OK, kiddo! Here are all the fantastically amazing posts tagged with Same-sex marriage
Argentina Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage
Argentina has become the first Latin American country (and the tenth country overall) to permit full, equal marriage to all its citizens. The vote, which passed 33-27, took place Thursday morning.
Opponents had hoped to instead pass a separate, and inherently unequal, civil unions bill that would have granted most of the rights of marriage to gay couples, but would have barred them from adopting children or even undergoing in-vitro fertilization (an astonishing personal rights invasion, if I ever heard one). Good thing full equality passed instead!
I really don’t have much else to say but congratulations, Argentina!
- Argentina legalizes gay marriage in historic vote [Associated Press]
European Court Says No To Same-Sex Marriage
A European human rights court has ruled that the legality of same-sex unions should be left up to individual European countries since there is no Europe-wide consensus on whether or not equal marriage recognition for everyone is a fundamental right.
The case was brought forward by an Austrian gay couple who are being denied the right to marry in their home country.
Six EU states have full equal marriage rights for all citizens, and ten more have state recognition of gay partnerships, without full marriage equality. The other eleven states don’t allow any kind of same-sex unions.
Justice is slow, but at least the majority of European countries have at least some kind of recognition of gay rights; keep fighting for your human rights and the rest will follow.
- European human rights court rejects gay marriage bid [BBC News]
- Court rules no right to gay marriage in Europe [Toronto SUN]
Iceland Gets Marriage Equality
Great news coming out of Iceland this month, as it became the ninth country in the world to offer full marriage equality to all its citizens! The parliamentary vote passed unanimously, 49 to 0, making Iceland join the ranks of Canada, Belgium, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain and Sweden in legalizing same-sex marriage.
This is fantastic news, although I’m a little surprised it didn’t happen earlier. I mean, what with Björk and all.
Iceland also made international news in 2009 after electing Johanna Sigurdardottir, the world’s first gay leader.
- Iceland passes gay marriage law in unanimous vote [Reuters]
- Unanimous vote in Iceland legalizes gay marriage [Digital Journal]
And Society Still Stands
Let’s end the week on some sweet notes, why not?
British Columbia’s legislature will have a new name to remember after an NDP MLA married his longtime partner last month. Spencer Herbert will now be known as Spencer Chandra Herbert, making him Canada’s first MLA to take his gay partner’s last name. The Vancouver-West MLA has already updated his website with the change, and hopes that other legislative sources will soon follow. The change won’t take too much effort, mind you; during house proceedings, MLAs are always referred to by their constituency.
On the other side of the ocean, Slap reader Melanie has written in with some good news about a British soldier in Prince Harry’s regiment. Lance Corporal James Wharton from the Blues and Royals has married his boyfriend, Thom McCaffrey. James wore military regalia to help formalize the wedding, which was held at the regiment’s Knightsbridge barracks. It was the first same-sex wedding for any member of the Household Cavalry.
Of course, after these two weddings, I’ll keep an eye out for news on whether or not society will continue. Until then, have a great weekend!
- Gay MLA weds and takes husband’s name [Xtra West]
- Gay Wrexham soldier’s wedding makes military history [The Leader]
- Prince’s Man in Gay ‘I Do’ [The Sun]
Portugal Passes Gay Marriage Bill; Who’s next?
Good news! The Portuguese parliament passed a same-sex marriage bill last week, which will make the country the eighth in the world to have equal marriage rights nationwide.
President Cavaco Silva can still veto the bill, but there hasn’t been any indication that he will do this, which gives it a pretty good chance of being ratified. Encouragingly, the bill sparked very little opposition in the public, even among social conservatives.
I’m not sure what country will be next, but I’ll be taking bets all morning on which country is more likely to give equal rights and freedoms to all of its citizens before the other: The United States… or Slovenia. (And just a head’s up for my stateside friends, Slovenia has recognized gay registered partnerships since 2005 and is likely to send a same-sex marriage bill to parliament this year; think you can beat them to it?)
- Portuguese parliament passes gay marriage bill [Montreal Gazette]
Churches Want Involvement In Marriage Commissioner Case
The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal will consider and rule on whether or not civil marriage commissioners can deny their otherwise public services to gay couples. The case is in response to a request from the provincial government, which is seeking information on the constitutionality of a proposed legislation to allow just that sort of thing.
In addition to the usual suspects—unions, rights groups, and some individuals—several church organizations have sought intervener status so that they can speak on the case. Most will argue that presiding over a gay marriage violates the religious freedoms of the individuals doing the presiding.
Churches are already exempt from Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms and therefore do not need to serve everyone equally regardless of their gender, race, or sexual orientation. That does not, however, apply to individuals. At least not yet—and that includes civil marriage commissioners, who are, after all, just people who perform the legal duties at non-religious wedding ceremonies for people who do not wish to get married by a priest in a church. They’re not, nor are they supposed to be, representatives of their personal religion.
Nevertheless, the Canadian Fellowship of Churches and Ministers, the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, the Chancellor of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon, the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, and the Christian Legal Fellowship are all seeking to influence this public ruling. (I shall assume that they all pay taxes, then…)
Here’s my thoughts. Much in the same way that a vegetarian mustn’t deny a carnivore a boating license (lest the carnivore go fishing in violation of the vegetarian’s personal beliefs), a marriage commissioner cannot deny a marriage license to a gay couple; and that’s the way it should stay.
I mean, where did this idea come from that you can just avoid the duties that you’re expected to do? (cough, cough)
Politician Accuses State of Selling Children to Gays
Alfred Baldasaro, a Republican State Representative for New Hampshire, went on a bizarre rant this week, starting with the accusation that the state government was selling children to gay couples for $10,000 a pop.
The statement was made in reference to same-sex adoption, which has been legal in New Hampshire since 1999. When asked to rescind the offensive remark, Baldasaro simply repeated it: “I wanted to make sure everyone understood here, that this legislature sold the rights of $10,000 per kid under title four, when they said that homosexual couples, not married, can adopt.”
This was only the start of the rant, mind you. Baldasaro then directly compared gay couples to incestuous ones, asking “aren’t we discriminating against all them?”
“What about the Muslims?”, he continued. “Everyone’s praising the Muslims. They’re killing us. What about them, they want three, four wives. We’re discriminating against them!”
…
Well, that was a masterpiece of crazy.
Baldasaro’s statements were made in support of a bill that would ban same-sex marriage in the state, demonstrating exactly the type of people that are typically behind those types of bills.
- New Hampshire GOPer: State is selling children to gay couples [Digital Journal]
Russian Court Says Canadian Marriages Aren’t Real
Two lesbians that wed in Canada last October will not be seen as married in their homeland. A Russian court threw out their case this week, saying that same-sex foreign marriages simply won’t be recognized. “I will have to uphold the decision made by the registry office in May,” said judge Boris Gerbekov, “foreign marriages accepted in Russia must involve a couple of opposite sex.”
This is the same couple that had tried to get a marriage license last May, but were rejected in early October. That prompted them to get a marriage license here in Canada, hoping it would be recognized. Now that their latest attempt has been turfed, they’ll appeal to the European Court of Human Rights where a decision could take up to five years.
Rights have to be fought with persistence. Best of luck, you two! It’ll pay off someday.
- Court rejects Russian lesbians’ Canada marriage [Reuters Canada]
PEI Finally Puts Same-Sex Marriage On The Books
Prince Edward Island finally updated their lawbooks over the holidays in recognition of same-sex couples for 29 pieces of legislation. While same-sex marriages have been legal in the province since federal law changed in 2006, spouses were still referred to as “husband and wife” and “man and woman” in provincial documents and laws until now.
There was no reason given for the nearly four year delay, but the change means that vital statistics, birth certificates, and other provincial documents and departments will now have accurate data.
Well, I’m glad to see you’ve joined the rest of the country, Island! (I can call you Island for short, right?)
DC Votes For Marriage Equality; Opponents Mobilize
Slap reader John writes in with some good news coming out of Washington, DC. The city council has voted in favour of legalizing equal marriage rights for gay couples!
The bill’s fate is now with congress, which has 30 days to veto it, which appears unlikely, or let it be.
Of course, gay marriage opponents are already in hysterics. A group calling themselves Stand4Marriage (meaning opposite-sex only marriage) has declared their intentions to put the issue to a referendum vote on the next ballot, asking every single resident whether or not to take away the marriage rights from gay couples.
Still, if all goes well, DC residents will have full equal marriage rights by St. Patrick’s Day. Here’s hoping for the best!
- DC City Council votes to legalize gay marriage [Associated Press]
Gay Spouses Not That Different From Straight Ones
Same-sex couples are virtually identical to opposite-sex couples when it comes to age, income, and child rearing according to census data released in the United States this month.
A study conducted at UCLA analyzed the data for nearly 150,000 gay couples to compare how they fare in comparison to their straight counterparts—taking into account gay couples who were legally married as well as those that still referred to each other as being married even if equal marriage rights were not legal in their state. The results show that gay married couples are 52 years old on average, earn a combined household income of $91,558, and have children 31 percent of the time. This compares to straight couples who are 50 years old on average, earn a household income of $95,075, and have children 43 percent of the time.
Gary Gates, a UCLA researcher who compiled the results, said that these numbers show that gay and straight families aren’t as different as lobbyists claim:
Most proponents of traditional marriage will say that when you allow these couples to marry, you are going to change the fundamental nature of marriage by decoupling it from procreation. Clearly [same-sex couples] are not decoupling child rearing from marriage.
Just goes to show you, gay people really aren’t all that different from straight people. Except for our extrasensory abilities and ability to wither your crops by blinking, that is.
- Report: Gay couples similar to straight spouses [Associated Press]
Anti-Gay Canadians Are A Fringe Minority
Last week, I said that people who hold anti-gay views were a small and shrinking minority. Behind their loud and obnoxious rally cries, there just isn’t any real support.
I’ve cited polls before, but most were conducted around the time of the same-sex marriage debate. I didn’t cite anything in my last post to back up my claim that Stephen Harper’s new speech writer (who believes that same-sex couples shouldn’t even be able to share each others benefits let alone get married) is part of a fringe group, so let’s see if we can put this to rest once and for all.
As it turns out, the most recent poll about equal marriage rights was conducted just five weeks ago by Angus Reid Strategies. They polled over 4000 people across three countries, including 1,006 Canadians. The result: 84% of Canadians believe that same-sex couples should have the same legal rights as straight couples. Of those, 73% support full-on same-sex marriage and the remaining 27% support civil unions with all the same legal rights.
The anti-gay side—Canadians who believe that gay couples should have no legal rights whatsoever—polled at 11%, a segment rapidly approaching the single digits. The remaining 4% were “not sure.”
Basically, Canada is leading both the United States and Britain in support for equality for gay people. It just looks like the staffers with which our Prime Minister surrounds himself aren’t among those supporters.
Lobby Group Angrily Demands “Grandma” Ad Pulled
Catholic Vote Action, a religious political group based in Chicago, is demanding that an ad supporting equal marriage rights in the state of Maine be pulled off the air.
The ad, which features a real family including a Catholic grandmother who supports her gay son and his adopted child, was produced by Protect Maine Equality in response to an upcoming ballot initiative that would take away the existing right of gay couples to marry in the state. “I’ve been a Catholic all my life,” the grandmother says in the ad, “my faith means a lot to me.” She continues, “Marriage to me is a great institution that works, and it’s what I want for my children too.”
Essentially, it’s a real-life example of how it’s possible to harmonize one’s faith and family, supporting the loving relationships in which families can flourish.
Unacceptable, of course, according to Catholic Vote Action, who released a press release on Monday declaring that all Catholics do not support “counterfeit marriages” and demanding that the ad be pulled immediately. Because, as we all know, loving and supporting your family throughout hardships and mean-spirited attacks just isn’t a value worth keeping.
But back in the land of reality, for all my stateside friends who have a say in the matter, remember to support equality and vote NO on Maine’s Question 1!
Update: Slap reader Alan points out that you don’t need to live in Maine to help out with the No On 1 cause. With only a couple of weeks before the ballot, and with polls showing a statistical tie in opinion, now is exactly the time when volunteers and donations are needed the most! Visit ProtectMaineEquality.org and volunteer to phonebank from home or donate for more ad airtime.
An extended hat tip goes to Jim Burroway over at Box Turtle Bulletin for the story.
- Pro-Gay Marriage Ad Features Catholic Mom [U.S. News]
Russian Court Says No To Same-Sex Marriage
A Russian court has blocked what would have been the country’s first same-sex marriage. Irina Fedotova-Fet and Irina Shipitko were told that they couldn’t get married like other couples because of their sex. Shipitko has now told the media that they will fight the decision:
We are a family already. We live together and share household chores. We also would like to have children; that is why we want legal recognition of our union.
Irina and Irina are now planning to come to Canada and wed. They’re hoping that a marriage license obtained elsewhere will carry the same legal rights back home.
Good on you, gals! And good luck!
- Russian court blocks same-sex wedding [CBC News]
Your Canadian Gay Marriage Is Final
Canada’s pretty cool. No matter who you are or where you’re from, you can make your marriage commitments official up here—including gay couples from countries where same-sex marriages are not recognized. Just, maybe, don’t expect to get divorced if things don’t work out.
Divorces in Canada are, in fact, a legal impossibility unless at least one half of the couple has lived here for over a year. This is presumably because, unlike marriages, divorces are costly legal ordeals involving joint property transfer that need to be dealt with in local jurisdictions. That’s a problem for same-sex couples who can’t get divorced in their local jurisdiction because their marriage isn’t recognized there in the first place.
It’s quite a pickle, really. Luckily there’s an elegant solution: Legalize equal marriage rights everywhere!
- Gay U.S. couples can’t get divorces for Canadian marriages [CBC News]
- Gay marriages easy but divorces are not [Canada.com]
Albania To Legalise Same-Sex Marriage
Albanian Prime Minister, Sali Berisha, has proposed the nationwide legalisation of same-sex marriage last week. This would be a massive step forward for the country, where homosexuality was illegal as recent as 1995.
The move has surprised even gay rights groups, who had been fighting in smaller steps—most recently calling for laws against workplace discrimination.
Of course, there will still be a lot of work to be done in order to change deeply held misconceptions about gay people in Albania, but if all goes as it should, soon the country will achieve a level of equal rights matched only by the awesomeness of their flag!
Hat tip to Slap reader “Northern Piper” for the story!
- Albania Preparing to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage [Digital Journal]
- Albanian gays welcome PM’s same-sex marriage plan [Reuters UK]
Saskatchewan Moves To Protect Anti-Gay Comissioners
The conservative Saskatchewan Party has decided to introduce legislation that will allow government-licensed civil marriage commissioners to deny their services to same-sex couples in the province.
Civil marriage commissioners perform public, non-religious marriage ceremonies for couples who do not wish to have a denominational wedding. They are also certified to issue marriage licenses themselves.
The legislation is coming as a response to a couple of marriage commissioners who refused to offer their public services to gay couples, claiming that issuing a same-sex civil marriage would violate their religious beliefs. Considering they’re not performing ceremonies on behalf of their personal religion, that may be a wee bit of a stretch.
But, hey, if this legislation takes effect, I can also refuse to serve anti-gay people, right?
California’s Stumbling Block
Well, the big news is no doubt yesterday’s decision by the California Supreme Court that Proposition 8, a referendum banning same-sex marriage in the state, is a legally valid constitutional amendment. While I’m disappointed, I’m not sure I can add to what many other commentators have put more eloquently than I could.
All I can say is to keep up the fight. Equality is not inevitable; it must be fought for, and I wish California all the best in overturning Prop 8 in the next referendum!
