New York State to recognize Gay marriage..

[~sudsshane]

New York Governor David Paterson has told State agencies that they should begin recognizing gay marriages performed in states and countries where they're legal.

The New York Times reports that the governor spoke of the changes in a videotaped message shown to Gay community leaders earlier this month. He said the move is "a strong step toward marriage equality."

The New York Times also reports that Gov. Paterson's legal counsel issued a written directive to state agencies on May 14.
The directive says there will likely need to be changes in some agency regulations. Among those are rules affecting inheritance rights for pensions and property.

Hopefully this is going to push the legislature to FINALLY legalize gay marriage in New York State. When they do that, Shane is going to be having a wedding! YAY!

 

[panthera]

That is great news

I follow human rights in the US closely, and one thing which always surprises me: How little attention is paid to the rest of the Western World (especially Canada and most of Western Europe) and how well we have done with full civil rights for homosexuals.
No increase in divorce or child abuse, no single heterosexual marriage "destroyed" by our government's failure to "defend" it...
After decades of no progress at all (much of which was do to the absurd position of many "sisters" who sought to forbade marriage for any of us just because they didn't want it) it feels wonderful to see so much positive change.
There will be a backlash, there always is. This year is not the time to be purist and "above it all" but to go out and be out and push hard. Especially with this challenge coming up in California...we need to show the straight world they have nothing to fear from granting us equal rights. It also wouldn't hurt to point out to the large percentage of the Hispanic community in California which is opposed to civil rights for gays that the same people who want to write discrimination against us into the constitution will - once they succeed there - proceed to attack all the other groups they hate and despise next. And guess who's way up high on their list, just after women and us? Bingo, undocumented foreigners.

 

[andrewinorlando]

Shana Mae, are you and Barbara Jean going to finally tie the knot???? I wanna be the Maid of Honor. Lizzie can be the flower girl.

 

[panthera]

It's on the November Ballot

I am curious to see what happens.
If the hate-filled bigots win, their next step will be to see what other human and civil rights they can repeal.
The concept of using a constitution to take away civil rights, to proclaim a group of people as sub-human is straight out of the worst eras of history. This will set a precedent - either way. Californians have a chance to open the doors to a new era of human rights or to open the gates of hell to a new era of constitutionally recognized classes of sub-humans, not entitled to even the most basic of rights.

http://www.sacbee.com/749/story/983602.html

 

[jeffg]

The constitutional amendment will likely pass in California. Demagoguery almost always works.

But the victory will be temporary. Every day where people in Massachusetts, Canada etc don't start marrying their pets, where crimes like prostitution and bigamy remain illegal, where the Lord Jehovah doesn't appear from heaven to smite mankind etc is another nail in the coffin of the "defense of marriage" bigots. States and our federal government have tried to stop social progress before, with the same result every time: fifty years down the road people who voted for these pointless amendments and laws are going to look very mean spirited and downright stupid.

 

[panthera]

Success or failure

Depends entirely on whether those who are on our side get out and vote or not.
The hatefilled whackjob conservatives, the christianists and the republicans will vote.
Unfortunately, far too many people take the attitude "it doesn't matter anyway" or, far worse, if they can't have exactly what they want, they don't give a fcuk how the rest of us suffer.
Politicians and politics are, by definition, a choice between bad and worse. You don't vote for whom you really want, you vote against an even worse alternative.
An especially difficult challenge in California is making clear to the large Hispanic and black communities that by supporting this attack on our rights, they are opening the door for the christianists and republicans to take away their rights. All that is needed is a harmless little constitutional amendment such as, for instance, "all police officers in discharging their duties are bound to stop and positively identify the nationality and visa status of all persons with whom they speak or come into contact."
Or, "all communities must conduct a census every three months, all residents are required to participate. The census data shall include nationality and visa status of all residents. This data is to be made freely available to all local, state and federal government agencies".
The very idea of writing discrimination into a constitution should have the true Christian churches screaming their lungs out...all I am hearing, sadly, is the usual wishy-washy "but those are just a small minority of people, they aren't the real church." Big help, that. Not.

 

[panthera]

Stay Rejected!

The California State Court just denied requests for a stay. Yay!
This is the best news possible, it now means that voting to declare homosexuals sub-human in November will also mean tearing thousands of marriages to pieces - with legal ramifications that would be so severe, it is now in the State's interest to maintain the status quo.

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www.sacbee.com

 

[iheartmaytag]

States should allow some provision for partners to be recognized as next of kin.

A few years ago a woman I worked with, who was of the Lesbian bent, was injured in a fire. Under the law her girlfriend was not a next of kin, and her parents who were against their relationship disallowed the girlfriend from not only participating in decisions, but from visiting all together.

In our state the only way to insure your rights is to name the SO as your D.P.O.A. and then have a very well written will for the afterwards.

 

[panthera]

I just do not understand'

How people can ignore the conclusions of the scientific and medical
evidence, and - for what it's worth - the psychologists and (worth more) psychiatrists is beyond me.
Of course, how many people reject evolutionary theory???
We are not abnormal, we are not sick, homosexuality is a standard variant of sexuality. Now that homosexuality has been proved in several animal species, the sick christianists can't even claim that...(their perverted views deny animals souls, so they can not suffer from "original sin", et cetra, ad naseum.)
My parents are on my side, they like the man I am in love with a lot. But I know damn good and well that the rest of my family would not respect his wishes one iota after my parents die and should I become ill in the US.
For too long, we have let these horrid, hate filled people deny us the most fundamental of human rights. We need to fight back, and not stop fighting.
I've been threatened, I've paid a very high price for not climbing back into the closet. Most of us here have. Never again.

 

[iheartmaytag]

Panthara,
I sense you pain, but being hatefull towards Christians isn't the answer.

In Iran, a Muslum nation, for example you can be put to death for homosexual acts. It is not just Christians, usually the fundamentalist that feel they have to change the world. Remember the U.S. was settled (after we killed the natives) by puritans.

I as a Catholic try to follow the rules of the Church, but don't feel that I have to right to make others do the same. It is only I that I can worry about or have any control of anyway. Except for my daughter, who will be shipped to the nunnary as soon as she enters puberty.

What it comes down to any situation, Abortion, Homosexuality, Divorce. You have to make the decision for yourself, and not worry about the others.

 

[jeffg]

As with most "christians" I know, talking out of both sides of their mouth makes me wanna puke. Look at who is behind this "defense of marriage" demagoguery and you'll discover it's almost exclusively "christian" churches, including the RCC.

I'm more than willing to "make the decision for myself" if THEY will kindly stop pushing for civil laws and amending freaking state and federal consitutions specifically to deny me a basic human right and make me a permanent second-class citizen. Deal?

 

[oldhouseman]

Oh no...

it ain't that easy or basic iheartmaytag. I think what panthera is pointing out is the discrimination we face and how it is justified -especially by people who claim to be "Christian".

I have faced down members of the KKK. I have faced down relatives. We don't need "tolerance". If you (not YOU personally iheartmaytag) feel you have to "tolerate" us then you don't get it.

I personally did not think I would live to see the day any state here would make changes in marriage laws. Every step will be a long and difficult battle. I may not to live to see the day such changes take place here in the South. But I will fight for that change anyway I can.

Why are so many heterosexuals concerned about the homosexual population? Religion always plays a role in the answer to that question.

If the laws here in Georgia changed overnight my partner and I would not get married. After 17 years togeather we don't need a slip of paper from the county courthouse to validate our relationship. But it should be an option to ANYONE who want to be legally entangled. My partner will not attend a wedding. He declines such invitations and reminds the sender that we do not have full civil rights in this country.

 

[panthera]

Iheartmaytag

Thank you for taking the time to write kindly and not attack me as some have done.
The term "christianist" is a term for those self-righteous, hate-filled, intolerant people who have kidnapped the Christian religion and church for their own evil ends.
By using the word "christianist" I am very carefully making a distinction between "Christians" and these evil people.
Like most neologisms (although the term isn't all that new) I guess it takes a while for everybody to become aware of it.
Andrew Sullivan, the Washington post, the WSJ, etc. use the term increasingly and here in Europe it is in general use. I first read the term about four years ago or so.
So, no, I am not trashing all Christians. My own parents are Christian, good people and very much support human rights. My brother and his family are all "christianists" who actually on my last visit to the US told me that my homosexuality made me the same in their eyes as a drug dealer!

 

[iheartmaytag]

Marriage ain't all it's cracked up to be

Just ask my mother who managed to do it three times.

They are all dead now,#2 and #3 widowed her, but boy was #1, her divorced one, a hemroid when he was alive.

This is specifically why I am single, and plan to remain that way. As far as the Church's teaching on sex outside the marrige. Does it count if I'm the only one in the room at tht time?

 

[toggleswitch2]

Toys and video cams are extra.

If it's only you in the room it's technically tension reduction and relaxation. Nothin' more. *LOL*

 

[jeffg]

According to the RCC's (IMO wacky) teachings, if a man who's married to a woman goes out and has sex with another man, it's not considered adultery. Homosexuality and masturbation are put into the same category.

 

[toggleswitch2]

Technically you don't have to put anyting into anything for those two categories.

 

[toggleswitch2]

~My brother and his family are all "christianists" who actually on my last visit to the US told me that my homosexuality made me the same in their eyes as a drug dealer!

I hope to G-d you don't give them money or anything else for that matter.

He should shut his hole. You never know what your (own) children will become.

 

[iheartmaytag]

I work with a very phobic man. He stated that if his son told him he was gay he would shun him and never speak his name again, as this is what the Watchtower tells him must be done.

He would give up his son for basically a magazine business.

DISCLAIMER--I do not mean to say anyting derogatory about the JW's I am only making a point. You can substitute the name of many fundamentalist churches in this sentence.