similarities in how gays are currently being treated and how blacks were historically (and sometimes currently) treated:

Throughout the Southern States in particular, there were laws that defined marriage as being between a man and a woman of the same race. Here in Alabama, that was part of the State Constitution and it was only a couple of years ago that the ban on inter-racial marriage was removed by a narrow vote. The legislature has been working on a anti-gay marriage amendment to take its place. We don't want to relinquish our title of Heart of Bigotry...uh Dixie. We are also trying very hard to make sure that 100 years from now our decendents will have an equally ridiculous amendment to excise from the Constitution. If we had to do it, by golly, they have to do it.

Blacks once were banned from the Military. Gays are banned from the military if they admit to being gay.

Blacks were discriminated against in housing. Gays are discriminated against in housing.

Blacks were discriminated against in hiring. Gays are discriminated against in hiring.

Blacks have been victims of hate crimes because they are black. Gays have been victims of hate crimes because they are gay.

The bottom line is this is America and their should be equal protection for all under the law. What these supposed "pro familly" groups do is even take active steps against private concerns when they do affirmative things to treat their employees equally. Look at the number of boycotts that have been mounted against companies that offer the same benefits package to a gay employee and his/her partner as are offered to a heterosexual employee and his/her partner. Look at the boycotts and threatened boycotts of corporatons who do nothing more than advertise in gay publication or provide fuvding for gay community groups. These people like Dobson are the philisophical decendents of the bigots who boycotted white businesses for selling to blacks, for advertising in black publications, and donating to black organizations. Many of those people used their religion as justification for their bigotry as well.

Of course when you use your religion to jusity treating a group of people differently than another, you can justify taking away any of of number of Equal protections because the target of your bigotry is evil incarnate. And when they are called out on it, the Konservative Kristian Koaltion is going to cry it is THEY who are being discriminated against, because they are being restrained from practicing their religion.

Keith, you have absolutely now idea what you're talking about.

A person's sexual practices cannot designate him/her into a protected legal class. There is no historical pattern of homosexuals being denied voting rights, property rights or being designated 3/5's of a person. Prejudice exists, but there is nothing that warrants protected legal status.

Homosexuality is also a behavior, not a race of people.

And no one is bringing up religion.

I want to see how "homophobes" (hate that word) would think a water fountain or bench that is for them only would be a bad thing. I think they are trying reverse psychology but I don't think it would work.

The hell nobody's bringing up religion. Religion is the ONLY argument against same sex marraige. Everything else is just so much rationalization. The entire debate boils down to "But, it's against my religion for you to do that". Well it isn't against mine, and I know entirely too many long time gay couples that have NO legal right each other's property or health care or parental rights. Even though in the eyes of my religion they are in fact married.
As far as I'm concerned this is just more of that good old "This is a christian country" b*llsh*t.