google takes stand against prop 8
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| Sun, 09-28-2008 - 2:09am |
Just a happy little moment :)
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/our-position-on-californias-no-on-8.html
Our position on California's No on 8 campaign
9/26/2008 03:23:00 PM
As an Internet company, Google is an active participant in policy debates surrounding information access, technology and energy. Because our company has a great diversity of people and opinions -- Democrats and Republicans, conservatives and liberals, all religions and no religion, straight and gay -- we do not generally take a position on issues outside of our field, especially not social issues. So when Proposition 8 appeared on the California ballot, it was an unlikely question for Google to take an official company position on.
However, while there are many objections to this proposition -- further government encroachment on personal lives, ambiguously written text -- it is the chilling and discriminatory effect of the proposition on many of our employees that brings Google to publicly oppose Proposition 8. While we respect the strongly-held beliefs that people have on both sides of this argument, we see this fundamentally as an issue of equality. We hope that California voters will vote no on Proposition 8 -- we should not eliminate anyone's fundamental rights, whatever their sexuality, to marry the person they love.
Posted by Sergey Brin, Co-founder & President, Technology

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Let's look at this list of ailments a little more carefully. I'm guessing that you got this list from a Web site or some other third-party source.
But first, it bears mentioning that unprotected lesbian sex is generally safer than unprotected straight sex or sex between two men. The incidence of HIV/AIDS is far lower among lesbians than any other demographic.
It also seems that you are confusing HIV-infected individuals with gays and lesbians. Several of the infections/diseases that you list below are opportunistic infections that occur in people who have suppressed immune systems. These could be those with HIV; they could also be transplant patients, very young children and seniors.
Anal cancer -- associated with a history of anal penetration (straight and gay), HPV, high number of sex partners and smoking. http://www.fhcrc.org/about/ne/news/2004/07/06/analcancer.html
Chlamydia trachomatis -- associated with unprotected heterosexual and homosexual sex, women can become re-infected if their male partners are not treated. http://www.cdc.gov/std/chlamydia/STDFact-Chlamydia.htm
Cryptosporidium -- a parasite that often enters the body via impure water or eating undercooked food. http://www.cdc.gov/crypto/epi.html
Giardia -- a germ that is typically associated with unclean swimming pools, lakes, etc. http://www.cdc.gov/healthyswimming/giardiafacts.htm
Herpes simplex virus -- a sexually transmitted disease that affects heterosexuals as well as homosexuals. http://www.cdc.gov/std/Herpes/default.htm
HIV -- a sexually transmitted disease that affects heterosexuals as well as homosexuals. In fact, in recent years, the rate of HIV infection is higher among heterosexuals. Can also be spread via shared needles http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/
HPV -- a sexually transmitted disease that affects heterosexuals as well as homosexuals. http://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/default.htm
Isospora belli -- another parasite found among those who are immunosuppressed or who live in tropical regions http://www.dpd.cdc.gov/DPDx/HTML/Cystoisosporiasis.htm
Microsporidia -- yet another parasite http://www.dpd.cdc.gov/dpdx/HTML/Microsporidiosis.htm
Gonorrhea -- yet another sexually transmitted disease that affects heterosexuals as well as homosexuals http://www.cdc.gov/std/Gonorrhea/default.htm
Viral hepatitis (B&C) -- yet another sexually transmitted disease that affects heterosexuals as well as homosexuals, can also be spread by shared needles http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/
Syphilis-- yet another sexually transmitted disease that affects heterosexuals as well as homosexuals http://www.cdc.gov/std/syphilis/default.htm
Hemmorhoids -- caused by a variety of things, including anal sex. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/hemorrhoids/
Anal fissures -- caused by a variety of things, including anal sex. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/anal-fissure/DS00762
Anorectal trauma -- may be caused by anal sex, as well as various STDs, Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis. http://www.emedicinehealth.com/proctitis/page2_em.htm
Retained foreign bodies -- typically caused by anal sex with a foreign object -- gay and straight
It's important to note that many of these may also be the result of rape or sexual abuse. These are not "gay" diseases or infections. In some cases, they are more common among gay men, simply because of anal sex. In many other cases, they are very rare among lesbians. And in some cases, they are more common among people who are straight.
We really do need to be careful what we assume to be true. Incorrect stereotypes are unfair and are perpetuated when we play fast and loose with the facts.
Laura
True.
If you are out there, knjess, please feel free to rephrase whatever it is you'd posted.
I am curious as to what you wanted to know, given
I'm laughing too hard to respond, I'm glad someone else already had.
Elissa
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Thank you Spencer, Lindsay, and Pamela for my awesome siggys
~You have no right to make others adjust to your prejudices.
Just thought I'd post the definition of "bigot" since that has been thrown around on other threads and some people think they aren't.
I just wanted to pass on this, and a big thank you to Father Geoffrey Farrow:
http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/local&id=6431105
Oh, and for anybody who didn't want to read that ;)
Apparently the lastest is a series of ads which lie -- and claim churches that don't marry same sex couples will lose their tax exempt status.
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