# Meredith Baxter is gay? Who gives a fuck??? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 3, 2009, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meredith-baxter-is-gay-who-gives-a-fuck/519832 "2009-12-03T11:36:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meredith-baxter-is-gay-who-gives-a-fuck/519832/141 "2009-12-08T02:15:05Z")
Fun! More word games. Heterosexuals are allowed to legally marry a consenting partner of their sexual preference. The same cannot be said for Homosexuals in the US. It is by way of the impact of the restriction that the civil rights of one group are violated while the other is not. “Thou shalt not gather for worship on Saturdays”, is a restriction that holds a very different impact for a Seventh Day Adventist compared to a Methodist. “All needles and syringes will be confiscated upon discovery.” is a restriction that holds a very different impact for someone with Diabetes compared to someone who sells medical supplies. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meredith-baxter-is-gay-who-gives-a-fuck/519832/142 "2009-12-08T02:43:37Z")
> [@Pulp\_Friction](#): > > Heterosexuals are faced with the same restrictions that homosexuals are. > > I’m not allowed to enter a same-sex marriage either. Make that an adjective with an intensifier. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meredith-baxter-is-gay-who-gives-a-fuck/519832/143 "2009-12-08T03:02:09Z")
> [@Cat\_Fight](#): > > Ten-toed man: “Got it.” > Twelve-toed man: “And so does my partner. We’re planning on getting married.” > Ten-toed man: “Oooh, sorry, not going to happen. Then people with 14 toes will want to get married and cats and dogs will be having sex in the streets. Plus everyone knows people with 12 toes can’t really fall in love, not the way us 10-toed people can.” > Twelve-toed man: “What if I want to adopt or visit my partner in the hospital or join the army?” > Ten-toed man: “Probably not, no, and you’d better keep your socks on. Anyway, why bring up your toes at all? What do you want, a medal? It’s hardly a big deal anymore, what _your_ kind does. If you had 12 toes in some other country you’d probably be killed or imprisoned. So consider yourself lucky.” Please don’t extrapolate your reaction to all heterosexuals. ---
**Author:** ![Pulp\_Friction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2acd7d/32.png) [@Pulp\_Friction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pulp_Friction)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meredith-baxter-is-gay-who-gives-a-fuck/519832/144 "2009-12-08T13:44:25Z")
> [@](#): > > "What if I want to adopt or visit my partner in the hospital… I personally know two gay couples who have successfully adopted (and know of several others). And I’ve seen countless gay folks visit their partners in the hospital. Your argument - at least this part of it - is pure fiction invented to ‘prove’ your point. And this, to me, undermines anything else you’ve said on the subject. ---
**Author:** ![tacoloco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tacoloco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tacoloco)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meredith-baxter-is-gay-who-gives-a-fuck/519832/145 "2009-12-08T14:03:40Z")
> [@Pulp\_Friction](#): > > I personally know two gay couples who have successfully adopted (and know of several others). And I’ve seen countless gay folks visit their partners in the hospital. The ability for single gay people or gay couples to adopt widely varies by state in the U.S. There are some states, notably Utah and Florida. Utah’s statute says that a child can only be adopted by people in a “legally binding marriage”. Florida goes further and says no homosexual can adopt. The Florida statue was (or is perhaps) under appeal. In addition, there are a number of states that don’t allow “second parent” adoption, where unmarried people can both adopt the same child. And since marriage is legal in only a few states, that means adoption by a loving comitted gay couple isn’t permitted. [Overview of State Adoption Laws](http://www.lambdalegal.org/our-work/issues/marriage-relationships-family/parenting/overview-of-state-adoption.html) When I’ve read your posts in this thread, I get a burning sensation in my head from the stupid. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meredith-baxter-is-gay-who-gives-a-fuck/519832/146 "2009-12-08T14:14:30Z")
> [@Pulp\_Friction](#): > > I personally know two gay couples who have successfully adopted (and know of several others). And I’ve seen countless gay folks visit their partners in the hospital. > > Your argument - at least this part of it - is pure fiction invented to ‘prove’ your point. > > And this, to me, undermines anything else you’ve said on the subject. Is there a reason you’ve decided to come through and troll this thread with your overwhelming ignorance? Usually on the straight dope people at least come with what they believe to be facts when they make an argument. Your just coming in with stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Pulp\_Friction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2acd7d/32.png) [@Pulp\_Friction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pulp_Friction)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meredith-baxter-is-gay-who-gives-a-fuck/519832/147 "2009-12-08T16:27:54Z")
> [@](#): > > The level of sheer stupidity… > [@](#): > > When I’ve read your posts in this thread, I get a burning sensation in my head from the stupid. > [@](#): > > Your just coming in with stupid. It is interesting that I can disagree with your viewpoint without insulting you. Calling someone who holds a different opinion than you ‘stupid’? Isn’t that something a closed-minded individual does? And by the way, you have spelled ‘you’re’ incorrectly. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meredith-baxter-is-gay-who-gives-a-fuck/519832/148 "2009-12-08T16:34:58Z")
> [@Pulp\_Friction](#): > > I personally know two gay couples who have successfully adopted (and know of several others). And I’ve seen countless gay folks visit their partners in the hospital. And it’s great that there are adoption agencies and hospitals willing to do what’s right, but the valid concern is what do about people who _won’t_. Heck, I wouldn’t have thought in 2009 that an interracial couple in the U.S. would be denied a marriage license, but there you go. ---
**Author:** ![Pulp\_Friction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2acd7d/32.png) [@Pulp\_Friction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pulp_Friction)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meredith-baxter-is-gay-who-gives-a-fuck/519832/149 "2009-12-08T16:41:39Z")
Anyway, back on-topic… I don’t really consider Meredith Baxter a Z-Lister; she has been out of the spotlight for a few years, but she was quite popular in her day. > [@](#): > > Is being gay still so “taboo” and “out there” that a fucking Z-list celebrity like Meredith Baxter coming out is front page news???..When is this going to end??? It’s annoying. I don’t see it ending, ever. This is what the public wants to hear/read about, so this is what the public is fed. It is really that simple. Is it annoying? To the extent that I care about it, yes. ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meredith-baxter-is-gay-who-gives-a-fuck/519832/150 "2009-12-08T16:48:14Z")
> [@Pulp\_Friction](#): > > Heterosexuals are faced with the same restrictions that homosexuals are. > > I’m not allowed to enter a same-sex marriage either. And the anti-miscegenation laws kept both blacks and whites from marrying outside of their race. Clearly there was nothing discriminatory about those laws either. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meredith-baxter-is-gay-who-gives-a-fuck/519832/151 "2009-12-08T17:01:37Z")
> [@Pulp\_Friction](#): > > And I’ve seen countless gay folks visit their partners in the hospital. Lots of black people got to eat in restaurants, too, even before civil rights legislation. The point is, they can be ([and often are](http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/02/08-4)) barred, because they’re not ‘related.’ When they are allowed in, in many states, it’s because their ‘real next of kin’ consent. ---
**Author:** ![tacoloco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tacoloco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tacoloco)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meredith-baxter-is-gay-who-gives-a-fuck/519832/152 "2009-12-08T17:35:20Z")
> [@Pulp\_Friction](#): > > It is interesting that I can disagree with your viewpoint without insulting you. Would you like it better if I called you willfully ignorant? > [@](#): > > Calling someone who holds a different opinion than you ‘stupid’? Isn’t that something a closed-minded individual does? If you thing people here think you’re stupid because you have a different opinion, you are dumber than I thought. ---
**Author:** ![Pulp\_Friction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2acd7d/32.png) [@Pulp\_Friction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pulp_Friction)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meredith-baxter-is-gay-who-gives-a-fuck/519832/153 "2009-12-08T17:53:53Z")
> [@](#): > > Would you like it better if I called you willfully ignorant? Why do you feel the need to ‘call’ me anything at all? Are you unable to discuss an issue without name calling? ---
**Author:** ![tacoloco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tacoloco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tacoloco)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meredith-baxter-is-gay-who-gives-a-fuck/519832/154 "2009-12-08T18:45:32Z")
> [@Pulp\_Friction](#): > > Why do you feel the need to ‘call’ me anything at all? > > Are you unable to discuss an issue without name calling? Nice dodge. We’re not talking about me. We’re talking about you and your ignorant ideas about gay rights. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meredith-baxter-is-gay-who-gives-a-fuck/519832/155 "2009-12-08T18:55:56Z")
> [@Pulp\_Friction](#): > > It is interesting that I can disagree with your viewpoint without insulting you. > > Calling someone who holds a different opinion than you ‘stupid’? Isn’t that something a closed-minded individual does? If you simply said, “I don’t believe gays should be allowed to marry,” then you might have a point, But you didn’t. Claiming that gays are treated equally because straight people also can’t marry someone of the same sex is not simply disagreeing with my viewpoint; it is a willful misrepresentation of the principle of equality, and one that could only be made by someone (a) too stupid to understand the principles involved, or (b) intentionally seeking to promote inequality. As i said, i’ll leave it up to you to decide which one applies in this case. ---
**Author:** ![Pulp\_Friction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2acd7d/32.png) [@Pulp\_Friction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pulp_Friction)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meredith-baxter-is-gay-who-gives-a-fuck/519832/156 "2009-12-08T20:28:22Z")
Well, if you happen to run across someone who is willing to discuss the issue of whether gays have or should have equal rights - rather than discussing how ignorant I am because we disagree - send them in here. Better yet, start a new thread. Oh yeah, and anyone who disagrees with me is…you know…uh…ignorant. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meredith-baxter-is-gay-who-gives-a-fuck/519832/157 "2009-12-08T20:51:25Z")
> [@Pulp\_Friction](#): > > Well, if you happen to run across someone who is willing to discuss the issue of whether gays have or should have equal rights … send them in here. If we can’t agree on what equal rights _means_, that sounds like a stupid waste of time. And if you claim equal rights is gays can marry opposite sex people, and can’t have rights with their lovers like rights of survivorship, next-of-kin decision making privileges, and joint ownership of property, you’re wrong, whether or not anybody calls you a name. So the question is still whether you’re sincerely wrong (stupid), or willfully wrong (douchebag). You can’t have a debate over whether something should exist if you don’t agree on the meaning of the term. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meredith-baxter-is-gay-who-gives-a-fuck/519832/158 "2009-12-08T20:51:34Z")
> [@Pulp\_Friction](#): > > - rather than discussing how ignorant I am because we disagree - Simple disagreement is not the nature of your all-too-common ignorance. ---
**Author:** ![Pulp\_Friction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2acd7d/32.png) [@Pulp\_Friction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pulp_Friction)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meredith-baxter-is-gay-who-gives-a-fuck/519832/159 "2009-12-08T21:21:33Z")
> [@](#): > > If we can’t agree on what equal rights _means_, that sounds like a stupid waste of time. At last, we agree. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meredith-baxter-is-gay-who-gives-a-fuck/519832/160 "2009-12-08T22:03:03Z")
“The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread.” Anatole France. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meredith-baxter-is-gay-who-gives-a-fuck/519832.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meredith-baxter-is-gay-who-gives-a-fuck/519832.md?page=9)