when you are surfing the forums here at PBS and someone has a little picture in their signature saying "marriage is between a man and a woman".

Ahhhh!!! 

Yeah, but I figure there are others who have things that are supportive or directly related to GLBT in their signatures that probably irk them so, it washes out.

In Michigan before the anti-gay adminment a couple of years back, people would put those annoying bumber stickers on their cars that had a stick figure of a woman + stick figure of man = marriage.  I always wanted to take a sharpie to the man figure & put a dress on it when no one was looking, but I never did it....

While I don't agree with it, I defend their right to use it.  You will notice, however, that the number of GLBT supports here outweight the non-supporters. ;D

I agree they have a right to use it... and I fully support their right!!!  It is just irritating to see... arg.

And Mary, here in WV there are plenty of cars with that same stick-figure bumper sticker.   I was thinking about making a little sticker of a dress that would just fit over the guy... would they ever notice???

While some don't agree with it, I think it's rude with the bumper sticker thing.

Although I could never really understand being gay, I'll support their right to marry who they want.

People like that make me twitch.  I tell them "if you're against gay marriage, don't marry a gay person."

It irritates me when I see anti-gay things in signatures too.  And I have to remind myself that they have the right to put them there.  But I also know that some of the things in my signature probably piss off people as well.  So it evens out.

Yes, Beveryly, it pisses me off that you love Eyeore!  We all know Tigger is the coolest! hee hee

I agree that they have the first amendment right to express their beliefs, as long as they don't force them on me.  In this capacity I look at it as a way for us straights that suppport GLBT community and the GLBT members maybe can show (throgh our postings& interactions) that their beliefs may need to be altered :)

I've really never understood why some people get so upset about the idea of gay marriage.  Why do they feel the need to make personal decisions for other people?  And why do they feel so strongly that they have to go around advertising their prejudices?  I mean that on a very literal level - I don't understand how they think.  It's not hurting them, so why do they care so much about it?  I find it very confusing.

Actually, I kind of miss the point of Gay marriage. I've been with my "husand" for over 13 years and we have never felt the need to succumb to an institution drenched in hypocrisy that as often as not ends in divorce. The only advantage that I see is a rather minor tax benefit for filing a joint return. We do, however, live in California which has some of the best domestic partner laws in the country.

That said, I think the marriage controversy is great since it keeps Gay rights issues out there in the spotlight. Isues our current, fascist regime would rather keep locked in the closet.

The only advantage that I see is a rather minor tax benefit for filing a joint return

But, affording gays the right to marry, should they choose to do so, brings with it ALL the advantages that a heterosexual couple gets just by virtue of the recognition of that piece of paper. It's not just filing a joint tax return,,,,it is the right to medical decisions, hospital visitations, inheritance, health benefits, etc. Advantages and protections that gays CAN put in place through legal documents but, are just handed to a straight couple without anything more than one piece of paper saying they are married.

If I could marry my partner I might or might not. But, at least we would have the option - the CHOICE.  Putting it in simplistic terms, it is like going into a restaurant and being told you can't order from the entire menu, just the items designated for your group.

Actually there are over 1,000 benefits that married couples receive, that gay couples don't:  http://www.hrc.org/issues/5585.htm

That list is pretty astounding.

Alan, I understand where you are coming from, to some extent.  But for some people marriage is a sacred spiritual union, as well.   For me, it's not as important WHY a couple wants to marry, but that they simply DO, and should be afforded the right.

I think the battle of the sig blinkies/bumper stickers will just go on forever.  There's always going to be people offended by pro this or anti that.  I try not to get irked anymore by something like that.  I ignore it as long as people don't get in my face with it.  If they get in my face I tell them I'm Buddhist, but not a very good one and I raise my fist.  That usually makes them go away.  LOL

Most everyone does something that offends others. For example, I work with children and it bothers me to see pictures that show a pregnant women with a beer as an icon. It's not cute or funny to me when I see children who are screwed up due to choices a pregnant mother made. I know however that you can express yourself with the image and you may find it funny.

I agree though that it really sucks when people have opinions that are hate-based as in the anti-gay marriage sigs. 

its a brazilian ad for non-alcoholic beer.  there are also ads made by the same company that feature pregnant women modeling cars, etc in sexy ways.  i'm pregnant now and happy to see that women are still found attractive at 7/8 months.  I agree whole-heartedly with you about the poor decisions women make while pregnant and the outcomes not being funny. 

You know, one thing that REALLY bothers me about not being able to legally marry is the insurance.  If Greta and I are lucky to have a child and I want to stay home with the child for a little while, I will not be able to get on Greta's insurance.  And THAT is some BS.

I will admit that I will often decide not to request a book  directly from someone who has anti-marriage blinkies or icons etc.  

But what I really want to know is....where do you guys get these wonderful icons and blinkies to put in your signature lines?  I'm a total newb! (alright, well technically I joined pbs a long time ago...but I've only recently come to see the VALUE of pbs and started using it) 

Leslie - you can search for them online!  That's what I always do.

You can steal my blinkies if you'd like too. 

oh, there are a TON of icons you can snag from those 'made for myspace/livejournal' websites.  just google something like 'icons for myspace' or '(insert interest like "dogs" or "love") icons for myspace'  

That Sucks Jessie. We don't have any legal rights here either but I work for a wonderful company that recognizes domestic partnerships and Chris is insured under my insurance. The thing that I worried about most when Christian was little was that something would happen to me and Chris would lose Christian. Even tho she was appointed his legal guardian and my family knew that it was my wish that he remain with her. It's not an issue any more for us but for new moms and dads it still is.

Luckily in PA there is 2nd parent adoption, which would allow the non-biological or adoptive parent to adopt the child as well without the first parent severing their parental rights.   Not as great as being recognized right away as the legal parent but pretty good.  There is also legal precident in the PA court system from the 70's of a child being able to stay with the person appointed in the will as legal guardian over the biological father.  It went to the Supreme Court of PA.