This is by far one of the best editorials I have read to date about this issue. Thanks very much!

Great editorial. If the union is in need of a donation, please post the name and address on the blog.

Thanks

This editorial is outstanding and I'm very pleased this issue came up at the IGLTA's convention.
However, the Manchester Hyatt is a member of the IGLTA and should be expelled from the organization. I emailed IGLTA several months ago about this but never heard back from them so I would encourage others to also contact the organization requesting their expulsion as "Papa Manchester's" hotel can not be considered gay friendly by any stretch of the imagination.

I don't agree with the absolutist "you must agree with me 100%" approach the gay community is taking with this issue. People's religious convictions are no less important to them than our civil rights are important to us, so there is room for compromise. And we have already progressed to the point where virtually all of the rights and benefits of marriage are available to us in civil unions, so that what this really comes down to is nothing more than ownership of the word "marriage."

I also think that gay marriage -- which I believe will happen eventually through the courts regardless -- is an "icing on the cake" issue that should come at the end of our civil rights struggle, not in the middle of it. What I mean is that there are more fundamental issues that we have neglected or failed to address intelligently, such as the fact that it is still perfectly legal to discriminate against gays in employment, housing and public accomodations in some jurisdictions. The right to be married doesn't help you much if you can't get or keep a job and put food no the table.

We have been waiting for years -- maybe decades -- for Congress to finally pass an employment non-discrimination act (ENDA) -- and now that we've finally come close to getting them to do that, we have transgender activists who suddenly want us to include them in ENDA, which would only delay implementation of that legislation for another ten years while Congress wraps its mind around the transgender issue.

Furthermore, we have thrown sex offenders under the bus (witness the outing and expulsion of registered sex offenders who volunteered at the Pride parade and festival a couple of years ago), forgetting that we ourselves were considered sex offenders until 1974 in California, and until much more recently in many states. We have gone along with lifetime monitoring of sex offenders -- even those who commit relatively minor offenses -- and we did nothing to stop the passage of propositions that have made such offenders virtually homeless and unable to get a job and support themselves in our state because they can't live within so many feet of a school, church, park, etc.

I find this combination of cowardice and narcissistic absolutism on the part of our gay "leadership" disgusting. I am also disgusted by the knee-jerk support by the gay community of even the looniest of left-wing causes and its refusal to hold the Democrats accountable when it comes to gay issues. We go along with the bashing of Carrie Prejean by Perez Hilton because she doesn't support gay marriage, but give Obama a pass for not supporting gay marriage. The difference between Prejean and Obama? He's a liberal Democrat, and she's a conservative Christian.

Taking all of the above into account, I refuse to feel indignant about Manchester, and I disagree with the boycot of his hotel. Let's clean up our own house before we go all self-righteous on other people.

Blood money? Was someone murdered by Prop 8 passing that I didn't hear about? The man has a right to his ignorant, misguided, anachronistic religious convictions, for God's sake. But follow the logic - maybe those beliefs lead him to atone for the sin of harming and causing pain to the innocent. Maybe he now understands the Bible states (1Corinthians 13) "Love never fails" any of us - equally. Maybe he was once blind and now he sees. Would we blithely trade THAT gift away simply to satisfy our own visceral desire for vengeance? Whose the hater now?

I'm a Canadian man living in Vancouver. I lived in San Diego , however , for many wonderful years.And, I do mean wonderful.I acquired friends , ( mostly USN & USMC) who remained good friends for many long year recall precious memories of the friends and times , with deep sadness , though , as they have all left us forever , due to HIV/AIDS. My purpose in writing was to commend those involved in the Manchester boycott for maintaining their stance.His first donation in opposition to Prop 8 obviously helped the unjust cause he supported. Donating the same amount to the LGBT community won't reverse the process. I'd like to add that , as you know , we in Canada have extended equality of nuptials from coast to coast.And do you know how it has changed the nation , and traditional marriage? Not one iota.And no ones freedom of religion is impacted , despite the anecdotes circulating amongst the religious right. They are either patently false , or deliberately misleading.So when encountering the mindless arguments that are offered , suggesting that traditional marriage and families will cease to exist , and lightning will strike Horton Plaza , just point north. I'd like to add , that I have lived various places through the past several decades , and I have always found that the gay community in San Diego was the most caring, compassionate, activist and supportive of each other , of any group I'd seen . And that covers a lot of ground.( Some days I can't even remember how to spell 'youth'.)
Thank you for permitting me to ramble & meander down memory lane.Goodbye , Barbary Coast , Ball Express and the Vulcan .