Gay Marriage Opponents "Thank" Obama

CBS Evening News: Californians Who Hope To Ban Gay Marriage Are Counting On Obama Voters To Give Them A Boost

(CBS)  Those campaigning in California for Proposition 8, which would reinstate the ban on gay marriage, believe they'll get a lot of unintended help from Barack Obama on Election Day, reports CBS News correspondent John Blackstone.

"We thank Barack Obama, even though he's not supporting it, for helping us," says Sonja Eddings Brown, of an anti-gay-marriage group called Protect Marriage. "We think it's going to push us over the top."

Obama is expected to bring African-American voters out in record numbers, and those voters are seen as often being more conservative on issues involving homosexuality.

Pastor Edward Smith of Zoe Christian Fellowship has been urging members of his Los Angeles area church to vote for the gay marriage ban.

"Marriage has always been defined as a man and a woman," Smith says.

For Smith, it's the most significant item on the November ballot.

"This issue is more important than who becomes president of our states to me and to our Christian believers," he says.

But many African-American supporters of gay marriage see it as a civil rights issue, with gays fighting familiar battles, Blackstone reports.

"We were denied the right to marry a person of another race," says Alice A. Huffman, president of the California chapter of the National Association For the Advancement of Colored People. "Any time government intervenes and tells you what you can or can't do, it's a denial of your rights."

The California NAACP is trying to mobilize voters against the gay marriage ban, but at a meeting this past week showed, it's not an easy sell.

"If you believe in God and the Bible, how do you reconcile same gender marriages with Genesis 1:27 and 28?" asked one Obama supporter who is still undecided on the gay marriage ban. The Bible verse referenced is a commandment that called on the first man and woman to "be fruitful" and multiply.

While Obama himself does not support gay marriage, he says California's law allowing it should be left as it is. That has left some of his supporters facing a dilemma on Election Day.

"I don't have a problem with civil unions, but when it comes to marriage, and the holy sanctity of marriage, that's where I'm conflicted," says Jacquelynn Hawthorne, an Obama supporter.

That inner turmoil makes her an undecided voter on the gay marriage ban, Blackstone reports. And although the ban seems to be losing in the polls right now, those voters could make all the difference.

[andor3]

These pro-8 people are a joke. They cannot even make a real argument for their position so they invent things like taking rights away protects free speech! Californians are seeing right through this--if you have to lie to support your position, it is not a very strong one.

[tenayaca-2009]

Pastor Smith seems to have forgotten that just 60 years ago California had laws preventing black and white people from marrying...in that day, they would have been called Negroes or worse. And it is this level of discrimination that this pastor wants to visit upon another group in society. Would he want the interracial ban overturned?

The real issue here is about MONEY and INSURANCE COVERAGE and the CORPORATIONS who don''t want to pay BENEFITS and have sold this bill of goods to the love-thy-neighbor "Christians."

Also, I think his church''s non-profit status should be revoked. Pulpit Politics=Pay Taxes.

[itgranny]

I''m against both homosexual and hetrosexual marriage being recognized by the law unless the vows were given by a non-clergy representative of the United States. The reason being i want there to be a Separation of Church and state.

If you want the law to recognize you as being a pair its the courthouse you seek, that is the ceremony that should give you all the rights of a union.
if you want God to recognize you as a pair, its a church. Churches and clergy should not have legal power.

[jerr11]

I support the gay marriage ban.

And I support Obama.

[dibs977]

Gay people are born that way and they cannot change. They can be homosexual and be authentic and true to who they are or they can live a lie or live a life in the closet. I believe in truth---and I believe they are as good as heterosexuals and deserve the same rights. People used to deny rights based on being female or based on skin color---this is just another way for some people to deny the rights of others. If you do not believe in gay marriage--then do not marry someone of your same ***. Leave others to do as they think right and stop hitting us over the head with the Bible. The Dead Sea scrolls have taught us that there were many changes in the Bible hundreds of years after Jesus. It is a wonderful book full of great spiritual truths---but not the literal word of God. I have read it many times and study it frequently. The Bible has taught me to trust the meditations of my heart and that means to allow others the same rights I have.

[bernard1012]

a deliberate attempt by CBS to swear Obama, discreet but nevertheless the subtext is vote for Obama and you will have a homosexual ( i e liberal) loving, etc etc in the WH. Alternatively vote for nine hundred year old McCain and a Moose popping brain dead VP, who represent a retardation of a once proud republican pary who have brought the country
to its knees, domestically and internationally, Pity the female voters these days, on the one hand they are genetically predisposed to Palin, but on the other, they are appaled that after billions of years of evolution that we are been asked to consider this affront to our intelligence being given access to the WH.

[incog-nito]

All this silliness over linguistics. Call it marriage or civil union or potato or whatever. If the legal rights are the same then it doesn''t matter.

[dibs977]

Biden and Obama are honest, good and kind men who will lead us to peace and prosperity and help us to save the planet. Vote Obama!

[sirziploc]

That witch Palin was overheard calling Obama the "N" word after the
debate with Biden backstage at her post-debate rally Thursday.....How
sick and desparate can McCain be to have this poor woman express
anything for him to lose in the end anyway!!! OUTRAGE!!!

[hhkeller]

300,000 dead in Iraq thanks to Obama and McCain and ya''ll are worried about gay stuff.

lame.

[loricampbell11]

i agree that every church should have the right to only preform the marriage ceremonies they choose to believe in. I also believe in separation of church and state. If anyone wants to be legally bound in a civil union, no matter what their sexual orientation, they should be granted a civil union by the state and a marriage or whatever they choose to call it in their place of worship. By giving straight couples extra rights, the state is violating mine.....and my kids.

[whoopdeedoo6]

This is true about black males! They will not under any circumstances acknowledge homosexuality in their community! They live under this cloud of ignorance because they believe that as long as they are dating women, marrying women and having *** with women, they could not possibly be considered gay when they are also having *** with men! A lot of white guys fall into this way of thinking too!
I also want to address the moron that wrote this:"I would like to see 2 *** produce a child, without help from a normal(i corrected your misspelling lol) person." **** There are many man/woman couples that cannot produce a child(if we''re lucky , you are part of one of them)! Is there something wrong with them too?????

[whoopdeedoo6]

This is true about black males! They will not under any circumstances acknowledge homosexuality in their community! They live under this cloud of ignorance because they believe that as long as they are dating women, marrying women and having *** with women, they could not possibly be considered gay when they are also having *** with men! A lot of white guys fall into this way of thinking too!
I also want to address the moron that wrote this:"I would like to see 2 *** produce a child, without help from a normal(i corrected your misspelling lol) person." **** There are many man/woman couples that cannot produce a child(if we''re lucky , you are part of one of them)! Is there something wrong with them too?????

[myopinion1]

Sirziploc, you are a liar and you know it. Palin is a good, Christian woman who certainly would not support people with a very serious brain abnormality (homosexuality) being married. Something as sacred as marriage is for man and woman only. Oh and PLEASE stop calling them "African-American". They are black. There are plenty of white people in Africa and NONE of the ones here are from there, save for a very, very few.

[brady61995]

when will people figure out that they god marrige and wanting equal rights are two different things. adaoption, owning a home. health benifits. they are looking for basic civil rights that everyone else has. *** 16 percent of the population. african americans 12.4. could you imagine the gay college fund? the gay college? the gay bank? the gay consumer has more power than they think and until the organize better they will be used as a wedge issue by whites and blacks and christians.

[sampizsf]

I am a gay man, and while I don''t see myself getting married anytime soon. It disgusts me to no end that the NAACP would support Prop 8. I have always supported civil rights and for this organization to stab me and my people in the back in our time of need. Is treacherous beyond words. How dare you. After all your people have been through. How dare you attack a fellow minority.

[dtla1730]

Obama signed legislation blocking the ban on Gay marriage and supports Gay ''civil union''. Still, he''s never taken a stance on Gay ''marriage''- most likely because, as a Christian, he''s against it. The Bible clearly condemns homoesexuality.

Excuse him for having a single belief of his own.

Kudos to him for remaining true to himself, but also ministering to the rights and beliefs of others his administration would be responsible for serving in equality. He''s got class.

The woman quoted at the top of this article, on the other hand, has none.

[seyelda]

Don''t you just love these religious nuts telling others how to live their lives when it has little or no impact on theirs?
Having said that I believe homosexuality to be an abomination and perversion. However if others want to engage in perversion I could not care less. Just keep it out of my face.

[spatula75]

I guess it isn''t surprising that the anti-gay crowd would also be racist, since both forms of hate come from the same place. Honestly, how is it not a racist stereotype to assert that all African-Americans hate *** as much as the anti-gay hate industry does?

[seyelda]

Don''t you just love these religious nuts telling others how to live their lives when it has little or no impact on theirs?
Having said that I believe homosexuality to be an abomination and perversion. However if others want to engage in perversion I could not care less. Just keep it out of my face.

[rachelmarina]

Can I ask all of you in favor of the ban a question? How does this affect you? If you plan on marrying someone of the opposite *** then why does this even matter to you? I just want to know in what way this directly affects your daily life. Please tell me.

[paris1969]

Interesting that Obama doesn''t take a stand on the same-*** marriage issue because when his mother married his father it would have been illegal in most states in this country. You would think he would understand what it is like to have laws on the books that just don''t make sense unless you are a religious zealot!

[drkeithburto]

I commend the NAACP for recognizing that gay rights do not fall under the same category as rights for ethnic minorities. I am Black because my parents were Black. Likewise, all of my siblings inherited their ethnic genes from my parents.

To this day, scientists are divide on the cause of homosexuality and are divided on whether it is due to nature or nurture. I don''t need anybody to tell me where I got my black skin!

[obbcbs]

People who make laws to enforce their religion and personal religious points of view, onto the public, are Taliban.

[trlg]

Californians, you all who have voted against licensing same-*** couples the first time around. You know better in school w/ a multiple-choice question test, your first choice is usually correct!!! Let''s each re-vote to oppose the licensing of same-*** couples to show the rest of the USA that we are not a flip-flopping wishy-washy State of this great nation!!! Then our fellow country men shall understand that not all Californians are (ultra-liberals), and we could take that to the bank!

[drkeithburto]

I commend the NAACP for recognizing that gay rights do not fall under the same category as rights for ethnic minorities. I am Black because my parents were Black. Likewise, all of my siblings inherited their ethnic genes from my parents.

To this day, scientists are divide on the cause of homosexuality and are divided on whether it is due to nature or nurture. I don''t need anybody to tell me where I got my black skin!

[drkeithburto]

I commend the NAACP for recognizing that gay rights do not fall under the same category as rights for ethnic minorities. I am Black because my parents were Black. Likewise, all of my siblings inherited their ethnic genes from my parents.

To this day, scientists are divide on the cause of homosexuality and are divided on whether it is due to nature or nurture. I don''t need anybody to tell me where I got my black skin!

[obbcbs]

If everyone in school learned that they dont have to have children, we could end the fears of water shortages, food shortages and oil shortages.

[obbcbs]

The *** fears of bigots is projected interest on their part in non-ordinary sexuality. You see the homosexuality among preachers, the high divorce rate among fundamentalists, and like Palin''s kid, the high rate of out of wedlock pregnancies are highest among fundamentalists. They are trying to control other people because THEY are so out of control.

[obbcbs]

S E X is so taboo in this country that Yahoo wont even let you type the word S E X. Try it. it becomes ***.

[rachelmarina]

Yeah maybe people should be more concerned about the preachers they trust with their kids then whether or not someone who has nothing to do with you is getting married.

[forthinvader]

Obama''s plan is the ultimate "get over on Whitie" scam. After Obama takes over he will be the Master and white race will be made to remember ever lash of the whip on ever Black slave in America.

[n8yvn29]

Homophobes and the American Taliban are only dreaming if they think a larger turnout of democratic voters will help them impose their discrimination on the U.S. people. People have had enough of these people for the last eight years.

[rachelmarina]

Obama''''s plan is the ultimate "get over on Whitie" scam. After Obama takes over he will be the Master and white race will be made to remember ever lash of the whip on ever Black slave in America.

Yeah and I''m sure his entirely WHITE cabinet will be encouraging him to do that.

[missingamerica]

"...the holy sanctity of marriage"

It lost a lot of its "sanctity" for me when I realized that I could hardly travel a block or watch TV in any large city without seeing an advertisement placed by a "family practice" or "divorce" attorney.

[mccainisevil]

MY HOLIDAY WITH JOHN McCAIN

http://myblogthebword.blogspot.com/2008/09/my-holiday-with-john-mccain-it-was-just.html

A MUST READ - THIS GUY IS AS SICK AND CREEPY AS IT GETS!!!!

"McCain''s appreciation of the beauty of Asian women was so great that David the American economist had to move his Thai wife to the other side of the table from McCain as McCain kept aggressively flirting with and touching her. Needless to say I was irritated at his large ego and his rude behavior towards his wife and other women, but decided he must have some redeeming qualities as he had adopted a handicapped child from Bangladesh. I asked him about this one day, and his response was shocking: "Oh, that was Cindy''s idea - I didn''t have anything to do with it. She just went and adopted this thing without even asking me. You can''t imagine how people stare when I wheel this ugly, black thing around in a shopping cart in Arizona .

[missingamerica]

BS, 1st he wont win and 2nd, I will never be 2nd to some black low-life

Posted by mrcrosby1 at 11:40 PM : Oct 05, 2008

Vote republican, then...they don''t care who you are - they will screw any American.

[drkeithburto]

In addition to the spiritual union enjoyed by a male and female in a marriage relationship, marriage is also a social institution that protects the rights of children. It is "impossible" for same *** couples to procreate "naturally" and any desire to have the same rights as married people is beyond logic. Each person is free to pursue their own sexual path, and will one day have to answer to God for their choices.

However, Proposition 8 has very little to do with religion and everything to do with decency and sensibility in civil societies. The effort to force everyone to accept a deviant lifestyle is akin to fascist attempts to enforce warped ideologies that only serve to disintegrate society.

[toby2957]

BS, 1st he wont win and 2nd, I will never be 2nd to some black low-life

Posted by mrcrosby1 at 11:40 PM

1. He will win, it''s nearly inevitable now.
2. You''re already 2nd because you''re a racist bigot.

[mccainisevil]

MY HOLIDAY WITH JOHN McCAIN

http://myblogthebword.blogspot.com/2008/09/my-holiday-with-john-mccain-it-was-just.html

A MUST READ - THIS GUY IS AS SICK AND CREEPY AS IT GETS!!!!

"McCain''s appreciation of the beauty of Asian women was so great that David the American economist had to move his Thai wife to the other side of the table from McCain as McCain kept aggressively flirting with and touching her. Needless to say I was irritated at his large ego and his rude behavior towards his wife and other women, but decided he must have some redeeming qualities as he had adopted a handicapped child from Bangladesh. I asked him about this one day, and his response was shocking: "Oh, that was Cindy''s idea - I didn''t have anything to do with it. She just went and adopted this thing without even asking me. You can''t imagine how people stare when I wheel this ugly, black thing around in a shopping cart in Arizona .

[paul163445]

It would be nice if the government designated 1 day in which all *** could be married. Offer them a 1 time wedding gift of $10,000, government supplied health care, and life insurance and the promise of being treated equally.
Then have all the *** from the entire country gather in San Francisco for a mass wedding, reception, and gay parade in honor of their selfless service to this country.
Then drop a nuke on the city for the fireworks display.

[paul163445]

I cant believe how politically the dems have this country. I posted below using the same word three times, it was edited twice and the only time it wasn''t used was with the word parade after it. What a joke. I guess we know what the editors preferences are.
Sickening.

[toby2957]

Then drop a nuke on the city for the fireworks display.

Posted by Paul163445 at 11:54 PM

I''m glad you posted. It''s important to see obvious evil.

People try to justify it by saying it isn''t bigotry and it isn''t hate... "oh look how disgusting this is!", as if their personal dislike was some sort of automatic qualifier for supernatural damnation.

They forget (or wish to obscure) that being g.ay isn''t about s.ex. It isn''t about labels or religion or politics or laws. It''s about who you are capable of loving, body and soul, and being loved by in return.

Some people really hate g.ay and lesbian people. I can''t say for sure why. Is it because we''re not 100% like them? Is it because we may not share their religion? Is it because they don''t personally share the same feelings? I don''t know. But it is because of that hatred, exemplified in posts here, a g.ay man or woman might get shot, robbed, beaten or staked out on a fence and left to die. That''s what it means to hate.

Most g.ay and lesbian people have the courage to stand up to that hate, and we do. Some give into it, and begin to hate themselves. I know who I love, and why, and there isn''t enough hatred, bigotry, rhetoric or ignorance in all the world to change that.

As time passes, civil rights are being recognized for g.ay and lesbian people, and many of the old bigotries tend to fade. But there will always be a few, that will seek to destroy instead of understand.

We are not afraid.

[Pickinpackinmama]

GAY MARRIAGE SHOULD NEVER BE ALLOWED. AMERICA WAS FOUNDED ON GOD AND PRAYER. OUR COUNTRY WAS BASED ON GOD''S 10 COMMANDMENTS. AND THE PRINICPLES OF THE HOLY BIBLE ONE TIME. GAY MARRIAGES ARE AN ABOMINATION IN THE EYES OF GOD AND CHRISTIANS.GOD DESTROYED THE CITY OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH BECAUSE OF SO MUCH EVIL.GOD ALSO DESTROYED THE WORLD BY A GREAT FLOOD-IN THE DAYS OF NOAH.GODS JUDGEMENT IS AT HAND ON THE FALL OF AMERICA BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT REPENT FROM YOUR SINS.JESUS CHRIST IS COMING BACK SOON FOR THE RAPTURE AND THEN JUGDEMENT WILL COME.

[Pickinpackinmama]

GAY MARRIAGE SHOULD NEVER BE ALLOWED. AMERICA WAS FOUNDED ON GOD AND PRAYER. OUR COUNTRY WAS BASED ON GOD''S 10 COMMANDMENTS. AND THE PRINICPLES OF THE HOLY BIBLE ONE TIME. GAY MARRIAGES ARE AN ABOMINATION IN THE EYES OF GOD AND CHRISTIANS.GOD DESTROYED THE CITY OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH BECAUSE OF SO MUCH EVIL.GOD ALSO DESTROYED THE WORLD BY A GREAT FLOOD-IN THE DAYS OF NOAH.GODS JUDGEMENT IS AT HAND ON THE FALL OF AMERICA BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT REPENT FROM YOUR SINS.JESUS CHRIST IS COMING BACK SOON FOR THE RAPTURE AND THEN JUGDEMENT WILL COME.

[toby2957]

GAY MARRIAGE SHOULD NEVER BE ALLOWED. AMERICA WAS FOUNDED ON GOD AND PRAYER.

Posted by flame471 at 12:07 AM

Complete fabrications. You know nothing of our country at all - you only know hate - I only hope you realize that before it completely consumes you.

[paul163445]

San francisco is the city of "Sodom"...it needs to be destroyed by God. I''m hoping for a big earthquake that levels the city.

[paul163445]

Obama just stuck another nail in his coffin.

[toby2957]

Trust me...your safer to stay in the closet.


Posted by Paul163445 at 12:21 AM

I''ll be happy to disappoint you on that.

[jmiles_2000]

I have enjoyed my life and know that as a hetrosexual man. We are to hate the sin and love the sinner