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Friday, May 23, 2014

Brace Proposes Same Sex Benefits in Lehigh

Comm'r Geoff Brace had proposed legislation that will change Lehigh County's policy to offer spousal benefits to employees in legal same-sex marriages.  The message sent to the Board also requests a special meeting on June 4, 2014 for the sole purpose of a second reading and final vote on this matter. Brace believes that a recent judicial decision justifies quick action. 

Here's a statement:

"I wish I did not need to introduce this legislation.  I am a firm believer in LGBT equality and the protection of LGBT rights.  I come to this position from my faith and upbringing and look forward to the day when this type of legislation is not necessary."

39 comments:

Anonymous said...

If gay men do not stick their you know whats in each other where the sun don't shine, I say NP on the marriage thing.

But if they choose to do the nasty, may they suffer in hell, it's just not right.

Anonymous said...

Brace is only carrying forth the agenda that is boss Mike Schlossenberg is carrying forth.

Bernie O'Hare said...

I think Goeff has supported the LGBT movement for some time. He voted for this at budget time.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Whether it is Brace or Mazziotti, I hate to see religion injected here.

Anonymous said...

Brace said that he looks "forward to the day when this type of legislation is not necessary."

I'd say that day is here, after Tuesday's court ruling. This looks more like political posturing than anything else.

Anonymous said...

@9:49 It's none of anyone's business who (male or female) and what body part they do whatever with with the one they love. If two people love each other they should be able to marry and have whatever benefits everyone has from that union. God has no part in that. On Judgment Day, whether your spouse got an inheritance free from taxes won't matter a hill o'beans to you, as you stand in judgment. But it will matter a lot to your spouse.

Anonymous said...

Also, heterosexuals also do all kinds of interesting things to each other that God may or may not be happy about. Yet they enjoy marriage. Seems only fair that everyone enjoys the same benefits, doesn't it, regardless of what is going on in private? Now, I have to go to the hospital and have a mouse removed that Jennifer lost...

Anonymous said...

Can Mr. Brace explain the policy regarding medical benefits for spouses of County employees? It is my understanding that the count non longer extends these benefits to spouse as a cost cutting measure. If true what was the effect date?

Anonymous said...

This is the beginning of the end,This Country is a mudslide.Even the Mayor of NEW YORK CITY,married to a Black Lesbian ,next your own boss will solicit you in the mens room as a drag queen.

Anonymous said...

It is sad that in order to get votes these guys like to pretend that these butt pirates are really married. Man and a woman. Two guys sticking it in each others butts or two women scissoring is not a natural marriage.

Anonymous said...

Heterosexuals destroyed marriage long before homosexuals completed the farce. Make no mistake, what homosexuals have inherited is a ridiculous farce, which is why most don't care if homos, cousins, computers or monkeys marry. They all have the right to be silly and/or miserable. Welcome to Athens, Rome, and Vienna before the fall.

Bernie O'Hare said...

I think marriage is, by definition, the union between man and woman. I resent the intrusion of gay couples into what to me is an exclusively heterosexual relationship. I have no problem with giving gap couples every right that accompanies married couples, but not the name. Think up another name for it. It's insulting to me to see two gay guys or gay women think they are identical to the same union that can produce children. In fact, it's idiotic to compare the two. I agree they get all the rights. They will never have my respect, and I would never agree to giving them the name.

Anonymous said...

Agreed about the use of the word, "marriage." I've become more liberal as time passes. I can understand the need for LGBT's to be afforded benefits for each other (health, death, etc.). I can accept that there are alternative lifestyles, but if they are alternative find an alternative word. Call it a "union," a "bonding," or something more gayishly clever, but let the word "marriage" be printed only on certificates for a man and woman.

Anonymous said...

How confusing for some child in the middle. How does mom and dad attend the 6th grade play? This whole thing is beyond me.How does this issue affect the minds of the growing child with alignments to his or her own gender at 12 years old? Geeeze, When the new LGBT 's are in your face about it especially. How about Green Monkeys? Will that be ok too for some?Where will this stuff stop?

Anonymous said...

@7:47 Fortunately, our young adults and 20-somethings aren't plagued by the small-minded thinking of the past that is reflected in your post. The question of when bigotry and discrimination will end is a good one though. We're on the way. Trust me, it won't be scary like you believe.

Anonymous said...

"I resent the intrusion of gay couples into what to me is an exclusively heterosexual relationship."

Is a gay couple intruding on a relationship you have Bernie (not Tricia?)? Does marriage imply a couple has to have (or even can have) children? I'm not sure where your resentment arises from in affording a couple, gay or otherwise, from a binding union.

Bernie O'Hare said...

I don 't get the green monkey reference, but don't think the 7:47 post is off, especially when mentioning the "in your face" aspect of much of what the LGBT community does. Earlier today, HuffPo took Fox to task bc a shrink suggested that the Santa Barbara Slayer may have had repressed homosexual urges. This was viewed as a slur on gays. This is the kind of thing that pisses me off. Being gay does not make one a sinner, but it also does not make one a saint. But that is the impression being created. I am more than willing to tolerate same sex couples. But just bc you are same sex does not mean you are immune from very legitimate questions about parenting. Lord knows we all could use those questions. I also resent same sex couples referring to themselves as married. That word should he limited to the union of man and woman.

Bernie O'Hare said...

If this makes me a bigot, I am sorry. I respect the lifestyle and want everyone treated the same, but I think there is something special about the union of man and woman.

Bernie O'Hare said...

11:22, no need to get personal, especially when you remain anonymous. I resent a gay couple co-opting a word - marriage - That I will always view as the special relationship between man and woman. Typically, you come on and steal that word, which means something to many of us, and then wonder why I'm griping. Like I said, I am all for equal everything, but that does not give you the right to steal a special word that should be limited to man and woman.

Anonymous said...

...our young adults and 20-somethings aren't plagued by the small-minded thinking of the past...

Nor are they plagued by our work ethic, stewardship, charity, civic involvement, respect for tradition, etc.

But...they've got the LGBT and climate change thingies down. And if they don't know, or don't like, what a word means, they just change it.

So, we ought to just get out of their way and let them hashtag us to unparalleled economic and moral prosperity.

Alrighty, then.

-Clem

Anonymous said...

...and have the papers to prove it.

Vhere are zee paperz, old man.

Zee paperz, vhat show u is not un crazy, mach schnell!


-Clem

Anonymous said...

Doh! Wrong thread.

Two browsers open.

-Clem

Anonymous said...

Marriage is a man and a woman. Children are the goal. Man on man anal sex is not a marriage. Woman on woman scissoring is not a marriage.

This is a dark time for western civilization.

I am all for secular civil unions for these abnormal relationships but not marriage. That is reserved for a man and a woman. No the fanatical perverse crowd that have sexual confusion.

Anonymous said...

Bernie your 10:45 comment is what so many of us think. We do look at marriage differently and we teach our children about the importance and the value of marriage. As gays are different and cannot produce offspring they could have stayed with civil unions which fits for them. For too many of them marriage is akin to going steady. They won't have biological children so that most important bond will never happen. 3 lesbians just got married in Ma. And this is the joke now of marriage. Really what is next. If they weren't so freakin emotional they would have agreed to the civil union that fits for them. We will always see their marriage as a wedge issue and never buy I to it. Can't help who you love? Give me a break. Mostly it's about sex. When that goes they have no reasonnot to move on and they do.....they have succeeded in making many who did not think about them now dislike them.

Anonymous said...

Marriage is between a man and a woman to create a family. A long held civilized tradtitio9n that has served humanity well. I agree that any two adults can have a civil union with all the rights and protections that come with that. if they want to have a gay religion that calls it a "marriage" so be it. However, it should not be legally defined as areal marriage,

This is not about marriage but about the fanatical gay and lesbian agenda to destroy traditional marriage. The gays hate straight marriage so they want to water it sown and demean it.

They are not satisfied with a secular law to make their "union" legal, they want to force society to view them as a "married" couple. That is why Brace and others kiss the ring of that Shankar fanatic and the gays. It is about votes no real Christian can see it as anything close to the sacrament of marriage. Just evil nonsense

Until children come from anal sex or fingering and tonguing or scissoring, it isn't a marriage. Stop pretending to care and admit the hateful campaign of destruction the gays are after.

Anonymous said...

Bernie, I 100% agree with you on this matter. It is not Mr. and Mr. or Mrs. and Mrs. It is Mr. and Mrs. How can this country for 100's of years be founded on the biblical values and now because they want to have a marriage we who oppose are just supposed to accept it. Kid's do not need two dads, which one goes to the mother son dance or two mother's. Which one goes to the father daughter dance? Time to get back to the church and the values it brings.

Anonymous said...

Watch the divorce rate between same sex couples.

Anonymous said...

Annon11:18. As long as many adults care for children more then gay people it will always be scary and worse. Look at Jodi Fosters 2 male children. They look like they certainly missed. The presence of a man. A real man.this is great for them. What about lesbians who teach their girls to hate men including their own fathers. I see that one too. So kids are first and gay is not. So no it will never be just fine for most of us. The hatred and all else that comes from the gay community and not all but far too many rubs off on kid and the rest of society. I think with the I. You face way gay people and Obama have done things people like gays less today then ever. They may not say it but be sure that yes they are not thinking about how much they like you when you say this is my wife and you are a woman. Actually the lesbians are far worse. Many gay men concede that marriage for the is not really a marriage. So instead of going steady with your latest bed partner you marry them. You have belittled the best things about marriage. So now we belittle you. You picked this war.

Anonymous said...

Gay marriage is not scary. There is nothing about gay people that scares the rest of society. You imply that with your remark above. If all people were gay you would not be here. It is not the way nature In tended it. It is just horny people never having to grow up and sleeping with every one who looks interested. It is about hooking up and nothing to do with what marriage was intended for. I know a couple of gay males who have been I longer term relationships then any lesbianism know and really they could care less about marriage. So it is coming more for the restless females.

Anonymous said...

I am a man married to a woman with no intention of creating children (in fact we both took steps to prevent such). Is our marriage somehow less because of this? I certainly don't think so.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Of course not. What sets the union of man and woman apart is its ability to create children. But I understand many couples choose not to do so. I still consider the relationship unique and a word exists to define it. I am willing to see gay couples afforded the same rights, but not that word.

Anonymous said...

Well in the end they get to be married and the rest of us can just stew over it and stew we will. Any shred of respect we could have for them is now weakened and non existent...they do not care what we think or how we feel and are behind much of what this president does that weakens the country.

3 women married last month what is next. A father and son?

Anonymous said...

Santorum was right about this issue. he was laughed at but he was right. Now go marry your dog you freaks.

Anonymous said...

Awfully bent out of shape about a "word" there Bernie. Who cares?

Bernie O'Hare said...

It's a word that means something, so yes, I care.

Anonymous said...

I think that ALL of the comments posted above are completely negative to the recently passed law. I find it hilarious that most of them are because of what they prefer sexually...lol...along with the fact of a "MARRIAGE" is "supposed" to be between a man and a woman for the reason of having children. ..the LGBT community can have children. ..it's just that one person is not biologically related (which isn't always the case since there are ways around that too)..that my friends is no different than a single woman...or man who has custody of their child from a previos relationship meeting someone else and they help raise that child. Why is that situation okay? As long as children are brought up in a Safe, loving and happy environment what else matters? Question. ..how many children grow up in a household where there is abuse or cheating or neglect? The LGBT community deserves the have what everyone else has...a marriage...which the definition of that is...(broadly) any of the diverse forms of interpersonal union established in various parts of thw world to form a familiar bond that is recognized legally, religiosly, or socially, granting the participating partners mutual conjugal rights and responsibilities. ..

Bernie O'Hare said...

Look,You are entitled to the same rights, but i will never refer to any one of you as married. I've explained why. If you don't like that,too bad. Plus, let me tell you I have never met a more sexually promiscuous group of people than gay males. That is all they talk about, and frankly, it disgusts me. Most of you are NOT monogamous. You make a sacred institution a joke. You can have the same rights. I will never give you a word intended for the combination of man and woman.

Anonymous said...

You Bernie are entitled to how you feel...however where in my comment does it say "my rights"? You ASSume because i post on behalf of LGBT I must be one of "THEM" as you so often refer...as if they are aliens or something...too funny. As far as not being monogamous. ..lol heterosexual couples cheat...and sleep with just as many people as someone else. Stop acting like the "normal" person is with one person their whole life...that is just ludicrous!

Bernie O'Hare said...

There is no community as sexually promiscuous as gay males. Please don't argue this point or you will lose. I believe in according the same rights to any person, but i will never let them use a word that describes the sacred union of man and woman. They can use it. You can use it.I never will. As for assuming you are gay, it's a logical conclusion. I don't really care what you are. All I know is you are anonymous.