If we ban gay marriage....

[headscratcher4]

Your family might be as wonderful, solid, god-fearing and pure as that of the Senator from Oklahoma...

The fact that your family may not already be there is probably due to the gay agenda and its undermining of our fundumental values.


http://thinkprogress.org/2006/06/06/inhofe-gay-marriage/

(Note: this link is to an overtly partisan site, but includes video from the Senate debate).

[I'll_buy_that]

...Then only bans will get marri... no, that doesn't work
...Then only outlaws will have ... no, that doesn't work either.
...Then only gays will be banned, no


are you looking for someone to finish your sentence for ya?

[thaiboxerken]

Inhofe is an idiot. That is about the dumbest argument against gay marriage yet. "My family isn't gay and we haven't divorced." It's just hilarious!! Hmm. He didn't mention any extra-marital affairs. His argument is simply just as stupid as saying "I'm not gay, therefore gay marriage is wrong."

[Kopji]

Is he trying to diss the Cheney's? Well how wude.

Unless the democrats can come up with some kind of message I'm afraid the only way they will win is if the Republicans start eating each other.

This is a good start though.

[morningstar2651]

Inhofe is an idiot. That is about the dumbest argument against gay marriage yet. "My family isn't gay and we haven't divorced." It's just hilarious!! Hmm. He didn't mention any extra-marital affairs. His argument is simply just as stupid as saying "I'm not gay, therefore gay marriage is wrong."Correction - there is no mention of it in recorded history. :p

In the recorded history of my family, nobody has eaten beef-- therefore, you shouldn't eat beef.

[I'll_buy_that]

Here’s hoping that a family member of his comes out of the closet. Poetic justice
Comment by Ho Chi Minh (http:///?) — June 6, 2006 @ 7:06 pm (http://thinkprogress.org/2006/06/06/inhofe-gay-marriage/#comment-598540) :D
His office says “he does not hire openly gay staffers (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2001976967_gays11.html)..." is it legal to discriminate against gays? are they a protected class yet? What if he said he never hires married women because they might get pregnant, or that they have a high probablity of using birth control, which he seems to be against.

[Upchurch]

His office says “he does not hire openly gay staffers (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2001976967_gays11.html)..." is it legal to discriminate against gays?
It is legal in the state of Missouri to fire someone from their place of employment for no other reason except that they are gay.

[Belz...]

It is legal in the state of Missouri to fire someone from their place of employment for no other reason except that they are gay.

What a nice, progressive state!!

[Upchurch]

What a nice, progressive state!!
Have I mentioned how I feel about my state representatives (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=17235&highlight=stupid+state+representatives)?

[shemp]

How does Inhofe know for sure? Did he tie up all the members of his family under hot lights and beat them with a rubber hose?

The guy's a creep.

[Pauliesonne]

Have I mentioned how I feel about my state representatives (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=17235&highlight=stupid+state+representatives)?

How do you put up with them?!?

[Kopji]

In case anyone outside the US is wondering about the timing of these votes immediately following the recent violence in Russia at a gay event - Russia was a 'non news' event here in the US. There is no danger of our politicians being compared to violent radicals.

First Russian gay rights parade ends in violence
Updated Sat. May. 27 2006 11:44 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff

Russia's first-ever gay rights march descended into chaos and violence as Russian police, neo-fascists and Orthodox Christians clashed with demonstrators in Moscow.

The activists planned to lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier during their march on Saturday. The memorial is a symbol of the Second World War struggle against fascism, and one of Russia's most sacred places.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060527/pride_parade_060527/20060527?hub=World

Almost no danger

[headscratcher4]

It is probably perfectly legal for a Senator or a Congress man to discriminate against gays...

[Charlie Monoxide]

That is more of a challenge rather than a statement. I suspect that there are genealogists searching his family tree as we speak ....

Charlie (there are no idiot republicans in my family tree) Monoxide

[Pauliesonne]

It is probably perfectly legal for a Senator or a Congress man to discriminate against gays...

What about black people?

[headscratcher4]

What about black people?

That I would suspect is illegal. I base these suppositions on federal civil rights laws passed that specifically ban discrimination based on race or sex...plus what are the likely operating rules of the House and Senate (especially under GOP control) -- keeping in mind that Congress allows things for itself or excludes itself from laws that govern other intitutions, etc. Now, it may not be written down anywhere, and I haven't checked, but I feel pretty confident in saying that a suite against a Senator for not hiring or firing someone because they are gay would likely fail....

[pgwenthold]

It is probably perfectly legal for a Senator or a Congress man to discriminate against gays...

I think the thing that bothers me most about it is not just that he admits that he discriminates against gay people, but that he's proud of it.

[Pauliesonne]

He's scum.

Pure and simple.

[Beerina]

His office says “he does not hire openly gay staffers (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2001976967_gays11.html)..." is it legal to discriminate against gays? are they a protected class yet?

The vast majority of laws Congress forces everyone else to live under they specifically exempt themselves from, claiming "separation of powers", as in the cloying concept that the President shouldn't be enforcing laws on them.

This came to a head some years ago when, after the umpteenth expensive law jammed down the population's throats (environmentalist, or handicapped, I forget which) people pointed out that Congress never had to put up with these expensive regulations, and that they were violating them completely.

So it wouldn't surprise me if a Congressman could not only legally not hire a gay person, but fire a handicapped person because "it made him feel icky when he looked at him."

[jimlintott]

“I’m really proud to say that in the recorded history of our family, we’ve never had a divorce or any kind of homosexual relationship.”

Well there is his out as it were. If someone turns up he can claim it was never recorded. Every family seems to have that relative that never married and always showed up to family functions with 'a friend'. Sometimes they are so smooth that no one ever notices. There are a couple of those in my own family. I have a great aunt who never really noticed that her daughter had the same 'friend' for a long time and they spent a lot of time together.

He either comes from an unusual family or has his head in the sand. (Or it could actually be true.)

[Magyar]

It is legal in most states to fire anyone for being gay.
There is no federal law and only about a dozen states have
laws protecting employees from discrimination based on sexual orientation.

[Tirdun]

I’m really proud to say that in the recorded history of our family, we’ve never had a divorce or any kind of homosexual relationship.

Lets see, of the 15 blood relatives in my generation, 10 have been married. There have already been 2 divorces. Nobody's gay AFAIK. In the previous generation (the parents of the above), 3/6 got divorced.

I'm really proud to say that my family has been supportive, open and honest with each other through... well most of that. Some of the divorces were a bit rocky, but those were rocky divorces on top of really rocky marriages. All parties seem to have ended up happier.

So, in the entire unrecorded history of my family, stretching back to some primal primate prehistory, I suspect there have been quite a few divorces (or appropriate era-specific version), gays, straights, and all manner of other stripes and spots of humanity. I'm even related to a signer of the Declaration of Independence, fairly directly I might add, which nets me exactly zero except in third grade history show and tell.

The grand total of all that human variety amounts to just yours-truly, who would rather stand upon those deeds signed in my name, not some imagined purity of bloodline.

[Bluegill]

...Then only bans will get marri... no, that doesn't work
...Then only outlaws will have ... no, that doesn't work either.
...Then only gays will be banned, no


are you looking for someone to finish your sentence for ya?

I think we need to rework it from the beginning.

"If gay weddings are outlawed, only outlaws will have gay weddings."

Hm. Still needs work.

[Bluegill]

It is legal in most states to fire anyone for being gay.
There is no federal law and only about a dozen states have
laws protecting employees from discrimination based on sexual orientation.

It looks to me like there are prohibitions against firing an employee for gayness, at least for Federal employees:
http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/fs-orientation_parent_marital_political.html

In the federal government the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (CSRA), as amended, prohibits federal employees who have authority to take, direct others to take, recommend or approve any personnel action from discriminating against applicants and employees on the bases of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, marital status or political affiliation and from discriminating against an applicant or employee on the basis of conduct which does not adversely affect the performance of the applicant or employee. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has interpreted the prohibition of discrimination based on "conduct" to include discrimination based on sexual orientation.

(bolding mine)

Executive Order 11478 section 1 reads:

It is the policy of the government of the United States to provide equal opportunity in federal employment for all persons, to prohibit discrimination in employment because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, handicap, age, or sexual orientation and to promote the full realization of equal employment opportunity through a continuing affirmative program in each executive department and agency. This policy of equal opportunity applies to and must be an integral part of every aspect of personnel policy and practice in the employment, development, advancement, and treatment of civilian employees of the federal government, to the extent permitted by law.


I'm saddened that there is nothing more than this, though.

[kittynh]

hmmm, my step dads uncle was openly gay at a time when this was not readily accepted. He was a professor at Brown University.

Also both of his nephews are gay, though sometimes they "date" women.

He's a life long Republican that has supported the party financially as well as with his vote.

This he does not like though. For the first time in his life he's doing a second look at the party he loves. Because it's way off the tracks....

[Blue Mountain]

It is legal in the state of Missouri to fire someone from their place of employment for no other reason except that they are gay.

In Canada it is illegal to discriminate against someone because of his or her sexual orientation.

It's been that way for a decade now.

I'm glad I live in Canada!