“I didn’t choose to be gay,” Rep. Steve Howard, D-Rutland, said. “God made me gay. I begged him not to make it so,” he said. “I stand because nobody should be ashamed of how God made them.” With his voice breaking from emotion, Rep. Jason Lorber, D-Burlington, described seeing the notice about his union with his partner under the heading “civil union” in the newspaper. “Why do we have to be off to the side,” Lorber said. “Why do we have to say you are different? Why can’t we just say congratulations?”95 for - 52 against vote
And Iowa of all places
Marriage equality came to the heartland (Iowa)a few minutes ago. The court found that the ban on marriage for a small minority of citizens violated Iowa's constitution.State Supreme Court unanimous decision
on the other hand this makes it far from a finished issue - especially in Iowa:
Alex Koppelman:
The decision is particularly significant politically because of Iowa's pivotal place in the presidential nominating process. The issue could play a big role in the state's Republican caucuses come 2012, especially as it would take until then before a constitutional amendment prohibiting same-sex marriage could go to the voters. It'd be hard to blame former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, for instance, if he were dancing in the streets today. Someone like Huckabee, who already appeals to the evangelicals that play a key role in the GOP caucuses, could really benefit from this decision.
Considering that California will most likely overturn the ban that overturned marriage due to a number of problems with how the ballot initiative took place and legal questions about those who were retroactively divorced by the new law among other issues that would bring the potential number of states to have full marriage for all citizens up to 5 (pending cali reverses and the Vermont Governor's promised veto does not hold.) Connecticut, Massachusetts, California, Iowa and Vermont with New York state recognizing marriages performed out of state but not having their own marriage laws in order yet and New Jersey mandating that any Civil Unions offer the exact same legal rights as marriage although the name is left up to the sate legislature to decide.
Though I am certain that other regions will dig in their heels it appears that the inevitable will eventually take place
and a repeat of the racial-intermarriage debate and slow but steady eventual adoption of interstate and federal recognition of such marriages will take place during my lifetime.
I remember that in the late 1990s and early 200s I was not particularly passionate about the gay marriage issue and thought that it was not the time to begin such a "radical" reform. I did recognize and resent the aweful situation of 20 or 30 year long couples being unable to visit their dying partners in a hospital because they were not family members and the less urgent but equally unfair laws concerning inheritance etc. especially when a homophobic family member of the deceased or ill would make a stand to deny any and all rights to the partner. I felt this could be addressed by a system of civil unions like Vermont's or, preferrably New Jersey's but the word marriage was too politically, religiously and emotionally loaded.
I also entertained the ideas left over from some of the older gay and lesbian friends I knew who would simply say "why on earth would we want to be like them! - let them keep their divorces and thier lawyers..."
But the longer the discussion continues it does become more and more apparent to me that a: there is an inherent legal problem with denying one small and specific group the right to marry and all the rights and responisbilities that come with and b: the tide is turning faster than I could ever have imagined - the majority of american's polled consistently answer that Don't ask Don't Tell should be tossed and gays and lesbians should be allowed to serve thier country unmolested, the numbers for the support of gay marriage is catching up as well.
In 1960 homosexuality was illegal in all 50 states. In 1969 it was still illegal in New York City. In the 1990s it was still illegal in Texas and several other states - even in private, behind closed doors. In my high school it would not have yet been possible for me to come out as gay in my senior year in 1990. I am fairly sure that my high school now has a gay, lesbian and friends after school support group now. I have lived through the end of one era and the entry of another completly new one and I did not think it would arrive so quickly.
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