Former Republican Representative for Arizona JD Hayworth resurrected the preposterous 'same-sex marriage would lead to wanting to marry animals' argument and was battered by Rachel Maddow on her show. Accusing the Massachusetts Supreme Court of defining marriage as merely "the establishment of intimacy" – a phase which Hayworth made up, he had reportedly said: “You see, the Massachusetts Supreme Court, when it started this move toward same-sex marriage, actually defined marriage – now get this – it defined marriage as simply, ‘the establishment of intimacy.’”
“Now how dangerous is that?”
“I mean, I don’t mean to be absurd about it, but I guess I can make the point of absurdity with an absurd point,” he continued. “I guess that would mean if you really had affection for your horse, I guess you could marry your horse.” He said during an interview with a Florida radio station.
Appearing on MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show Monday night, Hayworth – who’s running against incumbent Senator John McCain for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate this year, tried to defend his recent comments about same-sex marriage leading to marriage between people and horses.
Host Maddow challenged the former congressman’s interpretation of the law and use of the phrase 'the establishment of intimacy’ which does not feature in Massachusetts law or the supreme court’s ruling.
The 2003 Massachusetts Supreme Court ruling defines marriage as, "the voluntary union of two persons [not a horse or any other animal] as spouses, to the exclusion of all others."
Rony Tan pastor of megachurch Lighthouse Evangelism in Singapore warned of the same in a 2009 video which was uploaded to the church’s website: ”If you allow [homosexuality], next time people will get married to a monkey. And they will want rights. They’ll want to apply for HDB flats with a donkey or a monkey or a dog... It’s very pathetic.” (5.12 mins onwards)
The video has since been removed from the church’s website after Fridae broke the news last month that police reports have been lodged in relation with the video. The news was picked up by local English and Chinese-language newspapers in subsequent days.
Columnist S.E. Cupp of the NY Daily News pleaded her article: “Conservatives, I'm begging you: Leave animals out of your gay marriage talking points", and urged conservatives to instead use "common-sense" and "reasonable arguments" against gay marriage and stop their "bizarre obsession with zoophilia."
“Another day, another idiot worries that gay marriage - the union between two adult, consenting humans - will lead to bestiality. No longer just fodder for crazies, the idea that men and women will betroth their pets if we allow gay marriage has been bandied about so often now, it's officially become tired."
“See, to get married in any state of the Union, you need to provide proof of identification: a driver's license, a birth certificate, a Social Security number."
“I don't know too many horses, Mr. Hayworth, that can pass a road test or collect retirement benefits. Robots, maybe - but barn animals? No.
“So from here on out, please: Oppose gay marriage all you want. Just don't rely on the image of a weird vacation at Old MacDonald's place to do it.” Wrote the self-described "conservative" Republican.
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Reader's Comments
If heterosexual Americans are already able to marry farmyard animals, then, goddamnit, I demand the same right too! After all, if Straight Americans can do it, etc etc etc.
Oh, and that old myth, oft-trotted out by deeply, deeply strange religious lunatics (who, oddly enough, seem to be almost entirely American, in common with Most lunatics who do well in public office there, BUT would be jailed, fined and lose their job for saying the same things here, in Ireland) about gay people and bestiality reminds me of that old joke:
"Why did the chicken cross the road?
To have sexual intercourse with a homosexual man."
Hmmm. Maybe it's the way I tell 'em - honestly, I know EGGS-actly how to tell that YOLK to crazy American politicans and preachers! They CRACK up at it...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#35903717
I mean clearly, they ain't got no basic logical perception to differentiate between HUMAN rights & ANIMAL rights.
I know straight men/women with animals too. And quite a number website for the straight men and women to hv "deviant" behaviour.
Not bcos u r a begger or prostitute therefore i look down on u. Everyone (include non human) can demand respect, but get it or not, dun frustrated.
The interviewer was right - the presence of the "quote" in the court ruling is not an "opinion" on which people can agree or disagree on - it either exists or doesn't exist. The judge either said it or did not say it. If the guy made it up he should just admit it. He makes himself into a cheapskate charlatan for blatantly defending his imaginary world.
How could anyone trust this guy enough to vote for him when he's happy to openly lie to the electorate on live TV?
The interviewer should have been tougher and just openly accused him of being dishonest so he would not have to eat his words.
And what I don't get is why is that hypocrite of a pastor, Rony Tan (gosh even the sight of his name looks absurd. Is it pronounced ROH-NY or RAWR-NY? If it's the latter, would it be more accurate to spell it as "Ronnie" instead?), getting so worked up over the world's dwindling population when the government - not just Singapore's - is pushing hard to prevent teenage/unwanted pregnancies? If a dwindling population is what he's afraid then why not just relegate his masses of "straightlaced" Christian followers and get them to pro-create?
In the words of Margaret Cho, "I don't understand why people hate gay marriage; like the people who hate gay marriage will never even know if gay people got married because they don't know any gay people."
Gosh, I just don't understand why people can be so hateful. Any kind of love is fine, it's your hate you have to watch.
Straight people have all the rights, we, gay people should have, and no matter what lifestyle(normal or deviant) we have, I reckon we all should have the same rights as other.
And those people you mentioned before(deviant and their lifestyle isnt different than animals), they probably don't give a fuck about the same sex marriage! So, stop worrying!
I wonder what lifestyle animals really have tho..? hmm..would be great to watch squirrels in threesome :/
To many heterosexuals, the notion of same gender relationships is as absurd to them, as beastiality is to us.
Words have meaning and according to my dictionary marriage is defined as follows:
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English mariage, from Anglo-French, from marier to marry
Date: 14th century
1 a (1) : the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law
So why get hung up over this issue? Why do WE care what our relationships are called, as long as we are happy with our partner and can secure the same legal protections for ourselves.
I vote for civil unions ( which many surveys indicate broader society more readily accepts)
I think there are bigger and more important battles to engage society in today than fighting over a word.
#10. You claim that "most gay people out there are so deviant and their lifestyle is not so different than animals." What gay people are you talking about? People that go to the clubs? I don't think you were referring to them, because your profile says you don't go to the clubs. And not all people that go to the clubs fit into your stereotype. So you're talking about people that don't go to the clubs I must assume. How many of them do you know as friends or acquaintances? My friends' lifestyle is not like that. So before you make a sweeping, demeaning generalization, THINK! I hope you are capable of that, since you said you are well-educated.
Spoken like a true, err... well... bigot, actually. Of course, for all I know, most of you ARE a bunch of Deviants - lord knows, it's been a while since I tried fucking a baby on top of an upside-down crucifix, whilst sniffing women's panties and laughing at news footage of starving people - but I'll assume that, people being people, most gay people are just like most Straight people - perfectly straightforward, moral, boring, decent and - well, you know, Normal.
Just like Me.
I really hate the Religious Right/bigots who masquerade here as genuinely gay men and women, who face enough intolerance, injustice and disrespect at the best of times without turning on each other to call others 'deviants'. After all, it's easier to think that there are Fake members here, like that, than to consider the awful alternative - that some gay people genuinely DO believe that 'most' others are 'deviants'.
An alarming viewpoint indeed...
These fools will pull out whatever argument they think will work, regardless of whether they make any sense or even contradict one another.
One minute they say gay sex is unnatural. If you point out that it is quite common amongst animals, they will exclaim that we are not animals. As soon as one argument collapses, they hop to the next one.
This is not how a rational person brings anyone closer to the truth of an issue.
The most extreme always get the most attention. And we tend to form opinions about people we don't know from such images. Its not all accurate.
Most gay people live private, normal, monogamous lives.
And most are very against doing anything that would oppose or limit what others do in the bedroom, since we have been the victims of exactly that sort of oppression.
But many straight people have no such reticence. Straight transvestites don't make it into straight parades. So even what extreme straight sexual imagery that you see is a very limited sample. Most is suppressed.
So, I really doubt gay people are any more "deviant" than straight people. We should really stop thinking that.
Anyway, horses are great fun but just as expensive a pursuit as boyfriends. Do you know how much just renting a stall is at the Singapore Polo Club? Its a major financial commitment like paying for tuition for your kids at a private school. Horses need love and care too and I wouldn't rule out the relationship that exists between a man and this beast.
"My horse, my horse, my kingdom for a horse!"
I've cast off many boyfriends to the wind given my pursuit of Polo and Horses. If I guy can't ride a horse, he's pretty much toast. Plus, we have excellent thigh muscles and abs.
I don't know where Sylvia Tan gets these crappy articles -- she's always trying to make Jews and Christians and Muslims look extreme and bad and present negative news about the far flung right who do not represent us. Every other day she is bashing Jews, Christians, Muslims and associating us with extreme elements like Rory the crazy guy.
I mean why not more positive articles about gay bishops getting elected in the Episcl. church where major breakthroughs are being made or something positive for once.
Instead she is focused on negative news about gay men all the time like us getting arrested in saunas in far flung places.
It is a common delusion that you make things better by talking about them. Instead you create a stupid media frenzy and give these kooks a pulpit.
That's why my friends (and advertisers) are all flocking to the more happy news at Trevvy these days. A few of us are thinking about setting up our own cool, gay men's portal along the lines of www. beautifulpeople.com where you have to get approved by a panel and interviews before you are allowed access and actually have to have your pic verified.
What happened to that more positive and happy lesbian editor Krristy Lam? She was such a hell of a lot more fun. Glad she got married to that smart lawyer Doris. The girls broods positivity and fun. I miss her. Can't you bring her back? Fridae news was a lot smarter and more fun.
Watch Rachael Maddow's good spirited fight, she's smart but never too bitchy. I love her as much as I love my Polo ponies and glad she's a great ambassador of the sport and being gay too.
By the law, there should be a fun raiser for Sylvia so she can start her own lesbian news 24 hour news channel promoting negative news about gay men (I mean when is the last time you saw an article about lesbians getting arrested?)
Fridae is starting to lose its charm and its audience in the pursuit of something called online advocacy whether ever that means.
Praise God for Planet Out:) I read it first thing in the morning and it always never ceases to put me in a good mood. Same issues, but better writing and insight.
Is there anything wrong with having "repented", or, changing course, having gotten the means by the good news, before you really hose it up?
I don't see the wrong with such a thing.
Brian
In your defence of the extremist homophobes, you mentioned this: "To many heterosexuals, the notion of same gender relationships is as absurd to them, as beastiality is to us."
I don't think you have accepted that this is a tactic that they use; they don't believe it themselves.
Their other favourite tactic is to paint gay men as preying on unsuspecting young boys.
One most important point that has been missed, by the others as well, is the operative word in adult same sex relationships: CONSENT.
You can scream that argument till you are blue in the face at those extremists, but they will never budge from their position. Wanna know why?
Because it is a TACTIC to they use to good effect.
And you are one of their victims.
Adult heterosexual relationships are consensual ones; so are adult same sex relationships.
Not rape involving members of any sex, sex with a child - informed consent on the part of the child - nor bestiality.
Everything else is moot.
try as you may but i believe that we are made out of God's image regardless. i may be wrong but i know my God...my God is never revengeful and my God doesn't demand me any repentance...repentance are for those who fool themselves and bow to the wrong,false God...
my opinion...no hard feelings...XOXO
Tesh
_______________________
Dear Editor: These people are not "anti-gay opponents." That would indicate that they oppose, or are against, that which is anti-gay, which is clearly not the case. They are, in fact, either pro-gay opponents or anti-gay proponents.
What?
Excuse me. Who IS that poster, above, dropping That kind of stuff into this thread? Is that a genuine gay man? You know, someone who'll head off and have SEX with another man? Or is there a lot of gnashing of teeth and ten Hail Marys afterwards, with mumbled prayers of contrition at having sinned?
Again, I really dislike either religious lunatics OR bigots OR simply deeply strange people posting stuff here sometimes... well, as my mum would say: It takes all kind of people...
"Most gay people out there are so deviant and their lifestyle is not so different than animals. It's ridiculous those gays ... demand respect and recognition from public. What a bunch of idiotic rebellious cry-babies" from #10
MOST??? I hope for your sake you have a weird sense of humour.
http://www.ranker.com/list/top-10-anti-gay-activists-caught-being-gay/joanne#
Ashburn comes in at number 5.
As for types like kuman, gymhotbod, ferribal and lagunabro, these are archetypes of gross aberrations we all tolerate in Fridae. Simple.
xoxoxo
be gay and let love!
Marriage Equality Ireland! www.marriagequality.ie
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ULdaSrYGLQ (Sinead's Hand)
and Equality California! www.eqca.org
Make an online donation, spread the news etc etc
( this is off-topic ... but ... couldnt help it! )
Second, the comparison between two consenting adults and animals (who can not consent) is just a way to inflame a public that they feel is ignorant and is going to fall for such nonsense.
There are many LGBTQ people who are "trapped" in their own religions, religious families, and religious cultures. Every activist step any of us take can ultimately help these people. We have a long way to go, but we've come a long way. Keep the faith, whatever yours may be.
As for today....
I embrace any part of any teaching that celebrates the universal equality of humanity and I reject any part of any teaching that, in order to be right, has to make other people wrong.
My two cents worth!
On another note, if you haven't done so already, please check out the VIDEO in my profile of the new HIV testing/safer sex awareness anthem, "The Power To Be Strong."
And let us not further have to refer to people who have passed. Jerry Falwell is gone, and so is his rhetoric. The Good News is for everyone, not just Southern Baptists.
Hey 43 I like gorilla-gram idea but a chimpanzee-gram would be much more spectacular, as they like throwing things, and you know what I mean lol ;)
And let us not further have to refer to people who have passed. Jerry Falwell is gone, and so is his rhetoric. The Good News is for everyone, not just Southern Baptists.
Hey 43 I like gorilla-gram idea but a chimpanzee-gram would be much more spectacular, as they like throwing things, and you know what I mean lol ;)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100319/ap_on_re_eu/eu_netherlands_us_military_gays
One could say: "If people are allowed to eat animal meat, then what do you do when they start demanding to eat human flesh too? What if they develop a taste for children?"
Then we could elaborate in the same vein as that moron has done:
"Soon meat-eaters will be demanding to rip out unborn babies from pregnant mothers, hold them over raging fires, and then stuff the struggling, screaming, half-roasted baby down their laughing mouths.
"Would you like your pregnant wife pounced on and ripped apart in this manner, while you are held down forcibly and made to watch the gory spectacle?
"Would you like to wake up one morning to find your little darling babies decorating the banquet table of your neighbours, complete with rosy apples stuffed into their mouths...?"
And so on.
What these people lack in intelligence, they make up for with low cunning and below-the-belt attacks without warning. Only a fool would underestimate the power of these attacks to influence people at an emotional level, which is where it matters. [Just think of how Sarah Palin destroyed the erudite Obama's health plans almost singlehanded with her asinine comments on "death panels".]
One needs to immediately come back with equally absurd reasoning, to lay bare their stupidity before everyone. You have to paint equally gory pictures and make them all throw up.
Dignified, holier-than-thou stance and an air of superiority? Nobody gives a fig.
Anyway, he clearly believes the doctrine commonly attributed to Joseph Goebbels:
"If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it."
Rachel Maddow, interviewing, had done her homework and showed that he was making things up ... but he still maintained that it was a difference of opinion, even though there was no basis to substantiate his false (invented) claim.
Moving on to the self-styled pastor pastor of the so called mega-church Lighthouse Evangelism ... there was nothing that can be claimed to be "Christian" in what he said.
This is a typical diatribe of a bigot hijacking a religion to not only justify his own bigotry, but also to encourage others to become bigots.
~~
The big picture issue here is one of basic human right. The right to be respected, the right to express yourself, to love, to live your life the way you want to, to be protected from harm and exploitation, in any way you like as long as you respect the exact same rights of others.
I don't like or engage in many aspects of gay culture. But I will support and defend anyone's right to be a party animal, to do drag, and to have multiple partners.
I don't do religion, but I would want a society where people are free to believe in anything they like - as long as they in turn allow me to believe in whatever I want; including nothing.
I want the innate diversity in humanity to be expressed and celebrated. Because it makes life far more interesting. Instead of chaos I see a rich tapestry for growth and evolution of humanity. Because uniformity and conformity (ie deviancy from a narrowly defined norm) is stagnation and death. Because diversity is inclusive, and conformity is not.
How can new wine be poured into new wineskins? Both of them will be destroyed. Thus new wine be poured into new wineskins. We need new religion, not force Christianity or Islam to accept us anymore, or force them to ordain gay marriage.
Oh yes, heterosexual marriage and sex should be banned because they breed people who are sexually "deviant". Homosexuals etc do not product children. Ergo it is all the heterosexual's fault! How's that for fixing the problem at the root cause?
Can animals be gay?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/04/magazine/04animals-t.html?src=me&ref=homepage
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