What started out as a debate about gay marriages turned into a moral battle Tuesday night in the Cotillion Ballroom and ended with con winning, 141-46.The intended topic of the department of mass communication’s last NSU forum of the semester was: “Resolved, that the United States should legalize ‘gay marriages’,” but during the audience participation part of the evening, the topic seemed to change to mostly homosexuals versus Christians.

The decidedly con-heavy crowd listened as pro speaker, Hollie Garrison, mass communication senior from Thibodaux, and con speaker, Rachelle Hitt, mass communication junior from Gheens, presented their arguments. Each backed up her opinion with a laundry list of facts and statistics.

Garrison’s argument stated that in modern, society marriage is little more than a business contract. She also spoke out against the Bush administration’s proposed constitutional amendment saying that it would not only legalize discrimination against homosexuals but also “repeal 200 years of progress.” Garrison ended her speech by saying, “I hope we can all agree by the end of the night that this is not a matter of good or bad or right or wrong. It’s a matter of love.”

Hitt started her speech by likening gay marriage to an attempt to attach two female or two male electrical connections to each other. She went on to accuse gay marriage as being powerless, dangerous and a threat to the value of marriage as an institution. She ended her speech and consequently began the religious debate by quoting biblical verses.

The remainder of the evening consisted of audience members from both sides individually standing up, sometimes on chairs, to voice his or her opinion about the topic.

The pro side spent most of its time calling the opposing side hypocritical Christians while the members of the con side rebutted with evangelical preaching. Both sides booed, hissed and laughed after opposing comments.

Although audience members from both sides appeared to be prepared to speak, some even reading from handwritten notes, very few stayed on topic. Most decided to use their turn to speak to express their personal religious beliefs. One outspoken pro member even revealed that he was a witch.

“I don’t want people thinking that I or the con side was out here to attack them. I am just grateful to be able to speak and appreciate the comments from the pro side,” said Hitt after the forum was over.