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lagilmanFeb 4, 11:24 AM (ET)
By JENNIFER PETER
BOSTON (AP) - The Massachusetts high court ruled Wednesday that only full, equal marriage rights for gay couples - rather than civil unions - would be constitutional, erasing any doubts that the nation's first same-sex marriages would take place in the state beginning in mid-May.
The court issued the opinion in response to a request from the state Senate about whether Vermont-style civil unions, which convey the state benefits of marriage - but not the title - would meet constitutional muster.
The much-anticipated opinion sets the stage for next week's constitutional convention, where the Legislature will consider an amendment that would legally define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. Without the opinion, Senate President Robert Travaglini had said the vote would be delayed.
The Supreme Judicial Court ruled in November that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry, and gave the Legislature six months to change state laws to make it happen.
But almost immediately, the vague wording of the ruling left lawmakers - and advocates on both side of the issue - uncertain if Vermont-style civil unions would satisfy the court's decision.
The state Senate asked for more guidance from the court and sought the advisory opinion, which was made public Wednesday morning when it was read into the Senate record.
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Three cheers for the People's State of Massachusetts! Where they live to give right-wing Republicans the raspberry.
Of course now people who think that it's their right and responsibility to define morality and acceptability will challenge it.. but for the moment I have a happy glow of satisfaction.
I've ranted on the topic before, and doubtless will again, but saying that two people who want to make a life together should be shunted into a separate category simply because their sexual equipment matches rather than contrasts is nothing more or less than bigotry. IMDO at least.
And is it just me, btw, or are men far more nervous about homosexuality than women? What ARE guys so scared of/about?
By JENNIFER PETER
BOSTON (AP) - The Massachusetts high court ruled Wednesday that only full, equal marriage rights for gay couples - rather than civil unions - would be constitutional, erasing any doubts that the nation's first same-sex marriages would take place in the state beginning in mid-May.
The court issued the opinion in response to a request from the state Senate about whether Vermont-style civil unions, which convey the state benefits of marriage - but not the title - would meet constitutional muster.
The much-anticipated opinion sets the stage for next week's constitutional convention, where the Legislature will consider an amendment that would legally define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. Without the opinion, Senate President Robert Travaglini had said the vote would be delayed.
The Supreme Judicial Court ruled in November that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry, and gave the Legislature six months to change state laws to make it happen.
But almost immediately, the vague wording of the ruling left lawmakers - and advocates on both side of the issue - uncertain if Vermont-style civil unions would satisfy the court's decision.
The state Senate asked for more guidance from the court and sought the advisory opinion, which was made public Wednesday morning when it was read into the Senate record.
---------------------------
Three cheers for the People's State of Massachusetts! Where they live to give right-wing Republicans the raspberry.
Of course now people who think that it's their right and responsibility to define morality and acceptability will challenge it.. but for the moment I have a happy glow of satisfaction.
I've ranted on the topic before, and doubtless will again, but saying that two people who want to make a life together should be shunted into a separate category simply because their sexual equipment matches rather than contrasts is nothing more or less than bigotry. IMDO at least.
And is it just me, btw, or are men far more nervous about homosexuality than women? What ARE guys so scared of/about?
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no subject
Date: 2004-02-04 09:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-02-04 10:07 am (UTC)Or I could be silly, and say: cooties!!
(Girls know cooties are silly.)
Re:
Date: 2004-02-04 10:15 am (UTC)Someone should tell them that nobody's spending that much time thinking about them at all.
no subject
Date: 2004-02-04 11:40 am (UTC)Yay Massachusetts!
no subject
Date: 2004-02-04 06:34 pm (UTC)And which retains a sense of objective reality.
Yay Massachusetts indeed.