I have to tell you, when I got up on Tuesday, February 24, 2004 and read the CNN headline about Bush wanting a Constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, I cried. I cried because I was angry and because I was frustrated.

First, there's the religious, so-called moral argument. But you can't make laws based upon religion. The First Amendment states:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion"

Let's go there anyway, because there's no arguing with people on a religious basis because if it's wrong in the bible then it's wrong. Let me use their own arguments them. They say homosexuality is wrong because (they think) it says so in the bible. Biblic-ly speaking, adultery is also wrong. Still, it is everywhere. It's even a COMMANDMENT!! Eight or more times in the bible it talks about adultery, a married person can't have sex with a person who isn't their spouse. You're also not supposed to have sex outside of marriage.

It also talks specifically about DIVORCE. Divorce isn't allowed, but if you do get divorced you can't get remarried because the marriage is sanctioned by God and it's a union "that no man can put asunder." That bond is broken only in death of the spouse. So if it says it's wrong in the bible it must be wrong. How many of you who are against gay marriage are divorced or were virgins when you got married? I mean these are MAJOR no, no's in the bible. You guys are going against the teachings of God and Jesus BIG TIME. Why aren't you trying to pass an amendment disallowing divorce? Isn't it divorce that's causing the breakdown of marriage? Of course it is, because divorce destroys a marriage. Will allowing a gay couple to marry directly cause YOU, the hetero married couple, to divorce?

And slavery is accepted in the bible. Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians, "Slaves, obey your human masters with the reverence, the awe, and the sincerity you owe to Christ." In the Epistle of Paul to Timothy, "All under the yoke of slavery must regard their masters as worthy of full respect, otherwise the name of God and the church's teaching suffer abuse." And my favorite in the First Epistle of Peter, "You household slaves, obey your masters with all deference, not only the good and reasonable ones but even those who are harsh."

WOW! Pro slavery and anti-adultery are ALL over the bible. Why aren't you all trying to pass laws promoting slavery and condemning adultery and divorce? From what I understand if it's in the bible then that's it, that's what you believe. "Oh, well we don't have to listen to that part, everybody knows slavery is wrong." Hmm. So you get to pick and choose? By the way, "Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye when you have a plank in your own?"

I am a taxpaying American citizen. You were born right-handed, I was born left-handed. You were born heterosexual, I was born homosexual. Some of you say it's a choice, that Athena can get married to a man any time she wants. Fine. So then straight males can easily choose to be sexually attracted to a man. No? Oh, then I guess it's not a choice. Why should I be denied (even with a civil union) more than 1,000 federal tax benefits that the hetero drunk couple who just met and got married in Vegas are instantly entitled to - no questions asked?

And let me briefly talk about homosexuality being unnatural. How can it be unnatural when there have ALWAYS been homosexual people? And by the way, do an internet search and you'll find that there are many documented cases of homosexual behavior even in the animal kingdom. Some say gays shouldn't get married because they can't naturally have children. So therefore the hetero men and women who are sterile shouldn't get married, right?

There are no good arguments against gay marriage. The big problem for people against it is that they find the thought of a man with a man or a woman with a woman uncomfortable or disgusting or unnatural, a fear of what they don't understand. Most people against it don't know anyone who's gay, and certainly have no close gay friends. How will a gay couple who want to commit their lives together adversely effect your straight marriage?

People say that children of gay parents have a harder time. The only reason they do is because the children who do the teasing are taught by their parents that it isn't wrong. Children aren't born with hate and intolerance of others. Some say gay parents shouldn't have children because the kids will turn out gay. That's just stupid. All the gay and lesbian people I know have straight parents. ALL my education, all the books I had to read in school, was all taught from a straight perspective, and it didn't "turn" me straight.

Denying homosexuals right to marry is legally wrong. If you don't want gays to marry, then allow civil unions for everyone, and leave the term marriage where it belongs, in the religious institutions. But the fact is marriage is a LEGAL institution. State and federal governments recognize it as such and give tons of tax breaks to married couples. So it is a legal contract, and The Constitution of the United States, Amendment 14, says:

No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

You may say, "Well, don't worry, Athena, such a constitutional amendment will never pass." Maybe, maybe not. Bush said this to appease his conservative, religious constituency. He said it to take focus away from all his other shortcomings and failures. The fact is, gay marriage evokes a strong emotional and visceral response in people. For the most part all the other issues, jobs, health care, the non-existence of WMD's do not evoke such a response. Don't think for a minute the people won't cast their vote for or against the idea that effects them strongest emotionally, and in this election it is gay marriage.

I've heard people say the homosexuals should keep their mouths shut about this issue before they ruin the election for the Democrats. I say, why should I go one more day, one more minute as a lesser citizen? They said the same thing to women about their right to vote. "Oh, now's really not a good time."

The fact is there have always been, and always will be, homosexuals.

Face it, you can't discriminate or hate us out of existence.