TV Same-Sex Wedding Stirs Debate

On Sunday night's season finale of the ABC show, "Brothers and Sisters," the characters "Kevin" and "Scotty" got married -- in what was billed as the first gay marriage on a network television drama.

[Michael]

Other "Brothers and Sisters" have beeb marrying in Gay Marriages, Civil Unions and Civil Partnerships for some time now. It is good to see that network television is catching on. I hope that network Television looked at civillywedd.com before planning its gay marriage. Kudos network television.

[Down South]

It was WONDERFUL! It has always been one of my favorite shows. It is so great to watch a show about such a loving family, a family that pulls together no matter what. I really hope it is on for many years to come.

[Lee Smith]

Made me keep HOPE for gays couples.

[devons]

I find it interesting the words that are used by those that wish gays would all go away quietly and accept the fact that they are treated as second class citizens.

We see the words such as 'activists''agenda' and 'normal' being said over and over again with the trailer that society is not ready to accept.

I'm sorry that society is not ready to accept their fellow citizens as equal in the eyes of our government. History has taught us that sitting back and waiting for society to change their views or accept fact as fact has never worked in the favor of those that are being viewed as less then equal.

By using those words to try and further scare this portion of society into turning on it's fellow citizens is actually elevating gays to a higher level. The use of the words further motivates gays when they realize the courage and strength it takes to live up to those words and take pride in them. I know I wear the label 'activist' with pride. As everyone has an agenda I take pride that my agenda includes making sure that our government treats all law abiding citizens equally. As for the word 'normal'....I take pride in knowing that I strive to be better then 'normal'.

[ScottyMatic]

devons wrote:

I find it interesting the words that are used by those that wish gays would all go away quietly and accept the fact that they are treated as second class citizens.
We see the words such as 'activists''agenda' and 'normal' being said over and over again with the trailer that society is not ready to accept.
I'm sorry that society is not ready to accept their fellow citizens as equal in the eyes of our government. History has taught us that sitting back and waiting for society to change their views or accept fact as fact has never worked in the favor of those that are being viewed as less then equal.
By using those words to try and further scare this portion of society into turning on it's fellow citizens is actually elevating gays to a higher level. The use of the words further motivates gays when they realize the courage and strength it takes to live up to those words and take pride in them. I know I wear the label 'activist' with pride. As everyone has an agenda I take pride that my agenda includes making sure that our government treats all law abiding citizens equally. As for the word 'normal'....I take pride in knowing that I strive to be better then 'normal'.

An excellent point! In my early 20's, I realized that in a professional setting, I had to be not just better at what I do than the average heterosexual in a comparable position... I had to be definitively, noticeably, and exceptionally better.

After a few years of zealous activism, I realized that, left on it's own, society would never become accepting of LGBT people (and much of the resistance came from closeted LGBT folk who were afraid of a society where coming-out was the norm.) This is largely due to the continuous ooze of anti-gay rhetoric that most people are programmed with. They are not allowed to form their own opinions. It is made clear very early in life that gay and lesbian people are to be considered different, strange, perverse, weak, and sick.

The only way to change the message is to present the truth as openly and publicly as possible, and to keep doing so until enough people DO make up their own minds.

A poll last week showed that 29% of likely voters support marriage equality for LGBT people, while 71% oppose it. This is not a "majority rule" issue, but a civil rights issue. Clearly 29% of the people understand that. The other 71% believe that they have the right to deny rights to a whole class of citizens.

What if protestants decided to vote as a block to suppress Catholicism? What if whites voted as a block to suppress blacks, hispanics, and amer-asians.(Well, these things do happen, but that doesn't make them right.)

Stand up and be counted. Don't give up and don't back down. It will take much more to move forward than it took to get us this far, and with wealthy religious and political forces arrayed against us, I won't pretend to tell you that it's going to be easy. It's going to be hard. But the alternative is allowing bigotry and discrimination to compromise the futures of every LGBT person of this and potentially every future generation.

We've endured scorn and oppression literally for thousands of years, and for the first time in memory, we are poised at the point of creating the "critical mass" of support and understanding to secure a better future for ourselves (and the world).

[Mark in Caledonia MI]

It's one of my favorite shows, I watch it every Sunday. I was glad that they showed the kiss.

[mixed]

It was a great show Brothers & Sisters (Marriage) and Grey's Anatomy (DADT)both had wonderful shows this week.

[fuzi]

Progress progress progress! Never falter, never let up. We will succeed if we are diligent and consistent.

[Inquisitarian]

I have mixed emotions about the 'Brothers & Sisters' wedding. One the one hand, I think it shows the reality that not all of us look at 'commitment ceremonies' with the same kind of enthusiasm that many heterosexuals have for their weddings. Kind of hard to when you know that family, friends and society in general don't view them as equals, even if you feel deep down that they are.

On the other hand, loved the mother's speech.

I'm perhaps kind of a radical. I see zero point in having a ceremony as a personal matter. I'm sure it's all very special and meaningful to some people, but I view it as a big hassle and unnecessary expense. Guess I'm more the elopement type. Sign the papers and start the honeymoon already. Screw putting on a big spectacle for other people's enjoyment. I'd be such a nervous wreck that I wouldn't enjoy it.

But hey - go for it if it's what you really want and if it means something special to you. On the other hand, don't feel ilke you have to just because it's tradition - and I mean that for opposite-sex and same-sex couples alike.

I guess part of the reason I'm cynical about it is because I don't think most of my family or my partner's would 'get it'. I think they'd make themselves feel just as 'offended' as the other set of parents were on the show.

To me, the commitment is what's important, not the ceremony.