Politics

Brooks Blanton

Atlanta, GA

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Gay Marriage: Deciding Factor in Atl. Vote?

December 1, 2009 - 3:04 PM | by: Brooks Blanton

Gay marriage is not on the ballot in Atlanta today, but the issue could make a difference in the race for Mayor.  The ongoing gay marriage and gay rights debate has become a flashpoint in an election that could seat the city's first white mayor since 1973.  Both candidates have been pushed into a struggle to prove who is more gay-friendly to win the coveted vote of Atlanta's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) community.

Former Georgia State Senator Kasim Reed and current City Council member Mary Norwood have been sparring over gay rights and gay marriage since the November 3rd general election, trying to win over a voting bloc that could decide a run-off election that otherwise has been split loosely along racial lines.  Reed, a black man, is expected to win Atlanta's African-American majority, while Norwood, a white woman, is predicted to do well with white voters, especially in the city's northern suburbs.  But, ironically, it's the gay vote that could be the deciding factor of this election in the heart of the mostly conservative Bible Belt.

Atlanta ranks third in the nation for the percentage of gay residents, making up approximately 12 percent of the city's population.  Gay and Lesbian activists have looked to both candidates for a definitive stance on gay marriage and gay rights.

Norwood has been very vocal in her push to support gay marriage and the LGBT community.  She recently protested in a rally on the steps of the state capital against Proposition 8 -- California's controversial anti-gay marriage law, participated in Atlanta's Gay Pride parade and held fundraisers at several gay bars and nightclubs.  Although Reed does not support gay marriage, he says he does favor civil unions.  He has also thrown support behind issues important to the gay community at the state capital, by sponsoring a hate crimes bill that would have extended protection to gays.  The issue of who supports the gay community more became a flashpoint in a recent televised debate between the two.  Reed, trying to chip away at Norwood's gay marriage stance, accused her of missing an important vote on pension benefits for domestic partners of city employees.  Norwood dismissed the attack as an unimportant vote that was largely ceremonial and had no bearing on city policy.

Some political analysts say the gay community should produce a large turnout today as two other openly gay candidates are also on the ballot in Atlanta.  Simone Bell, who lives with her partner in Southeast Atlanta is running for a State House seat while Alex Wan is hoping to grab an at-large city council seat in Midtown, the center of the gay community.

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A ala

You cant spell moron without norman!!!

December 3, 2009 at 2:58 AM
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kbpatriot11

gay "Christians" explain this to me: how do u unrepentantly & willingly practice sin as a lifestyle--yet claim to believe in the very Word that condemns it? i've never gotten a real answer besides the sinner's typical plea "God loves" & "thou shall not judge." Specify how homosexuality is condoned by God, because all biblical scripture points to the contrary. and the whole "jesus never said anything bad about it" doesn't work either because jesus never said anything about beastialty, incest, or pedophilia, or rape.

December 2, 2009 at 11:26 PM
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kbpatriot11

lmbo! excellent idea!

December 2, 2009 at 11:07 PM
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RB

We're taught at a very young age that certain words are "swear" words and we should say them. Society looks unfavorably upon these words. Same with the gay lifestyle. We're taught that a man marries a woman because that is the societal norm. Gays are in no way being discriminated against and cannot and should not liken their "struggles" for equality with those of the black community.

December 2, 2009 at 9:33 PM
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Benevolus

"Kike" is an anti-Semitic slur I learned as a kid from my mom, who is almost 86. Your generation didn't invent it, but it should bury it.

December 2, 2009 at 8:20 PM
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Mikey

Oh my god. I can't believe the crap I am reading here. I was a fool to think we had progressed out of the stone age. The word for the day people is acceptance, how about you all learn it and use it everyday instead of being suck hate mongering gun toting morons.

December 2, 2009 at 5:53 PM
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brentw

being gay is like winning the gold medal at the special oympics. it doesnt really matter in real life.

December 2, 2009 at 5:13 PM
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Mark

I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ. Gandhi

December 2, 2009 at 4:58 PM
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Jason

Steve, being gay is nothing to be ashamed of. Im sure your family and friends already now about your little secret. I hear Dubai is beautiful this time of year. Hope you have fun!

December 2, 2009 at 4:49 PM
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mao dan-dan

So you are gay and hate God. Who cares? It's your own fate you're dealing with and you are deceived by Satan and don't know it and never will. Satan loves the gaytards...you are his children.

December 2, 2009 at 4:06 PM
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Benevolus

"You're an idiot if you think lesbians don't have functioning uteruses." Some of us would like to remedy that. Suppose we call it a "lesbiotomy"?

December 2, 2009 at 3:58 PM
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brentw

imagine the outrage when we find out Pres. Obama is a closet butt piratte lol and that Michelle obama is a post-op female.

December 2, 2009 at 3:30 PM
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Andy

I do not live in GA, but I am disgusted by the cruelty posted here by both sides of this issue. I am gay, and I am a Christian too and I feel that both sides have turned this into a hate war. I do not live a "gay lifestyle" which is what the majority of gay people do - fly flags, have permiscious sex with multiple partners - this is an abomination. I do not believe in gay "marriage" but I do believe gay couples, who are committed for life, should have basic rights to insurance and other benefits. This is not an issue that constitutes "gay parades" or "PRIDE" days - this is so distateful. My sexuality does not define who I am and should not be what dictates my "rights". I have a lifetime partner, but we do not push gay agenda on anyone. I struggle with my faith and homosexuality, but have come to peace that my faith is the most important thing in my life and my walk with God is not contingent upon society's approval of my walk with God.

December 2, 2009 at 3:02 PM
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AWL

Jesus said, "Those of you who are without sin, let him throw the first stone." Can i say i have not broken a commandment? No. in fact i have broken everyone, and multiple times. And that was just today. God never said, nor does the bible say that He hates a killer. Or He hates a thief, or that He hates a homosexual, lesbian, transgender or transvestite.He didn't hate Hitler, He didn't hate Obama or Bush. He hates "SIN". Man (id.. mankind)is not the author of sin, satan is the author of sin. Satan is the reason the little child is used as a sex toy, or a village of women and children are murdered, SATAN is the reason there is disease and pestilance, poverty, pain and suffering. You ask WHY does a Loving God allow it then? HE DOESN'T!! AND HE DID SOMETHING ABOUT IT. What He did was take on the flesh of man, in the form of His Son, and sacrificed HIMSELF for man. NO other GOD can assert this, no other religion testifies to their god doing this. Other religions make "you" do something to be good enough... one religion says their god wants you to kill anyone that doesn't convert to its religion. God does love the one that is in bondage to any kind of sin. And He HAS done something about it that only HE could do. What parent seeing their child suffering would not change places with them if they could? Would that parent say, you better do this or do that if you want me to help you. No, you wouldn't. Neither did God. He simply did what only HE could do. All we have to do is accept it. Let HIM teach you. He will if you ask to be shown what is true and what is not. God help us. God help me!

December 2, 2009 at 2:48 PM
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hominid

Don't care what homosexuals do behind closed doors, but you can't make the government write legislation that it has no authority to make. Marriage is a religious institution and if homosexuals want a civil union, fine. How arrogant homosexuals are to demand their right to be married in a church when after the comments that I have read here shows that most have nothing but disdain for religion!!

December 2, 2009 at 2:20 PM
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Michelle

This is for all of you hate-mongering,corncob sucking, bigoted hillbillies on this wall. If you hillbilly bigots would have been given the chance to vote on interracial marriage prior to 1967, how would you have voted? Is it also a sin for a white person to marry a black person? That was certainly the opinion of the day before 1967. You people that purport to be Christians should be ashamed of yourselves. You're no different than the white slave holders who used Christianity and the Bible to justify enslaving black women, children, and men for their own economic gain and comforts. You pick and choose anything you want out of your little black book to justify condemning others. The world homosexual wasn't even in the Bible until 1946; in 1972 or 1973 the word homosexual was then changed to sexual perverts. See, the problem with Christianity and Christians, is that they twist, lie, and manipulate things, such as their Bible, to gain power and control over others. They really have a superiority complex. It's not the "Christianity of Christ" that gay people take issue with, it's the "Christianity of the land" that most Christians subscribe to, which screams hypocrisy. Get over yourselves!

December 2, 2009 at 1:55 PM
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Canadianite

Sorry to break it to you but this whole "sex outside of marriage" idea was simply instituted by the creators of your religion as a practical method of birth and population control 2000 years ago. It was aimed at reducing the number of children born out of wedlock who would create a burden on the community. At the time, it was a very good idea and a prudent belief to teach. However, in today's age, with contraception and sex education, banning sex outside of marriage has become archaic

December 2, 2009 at 1:46 PM
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brentw

get over it. the bible is a self help book from the ages. back then when there was no science or free thinking for individuals they needed something to beleive in. its funny when people say god has a reason for innocent people dying or being raped or sold into child slavery. how does that song go "jesus loves the little children, all the children in the world." tell that to the child who's being used as a sex toy. or the mom who lost her son to "collateral damage.

December 2, 2009 at 1:34 PM
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Mike

There is such an effort by you homosexuals to be accepted in this society. You are always hoping the polls will turn in your favor, or gay marriage will pass, or you will be able to become church leaders, and on and on. And you may well be successful in doing that. But why concern yourself with what others think. There is only One you need to be concerned with and that is God and God has made it crystal clear what He thinks. If you can stand before God and convince Him that he made a terrible mistake in His Word then good luck. God offers new life through Jesus Christ. You can be a new creation because of what Christ did on the cross. Everyone on this earth needs this new life that he gives. It is a gift for all who will accept. So will you spend eternity holding on to your sin by rejecting Jesus Christ and the life he can give to you or will you come to Jesus.

December 2, 2009 at 1:33 PM
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RW

Constitutionally, it is not the role of government to legislate morality. Morality is a personal issue unique to each individual and the society in which they live, not to be dictated to by a governing body. Our founding fathers understood this which is why there is no mention of it. The only purpose of government is to guarantee the protection of the right to each person's property (both physical property and property of the body, meaning that individuals have the right to do to themselves what the want to do). Therefore, it is a moot point as to whether or not the government condones or condemns homosexual marriage or heterosexual marriage as it isn't even something the government is supposed to be able to do! As a believer, I recognize homosexuality as a choice and a sin just as lying and gossiping are also a choice and a sin. But that doesn't give me the right to dictate to someone the personal choices that they can make, to force my own morality on them. That is contrary to the concept of free will and can even by logically followed as a form of slavery (that is a research paper that I will not relate here). Conversely, it does not give the homosexual the right to legislate through government or dictate to me what is right or wrong either. If all people were treated equally under the law by the government not getting involved in the first place and only securing the right of an individual to make their own choices (so as the individual does not infringe on another's rights) then this entire forum would be moot and nonsensical and the issue wouldn't even exist in the first place.

December 2, 2009 at 1:19 PM
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