The more of these stories I see, the more pissed off I get

Despite the fact that I don't really know many gay people, for some reason this issue just really gets to me. There is absolutely no reason for people to support these things so strongly. If you are straight, gay people getting married is going to have absolutely no affect on you.

If you're voting this way because you just think homosexuality is wrong, then you're just a bigot trying to force your beliefs on everyone else. Guess what, gay people will still be here, whether they are allowed to get married or not. If they truly are doing something wrong, then isn't that really a decision that should be left up to them?

If you have a religous objection to homosexuality, guess what, not everyone shares your religion. Do you want to outlaw anything that doesn't fit in with your own religous beliefs? That pretty much directly conflicts with the principles our country was founded on. You practice your religion, let others practice theirs.

If you're worried about gay marraige having some negative affect on families, take a look at any family, chances are some of them won't look anything like yours, but will be perfectly happy and healthy, and some of them will look just like yours and have any number of problems. What's important in a family is that the members love and support one and other, not what one's sexual orientation is.

If you're worried that not condemning homosexuality will somehow encourge people to "switch teams", then you just don't understand it, and you should take some time to learn what you're talking about before you make judgements that will affect the lives of others. Homosexuality isn't a disease that can be stamped out if we just don't encourage it. Face the fact that there are and will always be gay people and they have just as much right to be happy as you do. It might encourage people to be more open about who they are, and that's a good thing.

If you just want to deny rights to other people because you don't like them, then you're a bigot. And voting for measures like this may make you feel good about yourself, but in the long run, all you've done is document the fact that you're a bigoted asshole. You're not going to make anyone stop being gay, you're not going to get them to stop having relationships, and you're not going to stop them from committing to each other if they want to. All you can stop is their unions from being officially recognized, and even that will only be temporary, until stupid bigots like yourself are dead.

Finally, why do you really care? If you're straight, why should it bother you that other people are not? What's so terrible about other people being happy? You don't have to like their lifestyle, no one is asking you to, but is it really to much to ask to just leave them alone? As much as Bush's re-election upset me, seeing these bans pass so eaily really, really depressed me, because now I realize that I live in a country that only pretends to be accepting, but when it comes time to vote, they vote for hatred and bigotry.