Anyone planning to buy it?

TRiG.

I agree with your comments. My spouse and I no longer associate with people or relatives who say that they love us or claim to be our friends and yet do not support our marriage. We surround ourselves with true friends and family that really do support us and keep away from the hypocrites and bigots. We just will no longer tolerate people who smile at our faces and vote against us behind our backs.

I never said the majority were trying to do so, I said many were. Whether or not that is the majority I choose not to speculate.

Timothy said “I also categorically reject your assertion that the majority of persons who do not yet favor legal same-sex marriages are hate-filled or even motivated by hatred.”.

You’re entitled to your opinion, your opinion however won’t change reality.

Alex said “I don’t know you or your circumstances. For all I know, your family may genuinely hate you. I really hope that’s not the case. But even if they do, that’s no excuse to make unfair generalizations about the rest of the “traditional marriage” community.”

Oh, I’d never make unfair generalizations abou the “traditional marriage” community Alex. People often have mixed emotions about their family, they may love some aspects of them and hate other aspects. To deny that is to deny reality.

You seem to harbor a lot of anger and resentment toward your family because they are anti-gay. I get that. My family opposes marriage equality too and it sucks. I feel betrayed by the very people who I thought would support me unconditionally. But at the same time, I don’t believe for one second that they hate me or wish to destroy my relationship with my partner.

I don’t know you or your circumstances. For all I know, your family may genuinely hate you. I really hope that’s not the case. But even if they do, that’s no excuse to make unfair generalizations about the rest of the “traditional marriage” community.

I categorically reject your assertion that the majority of persons who do not yet favor legal same-sex marriages are “trying to destroy gay relationships and families.”

I also categorically reject your assertion that the majority of persons who do not yet favor legal same-sex marriages are hate-filled or even motivated by hatred.

You may believe this to be true but I am confident that you speak for a very very tiny percentage of gay people.

I disagree. While there are certainly a lot of people out there who genuinely hate us (the Pat Robertsons and Maggie Gallaghers of the world, etc.), I would venture to say that the average opponent of marriage equality does not. The vast majority of conservative Christians I have known throughout my life, including my own Southern Baptist parents, are extremely decent people and have nothing but good intentions.

Hearing someone say that all opponents of marriage equality hate gay people reminds me of conservatives who say that all gay activists are “anti-family” and that we “hate heterosexual marriage.” Both statements are unfair and untrue.

It boggles my mind that you would even ask that question, the answer should be obvious. If you’re against equal marriage you’re obviously against that gay right and against full rights for gays – case closed.

Justin said “I’m guessing that most of what you see of your opponents comes from news channels and the other side of the picket line.”.

Wrong. My family opposes equal marriage and I was quite surprised by that, I thought more of them then that. Unlike you I think this reflects very poorly on them and they’ve lost my respect. In fact I have very little to do with them now. I certainly no longer think of them as good people.

Justin said “Why are all people not for gay marriage lumped into a group that hates gay people?”.

The same reason serial murderers and car thieves are lumped into a group that is criminal. You can make the valid argument that some of the people who oppose gay marriage aren’t as bad as others who oppose every gay right and that would be valid, but it isn’t any more valid to put them in a non-hating category than it is to say a thief isn’t a criminal because he’s a “good person” unlike the serial killer.