Gays Are Second-Class Citizens?

The Christianists - and Mormoms - dishonestly allege that LGBT citizens are seeking "special rights." Even as they make these claims, they know it is a lie, but as the Proposition 8 campaign made clear, our enemies have no qualms about lying if it furthers their goals. To Hell with the Commandment against lies and bearing false witness. The reality is that gays ARE second-class citizens in a number of ways. Amy Balliet, the founder of JointheImpact.com, has a partial list of the ways in which we are not afforded equality under the civil laws. Here is her list of ways (all of which apply in Virginia) we are deprived of equal protection under the law via 365gay.com:

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1. We can not fight for our country without hiding who we are;
2. In many states (like the recent law in Arkansas) We can not adopt a displaced child in need of a home and safety;
3. In many states, we can still be fired because we are gay;
4. My rights in Washington do not stand when I cross the border to Idaho and, therefore, if my partner were to fall ill on a cross country trip, she would be alone in the hospital and I would be powerless;
5. Partners cannot share insurance in many states;
6. In many states, people can be murdered because of their sexuality, but their murderer will not be tried for committing a hate crime;
7. A loving couple can share a home, but if one passes, that home can be taken from the other in states where shared property rights are not available;
8. Finally, a couple can share their lives, share expenses, share good times and bad over many years, but they still cannot gain the equal protections and recognition that two strangers can in one drunken night in Vegas: 2 Strangers + 1 20 minute ceremony + $50 + 10 shots of tequila = Holy Matrimony and 1st Class Protections Under the Law,
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Putting aside the lies and untruths our enemies use, the other thing that is amazing is their expectation that we should just allow ourselves to be abused and mistreated. As Shane at Land of Savages notes, they act as if we should be almost thankful for the way we are denigrated and made less than equal:

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What's most alarming is the misunderstanding of the legal jeopardy gay people find themselves in. What I gather from most anti-gay posts is a reversal of who they feel is being discriminated against. Apparently, if a gay person wants to protest the LDS church for largley funding the recent amendments in Arizona and California, they are somehow bigots and filled with hate. Apparently, these amendments that singled out and continue to exclude gay couples from being able to be married should have been met by the gay community with quick acceptance of the majority's infinite wisdom, and that we sh0uld also feel lucky their tolerance of us includes actually speaking with us at our places of work and a deeper gratitude for not being fired or arrested.

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I honestly don't understand what these religious groups expect gay people to do. Do they honestly feel we should give our money to their businesses despite what they later do with it? Are we to sit quietly by while they take away our ability to protect our families or adopt children? Are we supposed to accept that they know God or Nature better than us and to accept their ideas as unshakeable? The answer is no, of course. This is our country and our government, too.