Supporters rally to keep signs up and spread the message nationwide
By AMY DAVIS
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- A grassroots effort to promote the biblical view of "Marriage God's Way" has materialized into the form of two billboards in Putnam County.
The billboards, produced by Roland Advertising of Cookeville, Tenn., depict a young man and woman along with the words: "Man + Woman = Marriage God's Way" in reference to Genesis 2:24 from the Bible. The first, located on Tennessee State Highway 111 south of Interstate 40, went up in September. A second billboard went up on I-40, westbound before Exit 290, in October.
Though the message is controversial, supporters of the sign, who have no official name for their group, say it is needed around their region and beyond. They hope news of the billboard will spread and become a nationwide effort among fellow advocates of marriage between one man and one woman.
"I just thought this billboard was a marvelous idea," said Lois Irby, one of several Cookeville-area supporters of the sign. "You hear so much about same-sex marriage on TV, and it's so readily accepted by the public. Children, unless they have some kind of religious training at home, are taught to accept it and not question it or feel that it's wrong. I think God's word needs to be inserted as often as possible to reaffirm that homosexuality is wrong. It doesn't need to be presented in a glorified light
as just an alternate lifestyle."
Another sign supporter, Kerry Duke, who also serves as dean at Tennessee Bible College in Cookeville, said the group purposely avoided a reference to "traditional marriage" in the billboard.
"The will of God -- not tradition -- is the basis for saying that marriage should be between people of the opposite sex," Duke said. "Marriage between a man and a woman is not right because it is traditional. It is traditional
because it is right."
He added, "There are two basic ways of looking at marriage. Either humans invented marriage or God created it. If marriage is a human arrangement, then a society may alter it at will or do away with it altogether. But if marriage is a divine institution, then only God has the right to say what it is and who has the moral right to be in it."
Duke and Irby are co-workers at Tennessee Bible College. Irby is also a member of the Putnam County Right to Life group. The idea for the "Marriage God's Way" billboard began several months back during a conversation at work about pro-life billboards.
"The Putnam County Right to Life group and other pro-life organizations have put up some great signs that are very encouraging to those of us who believe in the sanctity of life in the womb," Duke said. "Lois and I were talking one morning about these pro-life signs when I mentioned that it would be great to have some signs which promote marriage between a man and a woman."
And so the seed was planted that eventually led to Duke taking the idea to Roland Advertising in Cookeville.
"I had never worked with sign companies, so I was a little skeptical about a company being willing to put up a sign that takes a stand on one of the most controversial issues of our time," Duke said. "But a representative for Roland assured me that the company would be glad to develop the sign."
Dave Roland, owner of Roland Advertising, even offered to put up another billboard free of charge.
"We are glad to participate in this project because of our belief in marriage God's way," Roland said. "Our conservative values are under attack every day, and outdoor advertising is one way we can speak to the masses for very little cost. We want to make sure our messages are positive and promote the right things. We believe this message is one of them."
From that point, news of the billboard spread by word of mouth.
Duke said, "Individuals throughout this area expressed interest and pledged support. The most common response is that Bible-believing people in this area are deeply concerned. They believe it is time to take a firm stand and
make a public statement about marriage according to God."
Anyone wanting to join in the effort to keep the billboards up may do so by contacting Roland Advertising at (931)528-8100 or Kerry Duke at (931)526-2616.
Lois Irby said, "We're just hoping to spread the word to different congregations to help us. Any amount is welcome. I believe there are so many good moral people, especially here in the Bible belt, who feel that this billboard is a great thing and would want to be a part of it."
She added, "Maybe somebody driving along really needs to see that sign. Maybe they're questioning homosexuality in their life, and they don't have a religious background."
Kerry Duke said, "God has never approved of same-sex relations. When Jesus was asked about divorce, He went back to the beginning and said God created male and female for marriage (Matthew 19:4-5). Even nature shows that it is wrong (Romans 1:26-27)."
In the United States, same-sex couples can legally "marry" in several states, including Massachusetts (which was the first, in 2004), Connecticut, Iowa, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine, plus Washington D.C., with California possibly the next in line. New York, Rhode Island and New Mexico recognize same-sex "marriages" that were legally performed elsewhere. Several other states offer civil unions or domestic partnerships, which grant all or part of the state-level rights of marriage. Thirty-one states have constitutional restrictions limiting marriage to one man and one woman.
"Our hope is that God-fearing people will be encouraged by these 'Marriage God's Way' billboards in Cookeville, Tenn.," Duke said. "On a bigger scale, we hope people from other parts of the nation who drive by these signs will go home and put up similar ones. Our dream is that it will grow into a nationwide effort."
50 Comments
I don't see anything "controversial" about it at all and it doesn't abuse and exploit children like homosexual "equality" activists have with their "FCKH8" videos.
There is nothing "controversial" about this sign, as the article suggests. It is redefining marriage that is controversial. Let me make that clear.
And if SSM is "so readily accepted by the public," then why has it failed in 31 out of 31 referendums across the country? Even the people of Maine and California, two notoriously liberal states, have rejected it.
It seems to me that mainstream media propoganda is afoot.
These billboards need to be placed in view of every federal court house in the United States. Judges must be reminded that they are NOT legislators.
Also, I suggest adding a small footnote to the billboard about what happened in Iowa for judges who ignore the will of the people.
I like your ideas, Paul Sanderson! Why don't you run for office? I'd vote for you!
We also need to reach out to the gay and lesbian community and help them make responsible choices in their lives and demonstrate to them that a "real" marriage works best.
..and Paul Sanderson MUST BE REMINDED that he is NOT as Intelligent as a Judge....we live in a Republic...and yes Mr Sanderson - even ATHIEST can Marry by a Justice of the Peace...NO Religion / Voodoo needed.
Gee, Disgusted, you need to regroup, Kind of losing it there.
I've never understood why they call it a "Gay" lifestyle, DA's comment above shows only one of bitterness and unhappiness. This is why these people need to be educated about the joy and happiness they can also cherish through the divine institution man and woman marriage.
Well, you know, Paul, satan never gives up easily! This is what happens to gays who go straight:
"A commentary by ex-gay Greg Quinlan"
"Washington D.C. – April 7, 2009/ What happens when ex-gays dare to come out of the closet? When I helped staff the exhibit booth for the Ex-Gay Educators Caucus at the National Education Association conference in June 2006, Wayne Besen, the former spokesperson for the gay Human Rights Campaign, approached our booth and began to insult us for having the audacity to live as heterosexuals. He took photos of our booth for his ex-gay bashing website which targets the ex-gay community for ridicule and harassment. Mr. Besen and gay rights organizations do not believe ex-gays are entitled to the same rights and respect that gays currently enjoy. They picket ex-gay conferences and protest vigorously against ex-gay equal access."
"In his continuing zeal to discredit the ex-gay community, Besen likes to bully ex-gays by insisting that we still look “gay.” When he was Director of Communications for the Human Rights Campaign, Besen delighted in telling me to “butch up” so “normal people” wouldn’t think I’m still “gay.”
http://americansfortruth.com/news/pfox-gays-hating-ex-gays-new-hate-crimes-bill-threatens-heterosexuals.html
The homosexual activists have to step on this sort of thing because it blows away their claim that people are born homosexual and can't choose to become heterosexual.
People can and do make responsible man-woman marriage choices everyday. They can too!
Here is an excerpt, Paul, from a very moving first person account by a former lesbian. It's well worth reading the whole thing.
"My deliverance did not come the way I wanted it. I wanted instant results, but this took years, and to be frank, I am still healing in some areas. Today I live my life in pursuit of my calling. Not to be what the world has made me, but to be what He has made me, to seek Him, and follow Him to the ends of my days."
"I never thought I would be at this point. My heart’s desire is to be married and to have children of my own. That’s all I want out of life. I want to be a mother and be there to support my husband."
http://pfox.org/former_lesbian.html
The reason for this hostility towards ex-gays by homosexuals is because they are living proof that homosexuality is not a universal constant that is eternal, immutable, and beyond reproach.
Many addicts think that change is for somebody else.
Marriage is one eternal truth that sex addicts can believe in and the only divine institution that will bring them lasting happiness and the genuine love of family.
You've got it, ConservativeNY! The really interesting thing is that one of the findings of the Iowa Supreme Court in determining the level of scrutiny to be applied in the marriage amendment case was that it was either impossible or extremely difficult and disruptive for gays to go straight. That assertion was and is baloney.
The problem, Paul, is that the rabid homosexual activsts have no desire to change. They want to change us AND our kids!
Jesus defined marriage as being between one man and one woman in Matthew 19:4-6.
Legislating religious tenets is unconstitutional. The first amendment makes it official, and the courts have affirmed it numerous times. The only reason the 31 anti-equality measures stand is because they haven't gotten to the Supreme Court yet where the 14th Amendment's guarantee of equal protection under the law and the right to privacy trump reactionary, activist referendum votes and legislatures. Both Prop 8 and DOMA have been judged unconstitutional for those very reasons on rock solid legal precedent. Both laws are doomed; it's only a matter of time before this eggregious prejudice is stricken from the law books.
Marriage is a man made institution that only took hold in the church around the time of the reformation when the Church found it could make money from it. God only counts when you believe his authority is anything greater than an appeal to ignorance (I don't know the answer so it must be a god) upon which all religions are based. It is the inherent conflict between believers of various religious cults that not only brought Europeans to the New World, but prompted the founding fathers to prohibit religion being legislated or promoted. Legislating god laws into the civil arena is both un-Constitutional and anti-Constitution, both un-American and anti-American, seditious, unpatriotic and treason. It's alright to love your myths but you may not promote them above the law of the land, no matter how many liberty protecting Supreme Court Judges and Justices you vote out of office for spite.
Marriage equality is already here, and coming to more states, whether you like it or not and all the billboards talking about what your fairy tale pimp daddy in the sky wants isn't going to change the path society is taking. So do all the normal, sane people a favor and go home, read your bible, pray or speak in tongues or whatever you do, and mind your business
Marriage and the good of society ought to be everyone's business, not just those with whom you agree.
"God only counts when you believe his authority is anything greater than an appeal to ignorance (I don't know the answer so it must be a god) upon which all religions are based."
Southpaugh, It doesn't matter where your ideas come from as much as what the merit of those ideas is. Homosexuality, Polygamy, Polyandry, those are all religions too.
richard wrote: "Marriage equality is already here, and coming to more states, whether you like it or not..."
You have that backward, richard. Whether YOU like it or not homosexual marriage is going down and we are personally going to see to that! Your "gay marriage" is toast, buddy.
richard wrote: "...your fairy tale pimp daddy in the sky..."
We're more concerned with the pimp daddies who put minor children into "FCKH8" T-shirts and pimp them off so that homosexual activist groups can make a few sleazy bucks.
richard wrote: "So do all the normal, sane people a favor and go home, read your bible, pray or speak in tongues or whatever you do, and mind your business."
What do homosexuals know about "normal people"? All the "normal people" are heterosexual.
Why don't you run along, richard, and get it on with another man, since that's all you think about anyway.
No, richard, we are making your business our business, whether you like it or not, and there is nothing you can do to stop us. That's because your business is bad business and we won't tolerate bad business.
There is no place you can run, no place you can hide where we won't be. We're going to be on you 24/7/365 relentlessly until your homosexual activist agenda is history. You ain't seen nothing yet!
You crossed the line with the child abuse and now you're going to find out what normal, heterosexual parents do to protect children. You wouldn't know about that but you're going to find out!
Dream on, southpaugh! You're finished and you know it. You're desperately trying to hang on to the false hope of "inevitability" with which you've been pumped up. Getting pretty hard to do now, isn't it!
You LOST in Maine. You LOST in keeping Proposition 8 off the ballot. You LOST the Proposition 8 vote. You LOST when the people of Iowa booted your judges off the Iowa Supreme Court. You're losing, losing, losing and you're going to keep on losing until your communist-backed cause is history.
You see, when you put minor children into "FCKH8" T-shirts and filmed them screaming vulgarities, you crossed the line. Being homosexual you have no clue as to how normal people feel about protecting children. You're going to find out though!
There is no nook, no cranny, no rock under which you will be able to hide from here on out. Wherever the homosexual actiivist, child abusing agenda rears it's ugly head, there we will be!
You have no idea what is going to come down on your "cause" now that the American people have witnessed your willingness to use, abuse and expolit children. That was a fatal mistake for your cause. You're finished, toast, washed up, down the drain now!
I think marriage equality is here to stay!
ROFL, richard! You haven't stopped squat and the battle is just beginning! We stopped you in Maine. We stopped you in New Jersey where the state legislature dumped your agenda and where a homosexual marriage lawsuit was summarily tossed out by the state Supreme Court. We stopped you in New York State where legislators gave your agenda the boot. You're losing at every juncture and with Republicans taking over the U. S. House and gaining seats in the U. S. Senate, the pace at which you are losing is going to escalate.
We'll see who is on the wrong side of history, richard. The EU Court on Human Rights even found that homosexual marriage is not a right. You're losing all over the world!
Gays aren't raising children anywhere. They merely have custody of them, for the time being. It takes more than what a couple of homosexuals have to actually raise a child.
Hey, richard, were your parents two men or two women? How did your parents come by an egg and a sperm so that you could be begat?
Patrick wrote: "I think marriage equality is here to stay."
You keep on believing that, Patrick, and keep on buying Enron stock too!
Gays aren't raising children anywhere. They merely have custody of them, for the time being.
Hahahahahahahahahaha. What are you going to? March into their homes and take them? Dude, you need to take off the tin foil hat and go get some therapy. All of your hatred hasn't stopped me and all the other gay couples I know from GETTING MARRIED and raising our children not to be bigots. You bigots will never win. Just give it up already
Hey, richard, tell us about your "Mom" and "Dad". Are they men or women? Were you a mailorder baby? You know, send away and get an egg or a sperm, whichever essential ingredient was missing.
Oh yeah, we'll get the gay adoption thing reversed as well. Count on it! After America has seen minor children in "FCKH8" T-shirts coached to shout vulgarities on film, any support you had among heteros is going to disappear. You see, Richard, straights frown on child abuse. We find it offensive. No, we find it sick and perverted.
"Hey, richard, tell us about your "Mom" and "Dad". Are they men or women? Were you a mailorder baby? You know, send away and get an egg or a sperm, whichever essential ingredient was missing."
It's irrelevant. mInd your business. besides, you haven't answered my question. You claim the custody that gays have of their biological children is only temporary, what are you going to do about it besides whine and complain?
"America has seen minor children in "FCKH8" T-shirts coached to shout vulgarities on film"
that is no different than the child NOM exploited in the hate commercials without the mother approval and she went on to condemn them for that. It's all over Youtube. It is no different than the Photoshop photos NOM uses for the sides of their bigot bus to toodle around the country in. Those people are being exploited as well.
as far as this FCKH8 nonsense you keep repeating to the point of nauseam, you really need to come with a new talking point.
"You see, Richard, straights frown on child abuse. We find it offensive. No, we find it sick and perverted."
untill you can prove, without a shadow of doubt, that all gays abuse children, the only thing your rhetoric is showing is your delusions.
What's the matter, richard, don't want to tell us about your dear old Mom and Dad? Are they the ones who caused you to become gay? What made you go gay anyway, richard?
I would just be interesting to know if you have first person experience with this same sex parent thingy. I mean how can you know what it's like to have two Moms or two Dads if you didn't have them? That would mean that you are talking about something you don't know about, wouldn't it.
"What's the matter, richard, don't want to tell us about your dear old Mom and Dad? Are they the ones who caused you to become gay? What made you go gay anyway, richard?"
Oh.. you mean my straight, still married mother and father? yeah, once again, mind your business and answer my question.
" What made you go gay anyway, richard?"
genetics made me gay. If you would close your bible and take off the tin foil hat, you would know these things.
" how can you know what it's like to have two Moms or two Dads if you didn't have them?"
I don't know what it's like and neither do you, but it obviously doesn't stop you from vomiting up your gay hate. what I do know is all the children I know that are being raised by gays are very well rounded, well mannered, normal children while children that are being raised by my straight friends are obese, bratty, and foul mouthed.
I know...you don't believe me. the hatred and negativity you harbor must be crippling and blinding.
Don, If I believed in your Santa claus in the sky (ie Jesus), I would probably be compelled to pray for you, but instead, I'll just feel bad for you and your family that you're so bitter and angry as it must take a toll on them.
We will see the look on the faces of the homosexual agenda with our federal man woman marriage and end to abortion constitutional amendments. Can you hear our thunder?
The Republicans are coming to save or nation and restore the morality our great country was founded upon.
"There is no place you can run, no place you can hide where we won't be. We're going to be on you 24/7/365"
I'm not sure where you get this notion that the gays are running and hiding from you and whoever "we're" are, but we're not. furthermore, I'm not surrounded by rabid homophobic bigots "24/7/365" shaming me (or whatever it is you people claim you're going to do in this mob mentality.we're living our lives like normal people and no matter how much you fight, the gays are going to live our lives as WE see fit. I know, I know.. you can't grasp that, Jesus tells you otherwise, whatever. I lose no sleep over all the people like you who aren't mature enough to be able to deal with human beings.
So richard, was your mother overbearing, controlling, demanding? You could never meet her expectations, you were never good enough in her eyes? Is that what drove you gay?
Is your father weak and passive? Mom ruled the roost, Mom wore the pants? It's a classic scenario you know. Nothing to be ashamed of. Many gays suffered the same trauma.
We're coming after your agenda, richard. You crossed the line with the child abuse. Heteros who supported you will abandon you because while they may tolerate homosexual marriage they won't tolderate child abuse. You've shocked them into reality, realizing what your agenda is REALLY about. You've turned them off, disgusted them. Kiss your homosexual marriage agenda goodbye, richard. Your agenda is toast.
So richard, was your mother overbearing, controlling, demanding? You could never meet her expectations, you were never good enough in her eyes? Is that what drove you gay?
Is your father weak and passive? Mom ruled the roost, Mom wore the pants? It's a classic scenario you know. Nothing to be ashamed of. Many gays suffered the same trauma.
Oh my god. You are completely brainwashed and delusional. You can't take away my gay marriage because I'm ALREADY married, you idiot. You sit there at your computer talking about MY agenda? Oh please. You really need to get a life and release this negativity before you give yourself a stroke.
"America has seen minor children in "FCKH8" T-shirts coached to shout vulgarities on film"
okay Don, I just watched the video with the alleged minors you speak of and now I get why you're so upset.
You must be one of those hardcore gay haters that enjoys seeing gay kids killing themselves. explains everything.
You? MARRIED? ROFL!!!!!!!
Let me guess, you're "married" to a man?
Hey, which one of you is going to bear the child, ROFL!
Gay hater? Give it up. That hate garbage you've been trying to snow everyone with is in the garbage truck on it's way to the dump.
FYI, there were sexual orientation bias hate crimes against HETEROSEXUALS in the following categories in 2009:
Aggravated Assault
Simple Assault
Intimidation
Burglary
Arson
Vandalism
So don't be trying to drag out that old, used up, hate baloney. You ran that into the ground and it's day is done.
Don,
You are so right! According to the FBI, out of 1,436 sexual-orientation hate crime offenses reported, only 1,415 were crimes motivated by bias against non-heteroseuxals. That's 1.5%!
From the FBI Hate Crime Statistics, 2009 website, this is on the Incidents and Offenses page:
Oops, make that 98.5% of sexual-orientation hate crime offenses were motivated by bias against non-heterosexuals.
Don also neglected to give the counts for his claims. Here they are as pulled from Table 4:
Aggravated Assault - 3
Simple Assault - 5
Intimidation - 3
Burglary - 1
Arson - 1
Vandalism - 8
What are the counts for those same categories in all other sexual-orientation bias hate crimes?
Aggravated Assault - 224 (98.7%)
Simple Assault - 488 (99.0%)
Intimidation - 322 (99.1%)
Burglary - 15 (93.8%)
Arson - 7 (87.5%)
Vandalism - 287 (97.3%)
That leaves the heterosexual percentages at:
Aggravated Assault - 1.3%
Simple Assault - 1.0%
Intimidation - 0.9%
Burglary - 6.3%
Arson - 12.5%
Vandalism - 2.7%
Of course, those are not the only sexual-orientation bias hate crime categories reported. The following were 100% committed due to bias against non-heterosexuals:
Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter
Forcible rape
Other unspecified crimes against persons
Robbery
Larceny-theft
Motor vehicle theft
Other unspecified crimes against property
Crimes against society
wow....the couple on the billboard are white and blonde. Huge aryan surprise there!
John W, that remark alone indicates a lot of racism on your part.
ROFL! I set you guys up and you fell for it! I was only surprised at how long it took you to get to the FBI statistics, LOL! OK, boys, here we go!
Single-bias incidents
An analysis of the 6,598 single-bias incidents reported in 2009 showed the following:
■48.5 percent were motivated by racial bias.
■19.7 percent resulted from religious bias.
■18.5 percent were linked to sexual-orientation bias.
■11.8 percent stemmed from ethnicity/national origin bias.
■1.5 percent involved disability bias.
You will notice, Gentlemen, that hate crimes based on sexual orientation bias come in in third place behind hate crimes based on racial bias and even hate crimes based on religious bias. If you're so concerned about hate crimes and "equality" how is it that we never hear from gay activists about hate crimes against racial minorities or religious people? All we ever hear you talk about is hate crimes against homosexuals.
John wrote: "only 1,415 were crimes motivated by bias against non-heteroseuxals. That's 1.5%!"
Isn't each and every hate crime important, John, since each of these crimes is a crime against an individual person?
Groups like the Communist Party USA and the SPLC try to make hate crimes against homosexuals appear to be higher in rank or even in first place ahead of racially based hate crimes or religious bias hate crimes. Why? Isn't each and every hate crime of equal importance? Does one group somehow "score points" if it suffers more hate crimes than another group?
So, what are you saying? Hate crimes against heterosexuals don't count? Is this a numbers game? He who has the most wins?
Each hate crime is a crime committed against an individual person. The total numbers are the totals of crimes against individual persons. Are you saying that arson or aggravated assault against even one heterosexual doesn't count because it's only one?
What happened to your great concern for the minority? In terms of the total numbers of hate crimes, hate crimes against heterosexuals are very much in the minority.
The point is that there are hate crimes against heterosexuals simply because they are heterosexual. When is that ever mentioned? It DOES exist and each person who is victimized is just as important as any other person who is so victimized.
Don,
You wrote:
Your words indicate an attempt to marginalize hate crimes against LGBT citizens because heterosexuals have been targeted, as well.
The thing is, Don, anti-LGBT bias motivated 98.5% of the offenses reported. You're trying to make it sound like LGBTs and heteros are equally victimized, and that's a load of hooey.
No one ever said heterosexuals have never been the victims of hate crimes, Don. Many people are vehemently against hate crime legislation including sexual orientation, because they claim that would give LGBT citizens "special rights." I've even seen folks lie and claim that there are no hate crimes laws to protect Christians, when religious faith has been part of federal hate crime legislation since the 1960s. The very fact that people are also targeted for perceived heterosexual orientation and are reported to the authorities as such is proof that such claims of special protections for gays are nonsense.
You're always talking about hate and the organizations which back you are always trying to make it appear as if hate crimes against homosexuals rank higher than they are. Heteros are victims of hate crimes too and the group which suffers the greatest number of hate crimes is African-Americans, not homosexuals. We never hear you taking about hate crimes against racial minorities or even hate crimes based upon religious bias both of which are more numerous than hate crimes based upon sexual orientation bias.
The point is that you don't have a corner on the hate crime market or on being hated by some people. The numbers don't really matter. A hate crime is a hate crime no matter into which group a victim may fall.
So get off of the obsession with hate because both racial minorities and certain religious denominations suffer more hate crimes than you do. If you want to focus on hate and hate crimes, address the global issue and stop talking about "gay haters".
"Heteros are victims of hate crimes too"
Yeah, for things like religious discrimination, racial discrimination, etc., not because they're straight.
I realize you anti-marriage guys have this super desire to be the most interesting victim, but really, people are people. We're all brothers and sisters here, of equal value, and equal worth. Good people will always have enemies, regardless of their orientation. Sexual orientation has very little to do with the marriage question since all other couple forms outside man/woman are equally barred from participating.
TC Matthews, the accusation that gays & lesbians who want the right to marry are anti-marriage is highly offensive. If anyone is "anti-marriage," it's the folks like NOM, who have an entire organization devoted solely to fighting our right to marry.
I think you'd find that the vast majority of heterosexuals have no desire to marry someone of the same gender, so sexual orientation is central to the debate. In addition, if sexual orientation had so little do with it, your NOM, FRC, AFA, FotF, etc. wouldn't spend so much time demonizing LGBT citizens in their efforts to deny us marriage equality.
Really? Just a few days ago you said to a man who is legally married to another man:
Those don't sound like the words of someone who thinks LGBTs have equal value and worth. It doesn't sound even close.
John, people are equal. People's choices never are. Your sexual orientation doesn't determine your self worth just like my hair color, or (lack of it) doesn't determine mine.
"I think you'd find that the vast majority of heterosexuals have no desire to marry someone of the same gender, so sexual orientation is central to the debate"
John, same sex coupling is not marriage, just like unmarried coupling is not married, just like coupling with multiple partners is not marriage. Marriage is between a man and a woman and has certain bounds. Orientation never comes into the question. If you have same sex attraction and you wish to marry, qualify yourself and you can marry just like anyone else. Perhaps the issue for YOU is that you wish marriage was different and included your particular favorite coupling, but for the marriage question in general, there are many sets of people who have valuable relationships that fall outside of marriage. The LGBT are just like everyone else. If you want marriage, qualify.