Gay Marriage Rights Hits a Snag in NY, NJ
In a surprise blow to the gay marriage rights movement, it appears as if liberal leaning New York and New Jersey may not vote on legalizing homosexual unions in the near future. This comes just as Freedom to Marry and other gay right organizations have gained momentum in key states throughout the Northeast. Advocates for [...]
Gay Couples can Recieve Benefits Declares NY Judge
Legally married same sex couples in New York can receive benefits an Albany NY court judge ruled. The judgment came after a Christian legal group challenged a ruling that allowed homosexual couples to receive government benefits. To that end, the court came just shy of indicating whether or not same sex spouses were privy to [...]
DC Board Bans Anti-Gay Marriage Effort
Washington, D.C.’s Board of Ethics and Elections says that a measure attempting to ban same-sex marriages will not be allowed on the city’s ballot. The ruling, which was announced on Tuesday, denies opponents of same-sex marriage to put the issue to a popular vote. The City Council is currently considering a measure allowing same-sex couples [...]
NY Gay Marriage Bill Expected to Pass
David Paterson, the governor of New York, said on Thursday that he expects to be signing a same-sex marriage bill into law in the coming weeks. Paterson also said he expects the Senate to give the measure its final legislative approval, making New York the seventh state to legalize same-sex marriage. Paterson said that he [...]
High Court in NY to Consider Same-Sex Marriage Benefits
A high court in New York will hear arguments against providing government benefits to same-sex marriage couples that were married in Canada and other jurisdictions where their marriages are legal. The state Department of Civil Service has extended health benefits to the spouses of state and local government employees since 2007, and a year earlier [...]
Maine to Vote on Gay Marriage
The state of Maine, which rarely enters the political spotlight, is entering a landmark year – the upcoming referendum on same-sex marriage has the potential to push other states in a given direction. Voters in Maine will decide on November 3rd whether their state will repeal or uphold the law, passed by their legislation and [...]
Same Sex Marriage ban Unconstitutional Declares Iowa Supreme Court
Iowa’s Supreme Court ruled that their marriage statues violated Iowa’s Constitution Equal Protection Clause by denying homosexual unions. The court took into consideration restrictions that defined marriage as between a man and a woman but felt that the twelve individuals who had brought the case to court demonstrated that they met the requirements necessary to [...]
Politics and the Supreme Court
On October 5, 2009, the first Monday of October as mandated by the Constitution, the United States Supreme Court will officially convene for its 2009-2010 session with a new Associate Justice, Sonia Marie Sotomayor. Sotomayor brings with her more judicial experience than any other new justice in years. Sotomayor is probably best known for her [...]
Same-Sex Marriage: Time to Step Into the 21st Century
Posted by Allen P Wilkinson on September 23, 2009 · 1 Comment
Suppose that you’ve been living with your significant other for ten years and you intend to stay with her or him forever. Your significant other is your soul mate and nothing is more important to you than having the whole world recognize you as a legally and morally committed couple who pledge themselves to the [...]
Filed under Commentary · Tagged with civil rights, constitutional right, defense of marriage act, DOMA, gay marriage, gay rights, lesbian, lesbian marriage, marriage, married, opposite sex, right to marry, same sex marriage ban, same-sex marriage