Give Gays Equality ( not special treatment )

[DoctorBarber]

Equal or special treatment?

Petition calls for Ernie and Bert to get married, Sesame Street responds

If you don't want to click the link, I'll summarize it: people have nothing better to do than to attempt to make 2 puppets on a children's show have a gay marriage. Seriously?

You have to be ridiculously biased and ignorant to not see how retarded this is getting. Atheists even more than religious people, because after all you happen to be the "let people think the way they want" lot. These people want the exact opposite. Tell me something. How are these two situations different:

Scenario 1:
Ernie and Bert: Hello boys and girls. Do you know what gay is? It's when someone is attracted to the same sex! Nothing is wrong with being gay and it's bad to make fun of someone who is. Accept people for who they are and the world would be a better place.

Scenario 2:
Ernie and Bert: Hello boys and girls. Do you know what a Muslim is? It's someone who worships Allah and the prophet Muhammad! Nothing is wrong with being religious and it's bad to make fun of someone who is. Accept people for who they are and the world would be a better place.

I bet the majority of you would say there is indeed a difference. There isn't. Both messages are essentially teaching kids to be a certain way. Children are curious - after hearing either of those two messages, they would feel the need to find out more and possibly even experience being gay or being a Muslim. I ask again, equal or special treatment? Equal is for Sesame Street to, along with adding the gays to the show, making certain characters religious who constantly express their faith. But I'm sure people are too hypocritical to ever suggest that. It's the same with prayer in schools. Years ago, it was a good idea to take it out of schools. Now, in our day in age, people want it to be taught ( synonym for preached ) in school that gay is okay, that people should be gay, and that people should accept their lifestyle. It's back and forth - it's wrong for religion to be here and there but if you replace it with homosexuality, everything is all good!

Bernie Mac joked about asthma kids not living very long on one of the episodes of his sitcom. Wasn't actually something to laugh about, but no protests and demands for apologies. Tracey Morgan joked about killing his son if he was gay. Again, not something to laugh about, but so much fuss erupted over his remark that he made a public apology soon after. Message taught: It's okay to joke about kids dying from asthma, but not about killing your gay son, because after all, the latter involves a homosexual. Equal or special treatment?

It's apparent gays aren't out of "equality". Equality is being equal, not being treated better than others. Equality is putting up with jokes that the rest of the world has to put up with. Equal means if asthma kids, or Mexicans, or fat people have to endure jokes, so do homosexuals. Equal means if homosexuality can be condoned and taught in schools, so can religion. Equal means if a TV show can have two happily married gay people, it can have two monks who worship Buddha. Equal means if a pastor speaking out against gays is "hate speech", a gay speaking out against pastors is a crime as well.

Gays don't want equality. They want to be untouchable. They don't want you to be able to speak out against them. They want to take control of the schools your kids go to and the television programs they watch while brainwashing you into believing that it's not just another form of preaching. Gays have a doctrine too and they're doing a good job of converting people.

Too bad there will be a snowstorm in Hell before I switch sides.

[lsbskins1]

Funny, I have nothing against scenario 2. It isn't wrong to be religious, it is wrong to demand that everyone be religious in the way that you are religious. That is the problem with prayer in school, it establishes a certain type of religious observance as accepted. I mean, you are not suggesting a Christian prayer on Monday, A Jewish prayer on Tuesday, a Muslim Prayer on Wednesday, a Hindu prayer on Thursday, a Buddhist chant on Friday, and so on until all major traditions are covered, are you?

As for Bert and Ernie getting married, I can assure you that as a very political lesbian, this is not a high priority for me. I could not give a shit if the producers of Sesame Street refuse to go that step. What I care about is you, and people like you, refusing to accept the fact that it isn't a special right to be able to live openly and honestly without fear that someone will beat the shit out of you or make you a social parriah because when they are sitting around at work, sharing their stories about life and love and relationships, you joined in with a similar story about you and your same sex partner. Get over yourself, please. Your anti-gay rant is not that different from someone saying,"Black people don't want to be equal, they want to be able to rape your pure white women and not pay a price for it." It plays to the same type of fear and is built on the same type of ignorance.

Let me let you in on a little secret. Most gays are just normal folks. I have nieces and nephews and what I want for them is to be safe and happy, no matter what their sexual orientation. I'm not seeking to "turn" them or anyone else. I am trying to make the world a good and safe place for all of them, no matter who they end up being attracted to. If one of them ends up being gay like me, I want them to be free of as much of the bullshit I had to face as is possible. If none of them are gay, that is just fine with me because they will be who they are, not who someone else demands they be. Get it?

[brendand]

Equal or special treatment?

Petition calls for Ernie and Bert to get married, Sesame Street responds

If you don't want to click the link, I'll summarize it: people have nothing better to do than to attempt to make 2 puppets on a children's show have a gay marriage. Seriously?

You have to be ridiculously biased and ignorant to not see how retarded this is getting. Atheists even more than religious people, because after all you happen to be the "let people think the way they want" lot. These people want the exact opposite. Tell me something. How are these two situations different:

Scenario 1:
Ernie and Bert: Hello boys and girls. Do you know what gay is? It's when someone is attracted to the same sex! Nothing is wrong with being gay and it's bad to make fun of someone who is. Accept people for who they are and the world would be a better place.

Scenario 2:
Ernie and Bert: Hello boys and girls. Do you know what a Muslim is? It's someone who worships Allah and the prophet Muhammad! Nothing is wrong with being religious and it's bad to make fun of someone who is. Accept people for who they are and the world would be a better place.

I bet the majority of you would say there is indeed a difference. There isn't. Both messages are essentially teaching kids to be a certain way. Children are curious - after hearing either of those two messages, they would feel the need to find out more and possibly even experience being gay or being a Muslim. I ask again, equal or special treatment? Equal is for Sesame Street to, along with adding the gays to the show, making certain characters religious who constantly express their faith. But I'm sure people are too hypocritical to ever suggest that. It's the same with prayer in schools. Years ago, it was a good idea to take it out of schools. Now, in our day in age, people want it to be taught ( synonym for preached ) in school that gay is okay, that people should be gay, and that people should accept their lifestyle. It's back and forth - it's wrong for religion to be here and there but if you replace it with homosexuality, everything is all good!

Bernie Mac joked about asthma kids not living very long on one of the episodes of his sitcom. Wasn't actually something to laugh about, but no protests and demands for apologies. Tracey Morgan joked about killing his son if he was gay. Again, not something to laugh about, but so much fuss erupted over his remark that he made a public apology soon after. Message taught: It's okay to joke about kids dying from asthma, but not about killing your gay son, because after all, the latter involves a homosexual. Equal or special treatment?

It's apparent gays aren't out of "equality". Equality is being equal, not being treated better than others. Equality is putting up with jokes that the rest of the world has to put up with. Equal means if asthma kids, or Mexicans, or fat people have to endure jokes, so do homosexuals. Equal means if homosexuality can be condoned and taught in schools, so can religion. Equal means if a TV show can have two happily married gay people, it can have two monks who worship Buddha. Equal means if a pastor speaking out against gays is "hate speech", a gay speaking out against pastors is a crime as well.

Gays don't want equality. They want to be untouchable. They don't want you to be able to speak out against them. They want to take control of the schools your kids go to and the television programs they watch while brainwashing you into believing that it's not just another form of preaching. Gays have a doctrine too and they're doing a good job of converting people.

Too bad there will be a snowstorm in Hell before I switch sides.

Haha you are so full of it. You've equated homosexuality with having a respiratory disease, being Mexican, obesity, and Muslims.

Since we already make fun of all of those people, why should we not make fun of homosexuals!?

You are not interested in changing your mind ("Too bad there will be a snowstorm in Hell before I switch sides"), which is a shame because the gays seem to effectively organize themselves against mockery and you are obviously on the losing team - evidently moreso than compared with the other marginalized groups you brought up. So I guess you are right that they are doing a good job of converting people, but you are far too smart for them!!

The gay agenda must be stopped before we cannot make fun of them any longer! Go forth and spread the word!!

[Thanatos]

It is very unrealistic to think that people will become Muslim because they've been told what Islam is.

It is also very unlikely that homosexuality will go away if nobody mentions it. There is... strong... historical evidence for the existence of homosexuals before it was accepted or even widely known about.

It's not very good logic to say that pastors bashing gays are equal to gays bashing pastors. Their goals are different, as are their methods. Never heard of anyone being shot for being too heterosexual.

Fundamentally it doesn't have to work like that. The world *would* be a better place if everyone would cease their bigotry, it can be done, and if we have to wait for some of the older generation to die we will.

It's not snowing in hell, but it is cool and damp at the moment. You can stop being xenophobic any time you like.

[RickSp]

Gays don't want equality. They want to be untouchable. They don't want you to be able to speak out against them. They want to take control of the schools your kids go to and the television programs they watch while brainwashing you into believing that it's not just another form of preaching. Gays have a doctrine too and they're doing a good job of converting people.

Too bad there will be a snowstorm in Hell before I switch sides.

Gays are trying to take over the world. Yeah, sure. What complete nonsense. And delusional besides. The only thing interesting is that you expose the breadth of your own bigotry.

There is nothing wrong with teaching tolerance of others who are different from you in schools or elsewhere. Odd that it upsets you so.

[DoctorBarber]

The gay agenda must be stopped before we cannot make fun of them any longer! Go forth and spread the word!!

You're right - they do effectively organize themselves against mockery. They're taking your rights from you and you're too much of a hypocrite to realize it. Tracy Morgan has what's called freedom of speech. What he said may have been inappropriate, but he had a right to say it. Just like atheists have the right to speak out against God, or gays have the right to speak out against pastors or people who think their lifestyle is a sin. No one should have to bite their tongue or refrain from speaking out against gays just because they're gays. Before homosexuals start demanding equality, they should go learn the definition of the word.

[DoctorBarber]

Gays are trying to take over the world. Yeah, sure. What complete nonsense. And delusional besides. The only thing interesting is that you expose the breadth of your own bigotry.

There is nothing wrong with teaching tolerance of others who are different from you in schools or elsewhere. Odd that it upsets you so.

Then there is nothing wrong with religion in the schools. If you put a gay class into a school, make sure you implement a Catholic course too. You know, just to keep things equal.

The world is slowly but surely changing. Everything related to God is being pushed aside and made a crime while everything in opposition to God is being taught and condoned. Which makes me feel better about being a believer in the first place because this was predicted in bible. Your attitude along with the changing attitude of the world is supposed to happen - this is far from a coincidence. Those "old, stupid shepherding barbarians" you like to make fun of prophesied that the world would change in this manner. Thank you for helping me realize my book isn't just a fairy tale after all. Your lot does it consistently.

[RickSp]

Then there is nothing wrong with religion in the schools. If you put a gay class into a school, make sure you implement a Catholic course too. You know, just to keep things equal.

There is nothing wrong with teaching comparative religion in schools. In fact, it should be a required course. Teaching theology in science class is wrong. Giving religious instruction in class is wrong but teaching about religion in a social studies context is just fine. Of course it would teach tolerances of other faiths, a view that you obviously would detest.

The world is slowly but surely changing. Everything related to God is being pushed aside and made a crime while everything in opposition to God is being taught and condoned. Which makes me feel better about being a believer in the first place because this was predicted in bible. Your attitude along with the changing attitude of the world is supposed to happen - this is far from a coincidence. Those "old, stupid shepherding barbarians" you like to make fun of prophesied that the world would change in this manner. Thank you for helping me realize my book isn't just a fairy tale after all. Your lot does it consistently.

More delusional garbage. Your intolerance is tiresome.

[brendand]

You're right - they do effectively organize themselves against mockery. They're taking your rights from you and you're too much of a hypocrite to realize it. Tracy Morgan has what's called freedom of speech. What he said may have been inappropriate, but he had a right to say it. Just like atheists have the right to speak out against God, or gays have the right to speak out against pastors or people who think their lifestyle is a sin. No one should have to bite their tongue or refrain from speaking out against gays just because they're gays. Before homosexuals start demanding equality, they should go learn the definition of the word.

You have got to be kidding me.

Tracy Morgan has the freedom of speech, and so do gay people to criticize him on what he said.

Tracy did not have to apologize, nor even address what he said, but did so to save his reputation.

If you don't want to experience the ire of the gays, then don't provoke them. Why should they not have an opportunity to defend themselves against negative portrayals like everyone else?

Public support is slowly developing for gays, and you have freedom of speech to criticize that and mock them all you want, but freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequence, and nobody likes to be mocked.

[grandpa]

You have got to be kidding me.
Tracy Morgan has the freedom of speech, and so
do gay people to criticize him on what he said
.

Obviously, DoctorBarber is wrestling with the concept of free speech, at best. The thing is, even if people so lose their jobs over saying something offensive, it isn't necessarily a terrible form of censorship. For example, if I worked in fast food and told someone "Here's your burger and coke, you stupid piece of shit," I might get fired. Similarly, if people don't like what Tracy Morgan said, he might have a hard time getting gigs, for better or worse.

For the record, I happen to find Tracy Morgan funny, at leats most of the time. But that's not the point.

Grandpa h.

[crimethinker]

I understand the impulse of the religious to try to bring down to their level the things they hate. Too bad it's comically dumb to pretend that homosexuality is a world religion, akin to Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism. Homosexuality has no agenda, ideology, or tenets. It's a single, pretty much inborn trait, and thus can't be taught. What can be taught, or suggested, is acceptance of homosexuals, or more generally acceptance of those who would accept us.

Now imagine if a white comedian had "joked" that if he learned his daughter was dating a black man, he'd promptly go out and deliver a righteous curb-stomp upon him. There's a difference between a joke and saying that you'd commit a vicious hate crime given Benign Circumstance X.

Even so, what's the problem with suggesting religious tolerance on a kid's show? The key factor here is visibility. Homosexuals and Muslims are both minorities who are commonly the recipients of hate, discrimination, and, in the worst cases, murderous bigotry. In the 1960s, when Nichelle Nichols considered leaving Star Trek, Martin Luther King, Jr. himself urged her to stay on, because he knew the value that a positive portrayal of a black woman on a popular TV show had, both to blacks and those who would see blacks as unequal. Christian representation in media is unneeded, because Christians are the majority and aren't targets of bigotry. Similarly, a White Pride parade would be absurd -- although you're certainly free to have one.

Ultimately it's Sesame Street's decision whether to do this or not. It would be nice if they did, and hardly a tragedy if not. At any rate, it doesn't hurt to ask them.

[mbc85]

Its not all gays that like the whole "treat us better than everyone else", actually most of them are not like that, I guess u have aroblem with the "nut jobs" that are like that. I do too. Just like I have a problem with the likes of jesse jackson, the kkk, crazy femenist, etc, that want special treatments and want "equality" when they already have it.