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Gay Marriage Gaining Momentum
By David KnowlesMay 29th 2008 9:12AM
Filed Under:eDemocrats, Featured Stories, Gay Rights, Ballot Measures
Two major developments in New York and California have thrust the issue of same-sex marriage back into the political spotlight. First, California's Supreme Court struck down the state's ban on gay marriage, saying it violated the California Constitution. Second, yesterday, New York's governor directed all of his state's agencies to begin recognizing same-sex marriages performed in places, like California, where the practice is legal. While California's court decision will be tested in November with a ballot initiative to amend the state's constitution so as to outlaw gay marriage, new polls indicate that the public may have turned the page on the issue and be ready to afford gays and lesbians the legal rights of state sanctioned matrimony. Indeed, California's R.I.N.O. Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger supports the court ruling and opposes any initiative to alter the constitution to exclude gays from getting married.
So does this action from two of our nation's three most populous states signal and end to the culture war, or have these blue states played right into the hands of their red state counterparts?
From CBS News:
The California gay marriage debate illustrates important national trends for Democrats. Growing numbers of Americans favor gay rights, including some form of partnership recognition for gay couples, especially when framed as economic and legal rights. This is particularly true of young voters; in California 55 percent of voters under 30 support gay marriage, and nationwide 63 percent of voters under 40 support civil unions or domestic partnerships. But this trend also holds true for voters of all ages; a 2007 Field poll reported that Californians young and old were four times more likely to say that they are becoming more accepting of gay relationships than less accepting. Moreover, when the symbolic weight of marriage is removed from the equation, support for gay rights becomes overwhelming. Nationwide, a whopping 89 percent of voters favor protecting gays and lesbians from employment discrimination.
Clearly, when it comes to gay rights, the country is becoming more liberal, and one big reason is Ellen Degeneres. Her wildly popular daytime talk show has helped introduce gay culture to much of the country. In just the past two weeks, she has confronted John McCain on the subject of gay marriage:
And then she received an offer from the president's daughter to hold her lesbian wedding at the Crawford ranch:
It's true that the GOP will try to use footage of the thousands of marriage ceremonies set to commence on June 14 in California as tools to try and get elected in sections of the country where people still revile the notion. But as a wedge issue to help Republicans, its potential is entirely short-term. Ten or fifteen years from now we'll look back and wonder what the big deal was. Gay marriage will no longer be a hot-button political issue, and we'll be a better country because of it.
Recent Comments
(Page 1 of 3)Katherine9:45AMMay 29th 2008
ha..."lemmons"
Katherine9:49AMMay 29th 2008
My biggest problem with gay people is that they stole the rainbow symbol. Rainbows used to mean unicorns, and pots of gold, and sun-shower surprise, and now rainbows mean gay people.
Davidg10:10AMMay 29th 2008
Okay, lemmons, that's classic...lmao.
You know, most gays care about being able to make a living without discrimination and being able to live where they choose without harrassment. I just find it hard to believe that "marriage" is at the top of anyone's list these days (and lucky them if that's all they have to worry about).
The fact is that it would be a beaureaucratic nightmare sorting out the marriages, divorces, annullments...it's already ridiculous with hetero people, now homo people want in on the institution that doesn't even work? Why?
Personally, my belief is that all marriages should be civil unions. That solves the entire issue. People could negotiate their marriage contracts and agree on important issues BEFORE they get "married".
Consenting adults should be able to enter into any kind of legal contract they want, provided they are of sound mind. The problem with marriage is that it's an implied contract. It obviously doesn't work for half of the people who enter into it...so why make it worse by adding more people to it?
I understand it's not fair that gay partners can't marry while Pamela Anderson can, or hetero people can marry for ANY reason they want, but still why make it worse?
Kirsten10:11AMMay 29th 2008
Its absolutely time for this country to recognize that the gay/lesbian population pays taxes just like everyone else!! They deserve the same rights as the rest of the country!! Kudos to California and New York!!
Kirsten10:17AMMay 29th 2008
DavidG---
Couldnt agree with you more that the fact is marraige in todays society half the time does not work but, some do. And as far as why add to it, well, it just comes down to the point that if gay/lesbians CHOOSE to get into this big mess (the institution of marriage) they should be able to.
Katherine10:29AMMay 29th 2008
Ha! Right when gay folks rush to get married, straight folks want to get civil unions. I prefer the civil union deal I think, and I like that contract idea Davidg. I'll be back a lot later on, have a good day babes.
John10:34AMMay 29th 2008
As someone who worked in the trenches during the worst of the AIDS crisis and having watched the families of gay men literally throw their surviving partners into the street, I cannot be more supportive of the right to marry for any adult in this country.
The government should never have the right to interfere in the execution of a contract between two consenting adults. And the privileges associated with that contract should not be restricted to heterosexuals.
And, Katherine, on behalf of gay people everywhere, I apologize for stealing your rainbow.
John in Philadelphia
OBAMA '08
justwonderin11:19AMMay 29th 2008
Why were Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed again.......?
What other living thing in Creation is homosexual again.........?
Religiously and/or Scientifically,is an Anus for penile penetration ( or any other form of penetration) or excretion of faeces.......?
THE VAST MAJORITY OF AMERICA IS "JUDEO-CHRISTIAN' SO...
Isaiah 30:1
"Woe to the rebellious children," the saith the Lord, "that take counsel, but not of me, and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin"
Isaiah 29: 13
Wherefore the Lord said:
"For as much as this people draw near with their mouth, and their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart from me and their fear toward me is TAUGHT by the PRECEPT of MEN".
QURAN 7:81
"For you PRACTICE your LUST on MEN in preference to WOMEN: ye are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds"
QURAN 26:165
"Of all the creatures in the world, will ye approach males,"
26:166
" And leave those whom ALLAH has created for you to be your mates? Nay ye are a people transgressing"
AMERICAN-FIRST11:59AMMay 29th 2008
HOMOSEXUALS CANNOT MAKE BABIES!
NO MARRIAGE --- CIVIL UNIONS OKAY.
THEY DO DESERVE RIGHTS --- BUT NOT MARRIAGE RIGHTS.
ambsie12:00PMMay 29th 2008
I will cast my vote on November to shoot down Gay Marriage. The Majority of California will Say NO!
joedenver6012:33PMMay 29th 2008
The scent of a woman moves me like no other.....the mention of a man and a man together in that manner, disgust me. Yet, because I feel this way I am looked at as a small minded bigot...which is fine...sticking my manhood into sewage and call this love and reason to believe this is normal...well, you can call me whatever you want, I will not spread the aids virus and eventually die, and then blame it on the druggies with dirty needles....on the other hand when I see a woman and a woman, it strangely turns me on....I guess I'm a sick puppy, but I see that as absolute love, giving life to the idea of continued existance....People in each state should decide what they prefer.....procreation vs death (terms a little extreme but realistic)
kaflooey12:51PMMay 29th 2008
"Ten or fifteen years from now we'll look back and wonder what the big deal was. Gay marriage will no longer be a hot-button political issue, and we'll be a better country because of it."
`````````````````````````````````````````````````
I don't know what the big deal is now. I hope it doesn't take another 10 or 15 years to be accepted in this country, I don't understand why it's ever been an issue.
kaflooey12:55PMMay 29th 2008
I don't understand the "gays can't have babies" argument at all. I was married for a long time. I don't have any children. Does that mean my marriage was non-existant? I don't think so. That makes no sense.
kaflooey1:07PMMay 29th 2008
joedenver6012:33PMMay 29th 2008
````````````````
I'm not calling you anything, but don't you think gay people want to marry for more reasons than sex? I don't think anybody of any persuasion should get married just for that reason. Not to mention it can be counter-productive. lol
kaflooey1:21PMMay 29th 2008
John in Philadelphia,
I also worked in the trenches with AIDS patients in the early 80s and remember being one of the few nurses who volunteered to take care of patients who were admitted to the hospital. There were so many nurses, aides, etc. who refused to care for these patients, out of fear mostly, that the hospital administrators actually had to ask nurses to volunteer to take care of them. Thankfully the hospital culture has changed dramatically since then. I also remember surviving partners finding themselves with nowhere to go after having spent their whole adult lives with one partner in a monogamous relationship. Nobody should have to deal with that after losing someone they love.
joedenver601:22PMMay 29th 2008
kaflooey......I may have been a little to objective in what I was saying.....I have some gay friends, but they respect me for being upfront and honest on how I feel.....its nothing personnel, I don't believe gay men are less that a man than I am, but we need to discuss this serious issue with nothing held back to come to a sensible answer, as we would with the issue of racism
Leslie1:36PMMay 29th 2008
kaflooey,
you are a nurse. Damn. I guess I like you better now. No matter what your political views, nurses are strong people who don't get the respect they deserve. With the shortage in the hospitals, nurses are doing a lot more with a lot less.
jim1:53PMMay 29th 2008
Two signs of a nation in decline- high immorality and high taxes. Goodbye USA!
DB2:19PMMay 29th 2008
WHAT ARE THE PEOPLE OPPOSED TO GAY MARRIAGE AFRAID OF? AREN'T WE ADVANCED ENOUGH IN THIS CULTURE TO ALLOW FREEDOM TO ALL AMERICANS? PEOPLE ARE VOTING FOR AN ANTI AMERICAN FOR PRESIDENT BUT THEY'RE AFFRAID IF JOHN AND JOE GET MARRIED, RIDICULOUS!
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homer laughlin9:34AMMay 29th 2008
You can be sure of one thing, in November McCain will lose their vote. Clinton is passe, history. Obama will benefit. This article will be a cliff-hanger for the rant and rave Hun lemmons whose feeble attempts at trying to falsify Obama's gender. An issue that has failed miserably and not taken root. The lemmons are hanging-ten by their toenails, saying and anyy anything to keep the Hun alive. After all, the history and patterne of lemmons is clear. If their leader goes over the cliff, they all follow suit to their own destruction.