Posted on 11/11/2004 8:40:59 AM PST by Horatio Gates
ST. LOUIS (AP) - Organizers of a national gay and lesbian conference said soul-searching was in order after the resounding voter passage of gay marriage bans in 11 states last week. Matt Foreman, executive director of the sponsoring National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, said the election results left members troubled and fearful.
It's tough when "the vast majority of citizens in your state not only do not understand you but take hostile steps to change the constitution to take away rights we never even had," Foreman said. "There's no way you can put lipstick on that pig."
About 2,000 people are expected to attend the conference, which runs Thursday to Sunday and is sponsored by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the oldest national group advocating for the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.
Voters approved state constitutional amendments banning gay marriage in Arkansas, Georgia Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon and Utah. Six other states already had passed similar measures.
Sue Hyde, director of the Creating Change conference, said organizers believe states will interpret the new marriage measures broadly, to prohibit recognition of homosexual relationships and families, and that the Bush administration will push for a U.S. constitutional ban on gay marriage.
She also said she fears that openly gay people in some communities could now be physically hurt by those who fear or hate them.
While organizers also found some Election Day successes - 40 gay candidates won local, state and federal offices, according to the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund - Hyde said members of the gay-rights movement must "regroup and buckle down," accepting that they may not be able to win over political leaders.
Instead, she said, "we have to engage our neighbors and co-workers in a deep conversation about our humanity, and the need to be able to take care of our families."
And if that doesn't happen, I'm sure they'll hatch some plot to make it appear that it does happen.
Did they mean to say "regroping"?
That's what they did in the 1970's, eh?
"There's no way you can put lipstick on that pig."
Spoken like a man with TONS of experience.
Uh, maybe the vast majority of citizens DO understand you! But then again, perhaps another wild parade down the streets of New York or San Francisco would help further "educate" us.
"...because we've tried, and pigs don't like lipstick..."
There is no question about their humanity. Jeff Dahmer was human. Martha Stewart is human. Kevin Mitnick is human.
Homosexuals have been put on notice by Hillary that on her campaign bus, they will have to ride in the back with the blacks. Election is more important than their agenda.
Had to beat me to it didn't you!!! LOL
"They Terk Our JERRBS"
I had thought we were already doing that. What happened....
Pardon me, but there is something wrong with the world when you can't smoke in a bar, but you can feel free to butt-slam your buddy on a street corner.
LOL (-8
I hope this does not happen but they will not take NO for an answer. This bunch is cramming their agenda down our throats.
No comment.
the best thing the queers could do is get back into the closet.
Sadly, they don't have a clue on how true that really is.
If HE hadn't wanted to be the "golden boy" of the "gay community" and make himself nationally known (his prime directive, he admitted) and decide to illegally marry those 3000 homosexuals, this would NOT have happened.
It WAS all about Gavin Newsom, not about civil rights.
Those in the "gay community" with any modicum of brains know that this was HIS FAULT. To them this was an ugly, but predictable outcome of Gavin's Gaff.
Yep. They certainly know how to cram things down...nevermind
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