Comments about ‘Fight over gay rights heats up at the Capitol’

Rather than boycotting, let's talk about issues! Let's work together, try to understand each other. Agree to disagree if needs be.

Every American should have the right to support what they believe in without fear of revenge or persecution. Every American -- even the ones we disagree with!

Is there middle ground?

I stand with those who find same-gender relationships as a marriage as a contradiction of terms. I would love the time honored tradition of marriage, which is largely for the rearing of children, to be maintained as it has been for years. I think extending this term, marriage, to same-gender couples would change the meaning of the institution.

However, I find that some rights are basic. I cannot understand why someone who can prove that they have lived with someone for years can be denied visitation rights at a hospital. I cannot understand why a person cannot decide to leave their house to their partner. While I do not support homosexual marriage I do support legislation that enables automatic passing of property to a partner if it is proven that the person was, in fact, the partner of the deceased. These seem like common sense rights. Why are they debated.

I do struggle with offering same-sex couples the privilege of having employment benefits (health-insurance,pensions) extended. I am not a fan of slippery slopes. It'd be endless

Children need both a mom and a dad. If they have only dads, then they learn by example that women are not important. Additionally, as children will grow up into adults, they will need to interact with both men and women. Adults who have not learned to do so in childhood, never function well. Yes, children need loving parents, but children also need both a mom and a dad. Our laws should place children's needs over adult wants.

I find it odd that in the year 2009, we still have to have debates over insane things like this. Is it too much to ask that my partner and I be allowed to file a joint tax return, have health insurance under one persons company, and be able to have legal protections if one of us were to be hurt or killed?

In a country where 75% of marriages fail within the first 5 years, I have to ask myself what is it you're trying to protect? Is it your idea that if gays weren't around life would be great, or is it that you're all scared that maybe the statistics of the amount of gay marriages ending in 5 years would be significantly lower and show up all the heterosexuals out there?

All we want is things that heterosexual couples take for granted and complain about on a daily basis. No more, no less!

This state was founded by people who could not find tolerance and understanding, and also were persecuted for their beliefs. Have we forgotten? Have we learned anything?

"Children need both a mom and a dad."

No, they don't "need" that in any sense of the word "need".

Children are malleable, and can grow up in many types of the definition of "family". They mostly require someone or someones they can rely on. Many "mom and dad" families are not a good unit. Children can and DO grow up in good homes of many definitions. If that includes "mom and dad", fine. If not, there are other options that shouldn't be demonized simly because you live in a bubble of "mom and dad".

When will we learn that we are not here to judge each other? We are all deserving of the same rights, and disapproving of a lifestyle different from your own is not grounds to deny people the same rights you enjoy. I am sick of hearing that people have no problems with homosexuals while in the same sentence denying them their basic rights as members of society. It is deplorable and nothing more than an attempt to justify bigotry and hatred. Enough already!

According to research published by the FBI, some 70% of crimes committed in American cities are perpetrated by young men with no FATHER in the home! Want more crime? The fastest and surest way to get there is NOT to have two parent families. We sow the wind and we reap the whirlwind! Two parent families are the incubator for the next generation. Without strong families we WILL produce monsters who prey on society! We can't hire enough policemen or build enough prisons and jails if we reject two parent families where VALUES (right and wrong behavior) are taught and demonstrated! Sorry folks, like it or not, that is just the reality of things! You want to live in a world where nothing has value= self distruction!

Thank you Mr. Governor, you have torn down these walls! Your actions are inspiring for the pure simple fact that you do not serve one party, nor one demographic, nor one religion, or one class, one city, one county, nor capitol hill itself.

You have stood up and you have made it clear that you will stand for One Utah and that we will not be divided!

Mr. Governor, you should be praised for your equality and fairness of life. You have saved so many thanks to the Huntsman Cancer Institute, now you will save the lives of many Utahns who felt alone and discouraged. If only Capitol Hill were more intelligent and open-minded, Utah would be a 1st class state.

I don't know what this state did to deserve a governor like the esteemed Jon Huntsman, but we sure owe him a debt of gratitude. His stand on civil unions has signaled to the rest of the country, that Utah is finally entering the twenty-first century. Maybe this will make the state more attractive to high tech firms, and progressive industries, like movie making, and clean energy, whose concept of Utah has been shaped by images from "Big Love" and Warren Jeffs.

What I do not understand about the homosexuial movement is why they cannot just go to a good attorney and have their "rights" to each others pensions, home, hospital visitation, trust authority or any other legal need set up? Why marriage when there can be no offspring of marriage? Homosexuals make no sense to me, in more ways than one. To me they are just another fringe group demanding "rights" that don't exist.

HB 160 is worth fixing. Any other remaining Common ground bill has been removed, doesn't have a chance, or should be killed in rules.

Those pushing for HB 267, need to either re-write the entire bill, or pull it for this year. As written, it won't pass and just causes bad feelings.

HB 160 would allow two 18 year old people, what ever the relationship, (brother and sister, unmarried guy and gal, long time friends, anyone) to share property and have some rights filled at the county. It doesn't say anything about gay, and it solves many of the issues without approving of someone's lifestyle.

Anything closer to a domestic partnership has been pulled already. The Gov making the comments now doesn't help anyone. Out of the 3 bills written, one has been killed, and the other two may or may not pass.

@California Andy | 6:19 a.m. Feb. 12, 2009

Because we shouldn't have to pay exorbitant attorney's fees.

Why should infertile heterosexuals get married when there can be no offspring? Wht should heterosexuals who don't want kids be allowed to marry? How many times must one repeat such an obvious argument?

Actually, I would hire a surrogate mother, but guess what? Surrogacy contracts for unmarried homosexuals do not hold up in court under Utah law. I'd have to go to your fine state to do that.

Homosexuals are about 3% of the population on average, about 1 out of 30. Not so much a fringe. We want to live our lives in happiness with security and equality under the law. We want families that have the same legal privileges as everyone.

I do not like Gov. Huntsman but he has finally done something positive. Good for him.

So we are going to blame all crime on chidren without fathers. You can rig any statistic. I know some families where the children would be better off without the father because he is a thug and a bully. But that really is not dealing with the the quesion. It is just a smoke screen.

Having convictions isn't being closed minded or living in a bubble.

Same sex adoption is wrong!
Same sex marriage is wrong!

I do believe that "partners" should be allowed visitation rights and the right to will them their assets.

Aside from that, let's leave this where it is. If we allow gay rights, we eventually have to allow polygamy (consenting adults) and at some point, how do we define what an adult is? Than we have 65 year old men, prowling the jr. highs to pick up girls..

Gay marriage starts it all! And don't tell us to stay our of your bedroom, please keep it in your bedroom.

Whenever civil unions have been enacted it has been nothing other than an alternative way of enacting marriage for same-sex couples. In California where they enacted domestic partnership, that provided same sex couples the full rights of marriage. Was that good enough? How about New Jersey & Vermont, which both did the same thing, not good enough for same sex advocates there, who now demand legislatively imposed same-sex marriage.

..is worth defending, period.

Marriage is between a man and a woman, period.

That being said, and it is pathetic that it has to be said, hospitl visitation rights, adult guardianship in cases of incapacitation, passing property should be available to any adult based on thier wishes, and laws should be changed to allow such.

However, the 1 -3 percent of the populatoin that is homosexual, as represented by thier leaders, demands that Western, actually all civilization be tossed in the trash and that thier proclivities be celebrated.

No celebration, no equivication, but legal recognition in certain areas - only.

I think children are better off holding out hope for a mother and father to adopt them than settle for an inferior arrangement, whether it be by a gay couple, unmarried couple, or single parent.

I'm all for employment equality, visitation rights, etc. but I draw the line where children become involved.

Your assertions are not supported by the vast majority of research.

Although there are many children who grow up just fine in unusual situations, the truth is children from "non-traditional" families -- fatherless, divorced, step, and gay -- are statistically much more likely to drop out of school, have early sex, get pregnant, and abuse drugs or alcohol.

Modern studies about families from pro-gay researchers are almost always biased towards the conclusion that family structure is irrelevant, much as the "research" in the 1970's which "proved" divorce was harmless or even beneficial to children.

Since gay families are a relatively new phenomenon, it's quite likely that, as happened with divorce, within 20 years it will be obvious that these children have serious problems when it comes to forming long-term relationships and establishing stable families.

Everyone today agrees that Dan Quayle was right -- unless of course they are pretending to be "open minded" in order to be "cool", like our pandering governor is.

Are you telling me the governor came up with this opinion all on his own? He didn't even have homosexuals show up at the mansion with a loaf of pumpkin break?

It is clear that the governor, as well as all those who agree with him on this issue, do NOT understand the issues relative to homosexual rights, civil unions and everything in between.

Why on earth should a group of people who subscribe to a certain behavior be granted "rights". By granting homosexuals "rights," we are saying, in essence, if you are a man who has sex with another man, you are entitled to additional rights.

Homosexuality is a behavior that is not worthy of public acceptance, never mind granting "rights."

I hate the behavior. I hate that it's becoming acceptable to be a homosexual.