People are always looking for validation. They will embrace the support and ignore those in disagreement.

I love how all these "open minded free thinkers" are negging this!

I'm gay. I really don't care how people view that. However, I will not tolerate hate speech nor discrimination.

I'm not afraid to voice my opinion. If I have the right to marry so should the gay people.

I'm gay and unfortunately other's view has a bearing on my legal rights. That is important. Regardless of my sexual orientation, I should have equal rights and equal access and protection under the law.

I don't give a crap anymore what other people think! It's what they DO that's the problem. Those that think they have a right to verbally/physically abuse anyone who is "different" (be it due to sexual orientation, race, religion or culture...) or even kill them? Those that think they have a right to keep me from having the same rights as other citizens or that we don't deserve any rights? Yeah, I have a problem with that. And, what I "do" with another consenting adult in private shouldn't be anyone's damn business! Not the government, any church, my neighbors....no ones! I hurt no one for simply being myself.

I only care so far as their veiws and bigotry will affect other's rights with one punch in the ballot. You can feel how you want, but that should not be an excuse to force your opinions on others.

Because sometime's other people's views means infringing on rights and changing laws, and means the difference between opression and freedom. I don't crae what people here on AB think, it doesn't change a thing, I care about the kind of pressure that is being put on government officials.

I've lived as a straight, married woman and I know bloody well, I do not have the SAME EXACT Civil Rights I enjoyed as a straight woman. I want them. I also do not want to have to consider if my life or well-being is at risk (rape or being beaten up) simply because I am a Lesbian. Women have enough to contend with in this arena from deranged individuals who believe that rape is ok for them to commit as a power trip over women. I basically do not want my life to be burdened by some nit's belief being supported by my government with regards to what I do (that is not causing harm to anyone, or infringing on their personal life or Civil Rights), where I work, live, shop, am or marry.

I only care insofar, that peoples' views often dictate their behaviour. When peoples' views are full of hate and fear, they often take that out on the people they hate and fear. Emotionally, physically, mentally, politically, spiritually they can wipe others rights and lives out.

It's just how they are. As long as they don't mistake me for a homosexual and hit on me, I'm fine with them all.

If I had the same legal rights as others, I wouldn't care. When I can be fired from my job for the sole reason for being gay, can lose an apartment lease for the sole reason for being gay, can be denied the purchase of a home for the sole reason of being gay, can be denied hospital visitation for an ill partner for the sole reason of being gay, & can be forced to sell a jointly owned home due to the tax burden when a same sex partner that I was prevented from being married to dies... I care.

Too many people "over react" about the GLBT community. Its not just what people think, but what people say and do as well. For instance Fred Phelps of the Westburo Baptist Church (of Satan) Has gone everywhere preaching his brand of hatred - he also has "shrines" to dead people who he keeps a running total of how long they have "been in hell" for being "gay". Its not just him, everyday across the nation somewhere somebody is screaming "fag!" the amazing thing is that they are not calling just gay people fags - they are calling anyone fag because to be "gay" is wrong. How wrong is gay? you tell me - better yet tell me how a car can be 'gay', or how a cd can be 'gay' or how everything that is not liked or "cool" or the current fad is "gay". The negative use of gay reflects badly upon our society, No one anywhere (other than myself with my nieces) is decrying this behavior. If we started using "black" instead of gay there would be a loud public outcry - you name the minority and the public would scream. So why do gays mind what you think? Because they are reminded every single step of the way how you think. And it doesn't really stop there. Considering all of the negative treatment and how gay is thrown out at anybody who does not fit in (i.e. any high school boys locker room is a good place to see people being called gay even when they are not because "gay is wrong") Then stack that up to the number of suicides in teens. You see what you think can hurt other people - if you yourself and all of your buddies and every person on the street who through the poor misuse of the language (This car is so gay.) to the phenomenal ongoing campaign to enforce negativity when it comes to homosexuality from the locker room to the Halls of congress do it day after day after day year after year unrelenting without mercy or compassion. Yes Gays have the highest rates of depression, suicide, alcoholism, drug addiction - however they are not doing these things because they are gay, they are doing these things because of how they are treated because they are gay. It is self evident to myself (a straight man) that we are sending the wrong message out there, that we are harping on a minority with a vengeance and we are doing far more harm than good. The reality is OP, your question reflects on your own lack of education on psychology and how words hurt others. It has nothing to do with 'going to do whatever one wants' it does have a lot more to do with the mistreatment which is uncalled for and all of the scientific evidence supports biological and physiological causes for homosexuality. Its not like hatred, where one can choose who to bash.