Another step to acceptance

[CarlHoliday]

There was a celebration this morning in New Hampshire.

 

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CIV...EMPLATE=DEFAULT

 

Slowly, but surely, one State at a time, we make the inexorable move toward acceptance by the complacent majority. There will always be detractors, haters if you will, but it's the couple behind the white picket fence with the two kids playing on the Big Toy in the backyard who will sway the argument in our favor. Be that couple two men or two women doesn't matter. It's the normalcy of their lives that makes the biggest impression.

 

Yes, some want marriage now and they insist we use that word to confront all those who oppose us, but radical change is not often long lasting. Marriage, after all, is primarily a religious ceremony. Think of marriage as a fertility celebration as most religions have their origins in the soil and not how many Mercedes are in the parking lot.

 

The key though is getting the State to grant the rights of marriage and call it a civil union. Take religion out of the license and you have another step to acceptance.

 

 

Carl

[Conner]

There was a celebration this morning in New Hampshire.

....

The key though is getting the State to grant the rights of marriage and call it a civil union. Take religion out of the license and you have another step to acceptance.

 

 

Carl

 

That is an excellent strategy. While, for some, it may seem like sneeking in the back door, the battle in these 4 or 5 states is won.

 

A civil union by any other name would still be a marriage.

 

Conner

[scoopny]

I actually think in the next few years you'll have a state actually pass a marriage law. It will certainly happen in California if the next governor is a democrat, the legislature there has passed a gay marriage bill two times already that was vetoed by Schwarzenegger. If the New York state senate goes democratic in the next election cycle, I can see that state actually passing a gay marriage bill and not just civil unions. In fact in New Jersey Corzine said he wouldn't veto a gay marriage bill if it came to his desk, even though they already have civil unions there.

[BeaStKid]

Sigh!! When will those dumb politicians in India realize this!!!

 

Gay sex is still a criminal offense here!! Just gay sex, not lesbian sex!!

[Demetz]

Could be worse.... a couple countries over and you'd be in Iran... where there are no such thing as homosexuals :wacko:

[BeaStKid]

Could be worse.... a couple countries over and you'd be in Iran... where there are no such thing as homosexuals :wacko:

 

Yeah, that is true... Poor guys... I guess Pakistan is also not that far behind in this homophobia!! I was rather surprised when Nepal did away with their prejudice and accepted homosexuality and homosexuals into their society... I guess there is still hope for India...

[Demetz]

Hmm... I may have to arrange a trip to nepal some day >_>

[BeaStKid]

Hmm... I may have to arrange a trip to nepal some day >_>

[AFriendlyFace]

[Graeme]

That is an excellent strategy. While, for some, it may seem like sneeking in the back door, the battle in these 4 or 5 states is won.

 

A civil union by any other name would still be a marriage.

 

Conner

I agree with the strategy, because socially, a civil union is marriage. However, legally, it's not. Legally, it is only treated as marriage for state purposes. For federal situations, they are not considered married.

 

Once people see that the sky hasn't fallen in, that it's not making difference to "traditional" marriages, attitudes will change. Not everyone's -- some will never change their minds -- but enough (hopefully). We're talking about a long timeframe, though. I would say it would take at least a decade or two before civil unions are accepted enough that when people ask 'why not make it marriage' that there won't be enough of an outcry to stop it from happening. Politically, it's currently a dynamite issue and I don't see that changing for many years. It will change -- I'm confident of that -- but not quickly.

[Tiger]

Unfortunately some of us live in states that are socially conservative. Missouri may be a swing state, but the state banned gay marriage outright. It's in the constitutional. The only real way to reverse the law in Missouri would be for the federal government to pass a law preventing states from banning gay marriage or the USSC declaring it unconstitutional for states to do so. The war is far from over. I just wish the mid-west wasn't so socially conservative like the south.

[JamesSavik]

I agree with the strategy, because socially, a civil union is marriage. However, legally, it's not. Legally, it is only treated as marriage for state purposes. For federal situations, they are not considered married.

 

I too agree. A civil union may be a compromise and not exactly what we want but it is way better than a smack in the face with a frozen fish [nothing].

 

There has been an attitude of all or nothing in the gay rights movement leadership that has, more often than not, left us with nothing.

 

There is a saying in American football: never take points off the board. Those "points" are hard to get and you never know when or if you are going to get anymore of them.

[BeaStKid]

I too agree. A civil union may be a compromise and not exactly what we want but it is way better than a smack in the face with a frozen fish [nothing].

 

There has been an attitude of all or nothing in the gay rights movement leadership that has, more often than not, left us with nothing.

 

There is a saying in American football: never take points off the board. Those "points" are hard to get and you never know when or if you are going to get anymore of them.

 

I too agree with the idea of something is better than nothing. At least with civil unions us gays and lesbians are getting to stay together and enjoy some rights.

[Tiger]

I actually think in the next few years you'll have a state actually pass a marriage law. It will certainly happen in California if the next governor is a democrat, the legislature there has passed a gay marriage bill two times already that was vetoed by Schwarzenegger. If the New York state senate goes democratic in the next election cycle, I can see that state actually passing a gay marriage bill and not just civil unions. In fact in New Jersey Corzine said he wouldn't veto a gay marriage bill if it came to his desk, even though they already have civil unions there.

Illinois is another state to watch. Unfortunately, the Democrats in Missouri will have neither the guts nor the conviction to pass a similar bill in Missouri, even if we vote out Matt Blunt in November.