From Alternet: Gays, lesbians increasingly powerful, court told

via: Agence France Presse

Gays, lesbians increasingly powerful, court told

The influence of homosexuals in US politics is significant and growing, an expert testified, as opponents of same-sex marriage opened their case in a federal trial challenging California's gay marriage ban.

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Supporters of the ban are attempting to argue that their political influence proves gays and lesbians are not a minority which is proportionally under-represented in the political process.

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Last week, Gary M. Segura, a professor of American politics at Stanford University, testified that gays and lesbians are politically vulnerable.

"Gays and lesbians do not possess a meaningful degree of political power," he said. "They are not able to protect their basic interests and effectuate their interests into law and to secure those."

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http://www.alternet.org/rss/breaking_news/103762/gays%2C_lesbians_increasingly_powerful%2C_court_told/

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This is the case supporters of Prop 8 have?

If what Miller is saying has truth to it, then why not just give the GLBT Community full and equal Human Rights? Since, according to the logic being used here, the GLBT Community will prevail in the long run, just cut it to a short run and do the right thing, afford all members of society Equal Rights and Privileges.

Those insidious gays are everywhere, don'tcha know? Pulling the strings. Controlling what you see and hear.

Puke.

It seems that he's just playing on "fear".

The larger point though, is that if his "argument" has any validity, then he is actually stating that Equal Rights are in the future. My thought is, if this is "inevitable", just pass laws that give the GLBT Community full access to all the Rights and Privileges now...why "make them wait"? His "argument" is senseless on the face of it. Why stall the inevitable?

Of course, this is a small part of what's going on in the hearing...but if this is their "basis" to uphold Prop 8...they are wasting everyones time...just do what's right... overturn the damn thing and let people get on with their lives...:hi:

From a rational person's viewpoint, I can see where you would go that way - if we have so much power, then ultimately our rights will be recognized - so why wait?

But from the fundy Christian POV, I think it's intended to stoke the fire of fear that we're "taking over" and should be slapped down for the "good of the country."

It would make Goebbels proud.

most larger religions have a "thing" about homosexuality, but it is deeper than that, it goes to a societal change, and that is always difficult, even with laws.

For the few times homosexuality is mentioned in religious tenets, I am amazed that it gains such fervor...and abortion is never mentioned, yet one would think it's a mentioned every other verse of any religious tome.

Society always takes time changing, over just the past 5 years I've seen much more tolerance for gays than I have seen in my lifetime...that's pretty quick in societal timelines. But tolerance isn't the goal, this is a Human Rights issue; no segment of our society should be denied Human Rights. As the youth of this nation rise up to the challenges that face the nation and the world, changes will come more quickly. Education and awareness are essential; I fully plead guilty as a straight male for not getting active sooner. To be honest, it didn't affect me either way...until I started delving into the situation and realized that we are not talking about something obscure, but we are talking Human Rights, and that was the catalyst for me. Just as in Civil Rights actions of the past, I suddenly became aware of the problem. Way back in history, a rabbi who was fighting for Civil Rights for blacks told me that if all people weren't afforded equality, none of us were, I suddenly became very active...the same thing happened here on DU. An issue that did not garner my attention for or against, suddenly became a very serious issue. I thank TerryA and pinto, as well as others, for turning on the light that needed to be lit...:)

the NRA.