Marriage equality, and what it means to Americans. Slides of gay marrieds, philosophies, examples, reasons, questions, and things to make us think. The presenter is encouraged to stay silent unless asked a direct question, and the audience is encouraged to TALK.

1. The “M” Word in America

2. Your professor is not allowed to
speak during this presentation.
Students, however, are encouraged
to speak out during the slide show.
Make comments. If you don’t
understand a slide, or don’t know
who someone is, ASK. Most people
in this slideshow are not famous, but
some are quite well-known.
The professor may answer a direct
question, but should not ask any.

3. Do you have any
questions?

4. Let us begin.

5. Is
everyone
really
equal?

6. Why the “M” Word Matters to Me
by Andrew Sullivan

7. The author of our essay tells
us that the “M” word –
Marriage – is precisely what he
and other gays most need to
validate themselves in our
culture. Think about this.
Do you agree?
Do you disagree?
Why?

8. Let’s challenge
ourselves.
What is it that gays want?
What is it that straights want?
Are people really all that different?

15. Both sides speak of being afraid.
What are we afraid of?
Do we fear the differences?
Or do we fear the fact that we don’t
really have all that many differences?
Or do we?

32. Billboard in front of an Anglican
church in New Zealand.

40. Disney is pulling all funding from Boy
Scouts of America over policy banning
gay leaders, effective in 2015.

58. Let’s stop "tolerating" or "accepting"
difference, as if we’re so much better
for not being different in the first
place. Instead, let’s celebrate
difference, because in this world it
takes a lot of guts to be different.
- Kate Bornstein

68. Jim Nabors
married his
partner of 38
years, Stan
Cadwallader,
on January
26, 2013.

70. Big Bang Theory star Johnny Galecki,
on rumors that he is gay:

83. I don’t think anyone can grow unless he’s loved exactly
as he is now, appreciated for what he is rather than what
he will be. -- Fred Rogers

94. Redneck
wedding.
So this is
okay?

95. Gay
Wedding.
So this is
not okay?

100. This is
okay?

101. This is
not
okay?

102. These
people are
kind of
different.
Is this
wedding
okay with
you?

104. Minds are like parachutes -
they only function when
open.
~ Thomas Dewar

110. •

120. Children thrive in a
two-parent,
heterosexual
family unit.

121. Traditional family structures are always best.

122. Those poor children. . . .

202. Dear Christine,
I’m disappointed in you as a daughter. You’re correct that we have a
“shame in the family,” but mistaken about what it is.
Kicking Chad out of your home simply because he told you he was gay is
the real “abomination” here. A parent disowning her child is what goes
“against nature.”
The only intelligent thing I heard you saying in all this was that “you
didn’t raise your son to be gay.” Of course you didn’t. He was born this
way and didn’t choose it any more than he being left-handed. You,
however, have made a choice of being hurtful, narrow-minded, and
backward. So, while we are in the business of disowning our children, I
think I’ll take this moment to say goodbye to you. I now have a fabulous
(as the gays put it) grandson to raise, and I don’t have time for a heartless
B-word of a daughter.
If you find your heart, give us a call.
--Dad

203. James,
This is a difficult but necessary letter to write.
I hope your telephone call was not to receive my blessing for the degrading of
your lifestyle. I have fond memories of our time together, but that is all in the past.
Don’t expect any further conversations with me. No conversations at all.
I will not come to visit, nor do I want you in my house.
You’ve made your choice though wrong it may be. God did not wish for this
unnatural lifestyle.
If you choose not to attend my funeral, my friends and family will understand.
Have a good birthday and good life.
No present exchanges will be accepted.
Goodbye,
--Dad

204. Dear Son,
You told us at the dinner table last night that you’re gay. I apologize for the awkward silence afterwards,
but I was chewing. I don’t know why I needed to explain that. I think I needed to find a funny way to
repeat the fact that you’re gay. My son is gay. My son is gay.
Let me be perfectly clear. I love you. I will always love you. Since being gay is part of who you are, I love
that you’re gay. I’m just trying to wrap my head around the idea. I’m sad that I was taken by surprise
because I should have known. I’ve loved you even before you were born, and I should have known.
Ok. Let’s get a few things straight about how things are going to be.
1. Our home is a place of safety and love. The world might not be. You need to know that whenever you
walk in the front door of this house, you are safe and you are loved.
2. I am still your biggest defender. If you need me to stand next to you, in front of you, write letters, sign
petitions, advocate, or anything else, I am here. I will go to war for you.
3. If you are going to have boys over, you now need to leave your bedroom door open. This same rule
applies to your brother and girls. No prejudice here. My house. My rules.
4. You and I are going to revisit that talk we had about safe sex. I’ll have to do some research, so let’s give
this one a few weeks. It will be awkward for both of us, but it was awkward that first time, too.
I’ll end with this: You are not broken. You are whole and beautiful, and your mother and brother and I
love you unconditionally. We are happier than you’ll ever know that you have found who you really are.
Love, Dad

208. It’s official.
The Boy Scouts of America now allow gay
scouts, but not gay leaders.

230. Indiana teacher Diana Medley told other
Indiana teachers that she believes gays chose
to be that way, and doesn’t want them
contaminating the “normal” students at the
Sullivan prom.

231. Indiana teacher
Jane Goodwin
told that other
Indiana teacher
where to get
off. There
may have been
an exchange of
“words.”
http://janegoodwin.net

242. Preconception: an idea
or opinion formed before
knowing or understanding
the concept under
discussion.
(Commonly found among the
ignorant.)

278. If a person can be said to
have the wrong attitude,
there is no need to pay
attention to his arguments.
-- John McCarthy

305. The military accepts gays.
God now hates the military and rejoices with
every soldier’s death.

315. This picture received over 400,000 negative
comments. Apparently, real men don’t fix
their daughters’ hair.

384. Dare to stand for something.
Take a chance. Be brave. You
can do it!

387. Assignment:
The world is changing. Are we all
obligated to change along with it?

388. Educated people can discuss pretty much
ANYTHING without losing their temper.
Educated people understand that discussion
means an exchange of viewpoints, and that
any one viewpoint isn’t necessarily the only
correct viewpoint.
Educated people have what it takes to be nice,
no matter what kind of discussion or
conversation is taking place.

389. Be nice or
leave.
Thank you.

390. . . . And now
it’s time to
talk.
So start
talking.