Gay Marriage/everything Gay Thread-Now With 20% More Gay!
Started by freedom78, Apr 03 2009 11:07 AM
946 replies to this topic
#19
Posted 07 April 2009 - 11:37 AM
Vermont legalizes gay marriage with veto override
MONTPELIER, Vt. – Vermont on Tuesday became the fourth state to legalize gay marriage — and the first to do so with a legislature's vote.
The House recorded a dramatic 100-49 vote — the minimum needed — to override Gov. Jim Douglas' veto. Its vote followed a much easier override vote in the Senate, which rebuffed the Republican governor with a vote of 23-5.
Vermont was the first state to legalize civil unions for same-sex couples and joins Connecticut, Massachusetts and Iowa in giving gays the right to marry. Their approval of gay marriage came from the courts.
Tuesday morning's legislative action came less than a day after Douglas issued a veto message saying the bill would not improve the lot of gay and lesbian couples because it still would not provide them rights under federal and other states' laws.
House Speaker Shap Smith's announcement of the vote brought an outburst of jubilation from some of the hundreds packed into the gallery and the lobby outside the House chamber, despite the speaker's admonishment against such displays.
Among the celebrants in the lobby were former Rep. Robert Dostis, D-Waterbury, and his longtime partner, Chuck Kletecka. Dostis recalled efforts to expand gay rights dating to an anti-discrimination law passed in 1992.
"It's been a very long battle. It's been almost 20 years to get to this point," Dostis said. "I think finally, most people in Vermont understand that we're a couple like any other couple. We're as good and as bad as any other group of people. And now I think we have a chance to prove ourselves here on forward that we're good members of our community."
Dostis said he and Kletecka will celebrate their 25th year together in September.
"Is that a proposal?" Kletecka asked.
"Yeah," Dostis replied. "Twenty-five years together, I think it's time we finally got married."
Craig Bensen, a gay marriage opponent who had lobbied unsuccessfully for a nonbinding referendum on the question, said he was disappointed but believed gay marriage opponents were outspent by supporters by a 20-1 margin.
"The other side had a highly funded, extremely well-oiled machine with all the political leadership except the governor pushing to make this happen," he said. "The fact that it came down to this tight a vote is really astounding."
Also in the crowd was Michael Feiner, a farmer from Roxbury and gay marriage supporter, who took a break from collecting sap for maple syrup-making to come to the Statehouse.
"I'm taking a break to come and basically make sure that I was here to witness history," he said.
The House had initially passed the bill last week with a 95-52 vote.
"It was like I was in high school again, but fatter."
#23
Posted 07 April 2009 - 01:19 PM
Vermont legalizes gay marriage with veto override
MONTPELIER, Vt. – Vermont on Tuesday became the fourth state to legalize gay marriage — and the first to do so with a legislature's vote.
After years of blaming unaccountable activist judges who were, apparently, going against the will of the citizens, it'll be interesting to watch the social conservatives come up with a new excuse as to why this shouldn't count.
See...that's the problem with hate. You try to justify it, but the sources of your justification are slowly eroded. They weren't against gay marriage...they were against it being imposed by judges. Well, now it's been done by the legislature via supermajority...I suppose now it'll turn out that it's REALLY fucking important for a governor to also support it. And, then, when a state has that happen, it'll turn out that they don't really think this is a state government decision, but really needs to be done via referendum. And, then, when the people support it, it'll turn out to have been a national issue all along.
At some point, they'll just have to admit that they're bigots, plain n' simple.
Sister burn the temple
And stand beneath the moon
The sound of the ocean is dead
It's just the echo of the blood in your head
#26
Posted 09 April 2009 - 04:07 AM
#28
Posted 09 April 2009 - 03:59 PM
They are "coming together in love" huh? Wow! That ad was fucked up!
I also notice how they don't explain HOW the gays will disrupt THEIR marriage.
But watch out! The "storm is coming!!!"
its the classic conservative strategy of painting themselves as the victims as a cover for victimizing someone else.
allowing gays to get married does not disrupt a damn thing in any one else's marriage or lives. But they use strong langauge like "taking away our freedom" and it gets their base rallyed around them.
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