Comments on: Poll: Calif. still divided on marriage

By: drewski

drewski — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 04:17:20 +0000

No on 8 was too confident. It was clear that the LDS had a very organized campaign to get 8 passed, more so than the Catholics. It was the Mormons who led the religious groups supporting 8. This information was out there; did someone have the crazy, naive idea that Mormons only have money for funny underwear and tango lessons? At least one of the largest fruit producers in Hawai’i has deep Mormon roots. The software industry has been exploding in Utah for several years–did anybody think they were all über-liberal expat Californians?

What No on 8 needs to do is to look at what pro-gay groups OUTSIDE California have done to gain public support. I’m not talking about being a self-apologist, but I am talking about taking your message to what has traditionally been enemy territory. If you let the Orange County GOP bang the drum on anti-gay stuff, it will have an impact, even though the OC is far more socially liberal than many other parts of the country. Hammer away at the ideals of individual self-determination and fairness. The Obama campaign was very effective at building a victory from incremental advances among traditional opponents. State publicly and bluntly that the law places no burden of accomodation or inclusion on religious institutions (the exception to that is when churches get government money). Cite the state and Federal constitutions. Put the 8 supporters on the defensive. Stop being a bunch of self-congratulating, gay-ghetto elitists. Get your hands dirty.

By: Bill

Bill — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 00:39:37 +0000

You can’t trust haterosexuals. They lie. According to polls days before the election NO on Prop 8 had a 10 point lead. Haterosexuals LIED. In Arkansas only a month before the anti-gay adoption vote a poll showed 55% would vote against it. Come election day 60% voted for it. Haterosexuals LIED. A day after haterosexuals in Florida banned gay couples from marrying a poll showed 70% of haterosexuals believed in equality for gay people. Haterosexuals LIED. A gay man running for state office in Oklahoma was defeated by 10% after holding a lead throughout the race and outraising money of his opponent. Haterosexuals LIED.

In this current poll of California voters you can bet that the 5% of “undecided” voters are against gay couples marrying.

By: everett

everett — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 21:17:11 +0000

I don’t know if I trust this recent survey. I think there’s definately a “Bradley Effect” going on among surveys concerning the gay marriage issue. Let’s face it: we can’t trust heterosexuals (even ones who have some sympathy for us) to vote on issues that affect OUR well-being but not theirs. More than likely, they will not understand how this affects gay folks, even though they should.

On a slightly different note, I think that gays in CA should put the marriage issue up in 2010 and every two years UNTIL the prop 8 ban is repealed. It is still TOO EASY for heterosexuals to go throughout their daily lives without ever considering how injustices penetrate the lives of glbt folks. Even if this ban isn’t repealed in 2010 or 2012, at least the issue is kept alive and VISIBLE in the minds of ALL folks.

I mean, come on, what’s worse than what happened with prop. 8? Gay folks could feel equal and married before the law for 5 months (from when the CA sup. ct ruled and when prop. 8 passed) and then all those good feelings got robbed from us (even if we weren’t the ones who actually got married) when Prop. 8 passed. Losing in 2010 again and in 2012 seems to pale in comparison to the rollarcoaster of emotions experienced by gays in 2008 in CA. I personally think this glbt community is strong enough to handle a potential loss in 2010, 2012, 2014, and until that Prop 8. is repealed for good.

By: Dan

Dan — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 21:13:21 +0000

In surveys, about 4% of respondents self-identify as gay. There may be more who don’t come out of the closet to the interviewer, but I would be careful of estimating that gay people are legion. One study showed that people who thought gays were less numerous were more likely to support gay rights. Of course, it’s possible that these were well educated people, so they were familiar with the 4% figure and also were more progressive. It’s also possible that people who think gay people are legion are more likely to feel threatened by us.

By: Chris Sullivan

Chris Sullivan — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 21:02:34 +0000

Hard statistics are difficult to come by and since our own census does not even count us – harder even still. When you factor in the number of people who engage in homosexual sex but do not consider themselves to be homosexual or even bisexual, things get complicated even further. However, if I had to venture a guess, I would say that if you factor in bisexual people (whether they acknowledge that identity or not) – somewhere between 5-10% does not sound unrealistic in terms of the overall population.

By: shawn

shawn — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 20:42:43 +0000

Actually Morgan dear I suspect the infamous 10% to be to lOW! I’m thinking more in the range of 40 to 45%!

By: Morgan

Morgan — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 18:40:41 +0000

I think the 10% figure for gays is too high. That came from Alfred Kinsey the sex researcher. but still 10% sounds like wishful thinking to me. 4% is probably is more realistic a figure for purely gay people and higher likely for bisexual Americans.

By: R & R

R & R — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 17:03:27 +0000

After having lived in our home for a year or so (have now been in our home 17 years) I happened to encounter a neighbor and during our conversation she said, “you are such nice guys and you are really no different than we are.” Did she think that because we are gay we eat snakes and pray to idols? Therein lies our problem – people know nothing about us other than what they have been told from the pulpit.” The general public needs to be educated!! Hopefully our organizations will focus on educating the ignorant public.

Our partners may be of the same sex, but our daily lives are no different than the rest of the population and that needs to be hammered into their heads.

By: Todd

Todd — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 16:38:25 +0000

Dermot,

Blue doesn’t necessarily mean liberal though, especially in regard to gay rights.

By: Todd

Todd — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 16:36:55 +0000

Gays will never have equality so long as status for it requires voter approval. So what if a majority at some point happens to support us. What if at some point in the future the majority doesn’t anymore?