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Originally Posted by Infinite_Loser
*Disclaimer: Flame me if you must, I don't care*
The one thing I hate the most in the gay marriage debate is the word "Bigot".
I've a question for you.
Why is it illegal in the United States to practice polygamy or even practice incest between two consenting adults, even if they produce no offspring and both situations involve full consent from both parties?
The answer is rather simple. It's because it goes against mainstream culture and, thusly, considered to be taboo. It's the same with gay marriage. It's not legalized, save for a few states, for the same reason that polygamy and incest aren't legalized. Though most people refuse to acknowledge it, the arguments for legalizing all three are formed on the same premise-- A universal "right" which affects no one but the parties involved is being infringed upon unfairly by the government. I've rarely, if ever, seen someone be called a bigot for opposing polygamy or incest, yet I often see people throw out the term when someone is opposed to gay marriage? Why?
Yes. I know that some people will scream slippery slope, but these same people never get around to noting the similiarities much less answering the question.
Anywho, why not just do as other states have done and put it to vote? Let the people decide what they want instead of having the government do it for them. Seems simple enough, wouldn't you say?
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I wanted to respond to this earlier, but this is the first chance I've had to get in here since this thread exploded.
First let me assure you that I have no intention of flaming you. I think you bring up good points that are worthy of discussion.
People often share similar viewpoints for exceptionally different reasons. Allow me to give you an example if I can find one that makes sense. Let's use the historical example of the abolitionists. Some abolitionists argued that slavery was wrong from a moral standpoint, claiming that the enslavement of any person or group of people is and was unjust. Others argued that slavery gave the South an unfair economic advantage but had no problem with laws that treated black Americans as less than citizens. Within historical context, our society views the second group as racists, even though they favored an end to slavery.
Now, you argue against gay marriage under the same reasoning for maintaining the illegality of polygamy and incest. I can understand why you would argue this and while I vehemently disagree, I can at least see where you are coming from. However, others are arguing against equal marriage rights for gays and lesbians because they think homosexuals are deviants and not "normal". They piggyback on the arguments of others because they have nothing outside their own bigotry on which to state their case. They're bigots, plain and simple.
As to why the term "bigot" is not used to identify those against polygamy and incest I would say: polygamy and incest are lifestyle choices. One is not born a polygamist nor an incesticist (I may have made that word up). There is evidence - thoughly hotly debated - that homosexuality is a genetic trait. Therefore, we are placing limits on what they may or may not do based upon something over which they have no choice. Marginalizing and castigating a group of people based upon a genetic trait is bigotry. Of course, many people firmly believe that homosexuality is a choice, so that makes the argument moot. Until there is definitive proof that homosexuality is either a choice or a trait, this argument will continue.
As far as putting it to a vote, the only issue I have with this is that rights are rarely granted to protect the majority. They are there to ensure that the politically powerless are not treated unjustly by the politically powerful.