Street Knowledge

The guests were:
Anita Barrows (psychologist )
She said that any relationship, homosexual or otherwise, will be governed by conditioning that each partner brings to the relationship, and it may or may not be gender-based. Barrows said that what differs in homosexual relationships is that partner's are not coming in with society's ideas of rigidified roles. She said that the idea of homosexual couples using legalized marriage to get employer aid is comparable to hetersexual couples who have been using marriage for tax breaks and legal immigrant status for years. Barrows said that people are afraid of marriage failing, because there are no societal structures to help us in marriage. She said that sex has many other meanings nowadays;it's made into a commodity/consumer good by the society we live in. Barrows said that for marriage to succeed there needs to be mutual respect/communication.

Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence(non-profit organization)
They said that 60 to 70% of people in major Time/Newsweek polls are in favor of legalizing gay marriage. The Sisters said that homosexual couples are obviously committed; they realize that it's a long-term committment and that marriage brings responsibility. They said that the main way to change things and support the issue is to get out the vote. (415) 552-0220

Deborah Cooper(Soulbeat [Heartbeats]host)
She said that financial stability is a big concern, especially for men, because they're committing to a household, a family, and a woman. Cooper said that women's big concerns are whether the man is going to be committed, honest, and be there consistently. She said that often men aren't so much afraid of marriage as they are of the marriage failing. Cooper said that women have to let men know that life begins at marriage rather than ends at it. She said that women need to take at least a year of a relationship to see him in different mind sets and get to know who he is before she considers him a potential for marriage. Cooper said that there are a lot of people who honestly don't have their partner's best interests in mind, so the need for prenuptial agreements differs with each couple. She said that marriage was designed as a religious and social structure designed to give kids inheritance life and family life. Cooper said that committment is the key to success.