New York agencies adjust to accommodate gay marriage

Posted on May 29th, 2008 by -L-

Just read an interesting piece that illustrates a key distinction between the supreme court rulings in Massachusetts and California—the ability of non-residents to swing into the state and get hitched. New York, for one, wants to be ready to extend marriage rights to gay couples, not because of any change in policy, but because of a change in California’s policy. I find this interesting in a debate surrounding who should do the deciding regarding what types of marriage is legally recognized and what it will be called—the nation, the state, or… some other state across the country. When the federal amendment was being considered, I followed church leader advice and contacted my elected representatives. The response I received made sense to me—they opposed a federal amendment because this issue, they said, should be decided by the states. Now I have to wonder; how practical a possibility is that?

Excuse Me, Ma’am

Posted on May 28th, 2008 by Rex

I had a client with me and we were going to a meeting with the agency that contracts the work out to me. My client hadn’t eaten and asked if I’d stop at a donut place he knew. I don’t need to see a rack of donuts, so I stayed in the truck.

Just a Thought

Posted on May 27th, 2008 by Kim Mack

I have nothing to add to my post today. Weird, I know. But I saw this quote and thought it fitting for the blog. I see it as a nice summary of how I deal with being a faithful gay latter-day saint. Enjoy.

Straight Spouse Interview: Miki

Posted on May 25th, 2008 by Ben

Miki Biddles has been married to Kengo Biddles for five years. They have two children. As you’ll see below, she is a very level-headed person with some great insights not only on her marriage but on the value of seeing people as individuals rather than only as representatives of whatever demographic they might belong to.

A Four-Year Outing

Posted on May 24th, 2008 by Rex

Well, maybe five…

In my late forties, I decided to take advantage of having been laid off by Intel where I was doing some web and business programming. I enrolled in a Mental Health and Human Resources program at the community college. In my two years there, I had the same experience that Jason had in his post. Just about every “speaker” they brought in was gay.

Outing for the better good

Posted on May 23rd, 2008 by Jason Lockhart

In grad school, in my program (a therapy program), we have lots of guest speakers.  I totally dig that.  I think it’s a great idea.  I’ve learned a lot from experts who visit and teach about their areas of expertise.  It’s a great way to get varied perspectives, and to understand concepts that lie outside the realm of experience of the faculty.  The one thing that’s laughable to me, though, is that any time one of my professors gets a guest speaker for “special issues” (which happens frequently) it, without fail so far, is a gay person and the special issue is gayness.  No invalids?  No ethnic minorities?  No terminally ill people?  No abuse victims?  Nope.  Nothing but gays. 

To marry

Posted on May 22nd, 2008 by -L-

Recently, a comment summarized some recent advice from general authorities regarding straight marriages for people with gay attractions:

McCain and DeGeneres on gay marriage

Posted on May 22nd, 2008 by -L-

Just read an interesting excerpt from McCain’s appearance on Ellen’s show.  One of the articles I read pointed out that all three candidates believe that the gay marriage issue should be decided by the states and went on to say, “like California.”  When the people of the state decide one thing but the constitution is interpreted as another, I wonder how well that fits “decided by the state.” :-)

My How I’ve Changed

Posted on May 20th, 2008 by Rex

In 1994, I think November, I was sitting at my desk at work. I was working for a company that wrote robot software for wafer fabs in Taiwan. It was a new assignment for me, since I was employed for a contracting company. I had developed a deadly crush on a male coworker. He was not at all the kind of man I would have wanted to spend a lot of time with. He was crude and rude. The torn white t-shirt was what clinched the deal for me.

Raw Conflict

Posted on May 20th, 2008 by Kim Mack

I think until I get my natural (wo)man conquered, this issue of same-sex marriage will be a conflict for me. It isn’t a conflict with the church, per se, but a conflict with my understanding. A conflict where a few laws seem to be colliding, even if only in my mind. In fact, I am sure it is only in my mind since I am confident my understanding of this issue is naïve, elementary, and mired in my own issues.

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