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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Evan wrote "<FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>Myself, I have gay friends and treat them no differently than any of my
other friends." </FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I've seen this strategy used before. <EM>I know gay
people so this provides me the authority to decide what is right for them.</EM>
But you know what would have been better? <EM>I am a gay person</EM>.....
now that would have given genuine power to the rest of your statements! How
about letting the gay person decide for themselves! </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>It always blows my mind how fascinated straight
people are with the gay's private life. Do we discuss with straight folks
what they do behind closed doors? No. But if we did, I bet you would be shocked
to find out what they do! For some reason it is recognized that it is none of
our business............. we should have the same respect for everybody.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>Evan wrote "Homosexuality is not NORMAL. That doesn't mean it is evil or
terrible or anything of the sort. It is simply not <BR>normal."</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>What this "Normal" reference really comes down
to is numbers, statistics. Since heterosexuality <EM>appears</EM> to be the
majority (and I say appears, because not everyone is explicit about their sexual
experiences - I don't think I have to explain why) it some how empowers some to
believe that dominance equals superior knowledge on the subject - or even
rightness. What if it was the other way around? What if your heterosexuality was
the minority - how would you explain away why you are attracted to the opposite
sex? How would it feel having to justify what just comes natural to you? And
that you must always refer to your personal sexual activity when trying to just
live your life and obtain equal societal rights?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Note: we here are a group of people who are
striving for change, for progress. The future that I envision for
myself at least for the time being is not the future that the majority of
the mainstream populous would partake of (cryonics, nanotech, A.I.). This
is okay, those who do not want to apply future advancements to their lives, are
not required to do so. I would not force the rest of society to subscribe to my
own lifestyle. </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>I accept this difference and only
want the option to be able to choose differently for myself. I shouldn't
force them, and they shouldn't force me - we should have a choice. <U>By
accepting and allowing differences
for others, the allowance of my own choices
increases.</U> This is imperative, for people to coexist even though they
may have different belief systems. We need to be consistent. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Gina "Nanogirl" Miller<BR>Nanotechnology
Industries<BR><A
href="http://www.nanoindustries.com">http://www.nanoindustries.com</A><BR>Personal:
<A
href="http://www.nanogirl.com/index2.html">http://www.nanogirl.com/index2.html</A><BR>Foresight
Senior Associate <A
href="http://www.foresight.org">http://www.foresight.org</A><BR>Nanotechnology
Advisor Extropy Institute <A
href="http://www.extropy.org">http://www.extropy.org</A><BR>3D/Animation <A
href="http://www.nanogirl.com/museumfuture/index.htm">http://www.nanogirl.com/museumfuture/index.htm</A><BR>Email:
<A
href="mailto:nanogirl@halcyon.com">nanogirl@halcyon.com</A><BR>"Nanotechnology:
Solutions for the future."<BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>Original Message ----- </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=hamlin_e@hotmail.com href="mailto:hamlin_e@hotmail.com">Evan
Hamlin</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><STRONG></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>I live in Madrid, Spain so this post obviously hits close to
home. <BR>Personally, I can live with civil unions between homosexuals. I
accept the <BR>fact that society is beginning to view homosexuality with a
degree of <BR>normalicy that would have nauseated our forefathers. Myself, I
have gay <BR>friends and treat them no differently than any of my other
friends. Hell I <BR>even go down to Chueca (Madrid's gay district, what an
insane place) to <BR>party from time to time. However, I do not believe that
gay unions should be <BR>made equal to the union between a man and woman; the
only kind of union <BR>which makes sense in the eyes of nature, and even God
for that matter <BR>(though that matters little to me, being non-religious).
To put gay <BR>marriages on the same level as heterosexual marriages is to
declare that our <BR>society views homosexuality as being as normal as
heterosexuality, which <BR>makes no sense in the natural order of mankind or
all other animals. To say <BR>that it has existed for thousands of years
doesn't validate it either. I'm <BR>sure dendrophelia has also existed for
many years, but does that mean we <BR>should allow a man and a tree to marry?
I hasten to admit that my example is <BR>extreme, but everyone has become so
wrapped up in their politically <BR>correctness to admit the obvious:
Homosexuality is not NORMAL. That doesn't <BR>mean it is evil or terrible or
anything of the sort. It is simply not <BR>normal. And to pass laws making it
so seems to me to be a step in the wrong <BR>direction.<BR><BR>Perhaps I am
being harsh, but I think people need to step back and <BR>reevaluate the
situation.<BR><BR>-Evan<BR>"The trouble with normal is that it only gets
worse." -Bruce Cockburn<BR><BR><BR>-------------------Original
Message-----------------------------<BR>Comment: Viva
Zapatero!<BR>Civilrights.org<<A
href="http://www.civilrights.org/issues/glbt/details.cfm?id=33631">http://www.civilrights.org/issues/glbt/details.cfm?id=33631</A>>:<BR>The
church has branded the law, a pet project of Socialist Prime Minister<BR>Jose
Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, as an unprecedented threat to
Christian<BR>civilization [!!!].<BR>Concord <BR>Monitor<<A
href="http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050719/REPOSITORY/507190316/1037/NEWS04">http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050719/REPOSITORY/507190316/1037/NEWS04</A>>:<BR>Although
numerous countries today recognize some form of same-sex<BR>partnership, the
Spanish law goes beyond most because it eliminates all<BR>legal distinction
between heterosexual and homosexual marriages. A gay<BR>married couple has all
the same rights as a straight married couple,<BR>including the right to adopt
children. A similar law exists in the<BR>Netherlands, and one is pending in
Canada.<BR>Zapatero says the law will help transform Spain into a new and
"decent<BR>society."His agenda also includes plans to liberalize divorce,
abortion and<BR>stem-cell research. But the church is incensed, saying the
very definition<BR>of family is being destroyed.<BR>Some of the opponents of
gay marriage said they don't mind legislation<BR>recognizing civil unions for
homosexuals. They draw the line, however, at<BR>giving it a status equivalent
to the marriage of man and woman.<BR>The issue has roiled debate in a number
of countries, including the United<BR>States. The Bush administration is
promising to fight the kind of same-sex<BR>unions that a number of
jurisdictions have
enacted.<BR><BR>_________________________________________________________________<BR>Is
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