Two-thirds or more of those responding to an Argus-Courier online poll June 5, 2008 support same-sex marriage and other gay rights issues.
Some 72.5 percent agree with last month’s California Supreme Court ruling to allow marriage between two people of the same sex, while 24.6 percent disagree. More than three-fourths (76.8 percent) feel gay and lesbian couples should have the same rights as heterosexual couples, including spousal medical benefits and legal agreements. More than two-thirds (68.1 percent) would oppose an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would define marriage as being between a man or a woman, thus barring marriages between gay or lesbian couples. More than three-fourths (76.8 percent) think that gay or lesbian couples should be legally permitted to adopt children and 69.6 percent think that gays or lesbians should be allowed to serve in positions of leadership in religious or youth organizations.
Here are some of the comments by those who responded to the poll:
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“Marriage is a social institution, and social institutions change to reflect society. Case in point: Slavery was also a social institution, and I don’t think you’d find anyone advocating slavery today.”
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“Two people who are in love and want to get married should be able to. I’m not gay, but I don’t see what a person’s sexual preference has to do with the price of tea in China. There are so many kids that need a home. Someone ” whether they’re single, married or gay ” who wants to adopt a kid, so long as they give it lots of love, should be able to. People are just making a big deal out of nothing.”
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“Committed couples, whether opposite sex or same sex, deserve the respect and support of society.”
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“I don’t see why people are so opposed to other people’s decisions. I go to school with a few gays and we recognize them as the same. Let them live on.”
“I don’t see any way in which the marriages of my numerous gay friends would detract or ‘sully’ my straight marriage. Every time I hear the phrase ‘sanctity of marriage,’ it gives me the creeps. Anyone who seeks to deny gays and lesbians from marrying must not have any gay or lesbian friends.”
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“Gay and lesbian couples should have a legally binding avenue for uniting and honoring their relationship. How about coming up with another name for this union, other than ‘marriage’? Let the Christians keep that word and their definition of it.”
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There are plenty of hetero couples who have been married in civil ceremonies and they are legal. Why should the religions that oppose homosexual marriages have any say? Sure, they have jurisdiction within their own churches but not at the local, state or federal level. If people want to marry, let them do so and enjoy!”
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“What’s wrong with more love in the world?”
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“It just isn’t right!”
“It’s OK to be gay. Bigots that oppose this are just afraid of their real sexuality!”

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“We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all people are created equal.”
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“Evolve!”
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“Gay and lesbian couples should have a legally binding avenue for uniting and honoring their relationship. How about coming up with another name for this union, other than ‘marriage’? Let the Christians keep that word and their definition of it. Create a new term for the legal uniting of two committed and in love persons. It would have the same rights and respect as ‘marriage.’ The ‘Christians’ and the wording of the U.S. Constitution are stuck on the word marriage and how they want to define it. Gays and lesbians want their relationship validated, so find a new term for that and move on.”
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“It’s OK to be gay. Bigots that oppose this are just afraid of their real sexuality!”
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“It just isn’t right!”
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“Religion should keep out of families that do not wish it. A family is a unit that supports and cares for each other.”

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“The arguments of the anti-gay groups are not too appealing. 1. It will lead to polygamy. 2. It will destroy the institution of marriage. 3. Homosexuality will spread just like pornography. 4. It is against religious beliefs. 5. Sodomy should be illegal. All of these arguments are self-motivated, taking the ‘I am more moral than you so you must follow my rules’ mentality. We’ve seen this bigotry before with blacks and women. This is old-generation thinking. The new generation is much more tolerant and have accepted gays into society. As the old thinking generation dies off and the new, more tolerant generation comes of age, I expect that in 20 years this will no longer be a hot topic. Gays will have full rights and no one’s marriage will be desanctified.”
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“We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all people are created equal.”
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“There is no reason to redefine the centuries-old traditional understanding of marriage as between one man and one woman, primarily for the purposes of raising a family, simply to accommodate a small, vocal minority who demand ‘equality.’ There’s no legal penalty for homosexual conduct any more. Gays and lesbians can live together, have children (after a fashion), enter into contracts together, have civil unions and domestic partnerships that have all the legal rights and obligations of marriage, so no one is denying them equal rights. It is merely the word ‘marriage’ that is the stumbling block. If the word ‘marriage’ is redefined legally to include same-sex couples, there is no rational reason to deny it to more than two people who wish to be ‘married’ to one another, or to say, an adult mother and son, or sister and brother. If it’s all about legal and financial benefits, how can you then fairly deny them to virtually anyone who wishes to live in a non-traditional relationship?”

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“Regarding Question No. 5: Pedophiles are overwhelmingly straight white men.”
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“For Question No. 4, I would look at child development experts for guidance. For No. 5, I think that religious organizations have the right to exclude gays and lesbians if that group feels such activities go against their belief system. However, if I were a member of a religious group, I expect I would support attempts to put them in positions of leadership. We certainly have had examples of problems of heterosexuals taking advantage of their position in youth organizations.”