Brad Pitt: I'll marry when everyone can

[Josh]

NEW YORK - Brad Pitt, ever the social activist, says he won't be marrying Angelina Jolie until the restrictions on who can marry whom are dropped.

"Angie and I will consider tying the knot when everyone else in the country who wants to be married is legally able," the 42-year-old actor reveals in Esquire magazine's October issue, on newsstands Sept. 19.

In the article he reflects on "fifteen things I think everyone should know."

Though Shiloh, the world-famous daughter of Pitt and girlfriend/earth mother Angelina Jolie, hogged much attention upon her birth in May, Pitt says he "cannot imagine life" without adopted children, Maddox, 5, and Zahara, 1.

"They're as much of my blood as any natural born, and I'm theirs," says Pitt. "That's all I can say about it. I can't live without them. So: Anyone considering (adoption), that's my vote."

Pitt, who plays a world traveler in the upcoming drama "Babel," subscribes to a laid-back parenting style.

"I try not to stifle them in any way," he says. "If it's not hurting anyone, I want them to be able to explore. Sometimes that means they're quite rambunctious."

Lucky kids.

"I feel it's really important to have that time to sit and talk to them," he continues. "I really like that last minute before they fade off. And always give them a heads-up before you jerk them out of something. You need to tell them, like, `You have three more minutes.'"

[JER Soaps Fan]

God, I am SO sick of celebrities doing this. Charlize was the first who pulled this stunt, I believe. And that's what it is, a stunt. Because The Supreme Court is not going to give a damn if these celebs make a legal and spiritual commitment to their partner. So it makes NO sense to deprive themselves of a marriage just to get a little publicity for themselves. It's just despicable, and I hope Angelina doesn't go along with this for too long. It's insane.

[Josh]

The supreme court may not care, but this completely redeemed Brad in my eyes for being a cheating whore. I applaud him and Angelina for taking a stand!

[Pest Spray]

JSF, WOW, really negative lately on everything that's applaudable?

Personally, I applaud Brad. Celebrities may not have the power to change it, but they have the power to make people listen and take notice. If Brad Pitt takes a stand and speaks out, you bet your ass people are going to read it and take notice. That's how we learn everything about anything, whether it's a professor, a president or prime minister, royalty or a celebrity. Supreme court may not care, but people do. Which IMO, is good, because people need to open their eyes in the states. It's getting rediculous.

That's something I applaud Norway for.

[JER Soaps Fan]

Well, personally, I disagree with gay marriage. I won't boycott it with placards and I won't hate on same sex couples who could be married in the future, if it becomes legal, but personally, I take a moral exception. So that's another reason why it doesn't seem like a "good" cause. It doesn't seem like the "right" thing to do. It just seems like a silly reason to not get married, shack up with someone and offer no true commitment in front of friends and family. And hell, any commitment-phobe man or woman could gleefully engage in long "engagements" and use the 'not until gay marriage is legalized' argument as a means to not 'buy the cow but get the milk for free.' I just think it's ridiculous. Get married already! Make Angelina an honest woman!

[Pest Spray]

So you don't consider people who are gay to be human beings? A wedding is an official commitment between two human beings. I totally understand why gays and lesbians fight so hard for the right to marry the one they love. They get no respect for their relationship, and saying that you accept that people live in same-sex relationships and not support that they should have the option of getting married, is - to be blunt - crap. That's not acceptance. That belittling anyone who lives in a same-sex relationship.

And to think, the bible preaches acceptance.

Personally, I hate the fact that there has to be words like "gay" or "lesbian". We're all people, we all eat, drink and came out of our mama's womb, no one has to right to say that some are "right" and some are "wrong". We live in 2006, not 1906. We're educated, we can cure several deadly diseases, we can order trips to Mars, but not accept people who love each other. Considering the world of human destruction that we live in and the pure evil we're surrounded by from several high places, it's sad.

I need to stop.

[SteveFrame]

Wow JSF I have heard you say some negative things on here, but I think that is the most negative I have ever seen you. You made a post about something on AMC that offended you - well what you posted offended not only me but I am sure many many others out there.

We are all entitled to our opinions about things, but some of the things that you posted are more than just opinions, they are very offensive to others.

I don't mean this last part toward you but I would hate to live my life so negative about everything. I have moral convictions in my life but I never try to inflict those moral convictions on to others. I think that is America's biggest problem these days is that each one of us have our rights and freedoms and we think that just because something offends us we can inflict that on others. We need to each remember that our rights and freedoms end at our fingertips and the next persons begins.

I applaud Brad and Angelina for taking their stance, and just because Brad has not married her - she is still an honest woman.

Sorry I just had to vent. I know it may get me a warning, but go ahead. I just had to say what I had to say.

JSF I like you. I understand that the mods were giving you a second chance or something, but you may need to lighten up sometime.

[Ryan]

Can I get a "amen" from the choir??

Steve, I couldn't have said it better myself. You know you rock my sock drawer.

[Chris]

Steve, you didn't do anything that would warrant a warning. You stated your opinion maturely and respectfully.

[JER Soaps Fan]

Well, you're right, we live in 2006, where there are many pluralities of what is "right" and what is "wrong." And so who is anyone to say what is right or wrong in this situation? Especially when so many people believe that abortion is "wrong" while many believe it is "right." These are issues that no one really can claim. I knew people -- especially on this board, whose membership seems mostly liberal -- would take offense to my opposing gay marriage so I thought I expressed my view in a non-confrontational, careful manner. But evidently, according to Steve, I didn't, so I wasn't "right." See how it is? I chose my words carefully and someone still got offended. Because they think they're "right" and I thought I was "right" in my choice of words, when it seems I was "wrong." You mention that people shouldn't be labeled as gay or straight and I can understand what you mean, but I feel the same way (sometimes) about these labels "right" and "wrong." Because words like that are subjective and not everyone will agree on the same label. But I digress. My personal view, which you asked, is not that I think gays aren't human beings. I do. But I personally feel that marriage is something that only can occur between a man and a woman. I'm sorry for feeling that way but it's true (how I feel). I'd hope that being otherwise accepting of people with same sex attractions doesn't lower me to the level of those who gay bash and kill people for their sexual orientation. Because I'm not heartless in that way, nor cruel. A lot of you and I just disagree on this one issue. It's that simple.

[Jackie]

Make Angelina "an honest woman?" Please. What kind of traditionalist bullshit is that?

There is a LOT more to a relationship than marriage. You can be totally committed and be in a loving and nurturing relationship without being legally recognized as such. Just because two people aren't married does not mean they have any less of a relationship.

And no, this is not "commitment phobia." Marriage, by today's standards, is not a dead-end street anymore. You can end it as easily as you got into it. Considering Angelina has been married twice before and Brad once before, they are not scared of marriage. I think they REAL commitment is that they have THREE children together, so they obviously aren't scared of it.

The institution of marriage has gone through MANY changes throughout the centuries. It has never been a constant, stable, never-changing institution. It HAS evolved and CAN evolve again.

[JER Soaps Fan]

I honestly don't know what I said that offended you, Steve. You say we shouldn't inflict our opinions and moral beliefs on others...didn't you understand that that's exactly what I said? I don't want to inflict my views on others (in this case, anyway...for this issue). I simply said that "personally," in private, this is my view. Again, I wouldn't wave placards or participate in a boycott because of this issue. It's just how I personally feel.

[poohbear19]

I applaud him... but at the same time, I have to roll my eyes. First, even out of his mouth is like watching a protest for someone's rights. Second, he's already been married, while there's people out there who can't even get to that point.

[Jackie]

If you feel that marriage should only happen between members of the opposite sex, GREAT! Don't marry someone of the opposite sex then.

BUT...why the hell should it matter if Joe and John decide to get married? Does it impact you? Does it impact any other people's marriages? Not really.

With topics like gay marriage and abortion, no, we'll never get THE "RIGHT" answer because there is no RIGHT answer. The "right" answers lie at the feet of an individual and their personal choices. In situations like these, shouldn't we let the choice be an INDIVIDUAL one? When the Courts decide to make a decision for everyone about an issue like gay marriage, that's when they step on the rights of the individual and opress people in the process.

[JER Soaps Fan]

Well, Jackie, I disagree about the Supreme Court not controlling abortion, but I will meet you halfway and agree that the Supreme Court shouldn't have a say in gay marriage.

Now that I've cleared that up, I do have a question for some of you: I have repeatedly stated that my opposition to gay marriage is merely a personal thought and not something I'd vote for or against (I didn't in the primaries) nor something I would boycott or rally about. So the question, I feel, becomes, Are opposing thoughts such as mine adequate ground for silencing freedom of speech, or second-guessing someone and forcing them to see things another person's way? It really does work both ways, you know.