For readers who believe in defending traditional marriage, don’t worry. You have every right to think, feel, and yes, say what you believe. Don’t feel obligated to comment here. Just know it.
Look, even Heather says you’re entitled to your opinion:
“First and foremost, understand that I respect the rights of everyone to have an opinion and a position.”
Yet, there is a caveat. You have that right, but if you don’t agree with gay “marriage” then your opinion is just prejudice and bigotry and that’s all it is. There is no other word for it, in Heather’s opinion. It’s ugly.
What a convenient way to attempt to discredit in advance any opposing arguments. No one wants to be painted as hateful, prejudiced, and bigoted, especially when he or she is not. Instead, many people will simply disagree in silence, but won’t speak out, afraid they’ll be labeled as haters. I’m glad I don’t intimidate easily nor do I buy into this one-sided “tolerance.”
That a small but vocal minority hopes to redefine marriage in their quest for validation of their choices, does not make marriage into something it isn’t, nor does it make those who believe that homosexual relationships are an alternative to marriage into bigots. No, not even when the race card is disingenuously thrown in. Race has nothing to do with homosexuality. It is emotional blackmail to take the inability of some to dictate the terms of a long protected tradition to meet their own desires and compare it with slavery and other terrible suffering visited upon people due to their race.
Words have meaning and marriage is one of those words. It has had the same meaning for centuries, both in common and legal terms. Other words have meaning too, such as tolerance. Tolerance means allowing for another position even if you find it disagreeable (preferably without name calling). Bigotry and prejudice also have meaning and neither is defined by simple disagreement.
But, that’s just my opinion.
See Heather’s article: That’s Just My Opinion: Is Bigotry the Problem?