There Is No Longer A Ban On Same-Sex Marriage in California! (2 Down, 48 To Go...)
May 16th 2008 03:36
In a decision which has surprised many, the California Supreme Court, consisting of seven judges, six of which are Republicans, has given the green light to gay marriage across the state! Cali joins Massachussetts in being two of the fifty states to allow same-sex couples to legally wed.
According to the Supreme Court, sexual orientation joins race and gender as not constituting "a legitimate basis upon which to deny or withhold legal rights."
The Justices got out the word that "responsibly to care for and raise children does not depend upon the individual's sexual orientation."
"We therefore conclude that in view of the substance and significance of the fundamental constitutional right to form a family relationship, the California Constitution properly must be interpreted to guarantee this basic civil right to all Californians, whether gay or heterosexual, and to same-sex couples as well as to opposite-sex couples."
According to CNN's Ted Rowlands, "huge cheers" could be heard in San Francisco upon the relaying of this historic legal reform. The new law will be effective in 30 days.
According to Shannon Minter, the attourney of one of the couples that brought their lawsuits to the Supreme Court, "California sets the tone, and this will have a huge effect across the nation to bringing wider acceptance for gay and lesbian couples."
My source is CNN, and I have to question their inclusion of anti-gay, pro-Objectivity rhetoric in this article. Do they not claim to be a progressive news source? Of course there are going to be conservatives who protest this awe-inspiring change, but the best way to deal with them is by not paying them lip service - writing them off as irrelevant and hateful. Are they really newsworthy? Leave the coverage of the right-wing to Fox News and the corresponding section of the blogosphere. I strongly believe that if people don't have positive things to say, they shouldn't be part of public discourse. We need all the positivity we can get to counter the huge tides of negativity we are forced to encounter in out day-to-day lives. If CNN focused on the healing of the world from destruction, instead of the destruction of itself, news wouldn't be so depressing and people like me wouldn't be so put off by it.
According to the Supreme Court, sexual orientation joins race and gender as not constituting "a legitimate basis upon which to deny or withhold legal rights."
The Justices got out the word that "responsibly to care for and raise children does not depend upon the individual's sexual orientation."
"We therefore conclude that in view of the substance and significance of the fundamental constitutional right to form a family relationship, the California Constitution properly must be interpreted to guarantee this basic civil right to all Californians, whether gay or heterosexual, and to same-sex couples as well as to opposite-sex couples."
According to CNN's Ted Rowlands, "huge cheers" could be heard in San Francisco upon the relaying of this historic legal reform. The new law will be effective in 30 days.
According to Shannon Minter, the attourney of one of the couples that brought their lawsuits to the Supreme Court, "California sets the tone, and this will have a huge effect across the nation to bringing wider acceptance for gay and lesbian couples."
My source is CNN, and I have to question their inclusion of anti-gay, pro-Objectivity rhetoric in this article. Do they not claim to be a progressive news source? Of course there are going to be conservatives who protest this awe-inspiring change, but the best way to deal with them is by not paying them lip service - writing them off as irrelevant and hateful. Are they really newsworthy? Leave the coverage of the right-wing to Fox News and the corresponding section of the blogosphere. I strongly believe that if people don't have positive things to say, they shouldn't be part of public discourse. We need all the positivity we can get to counter the huge tides of negativity we are forced to encounter in out day-to-day lives. If CNN focused on the healing of the world from destruction, instead of the destruction of itself, news wouldn't be so depressing and people like me wouldn't be so put off by it.
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Comment by RubySoho
Music Zone
Thought Zone
It doesn't surprise me that it happened in California though. Republicans in California tend to be pretty liberal on social issues. e.g. the Governor is a strong supporter of women's reproductive rights and stem cell research.
48 to go? Yeah, good luck in Kentucky and Alabama. I think they're still debating whether or not black should ride at the back of the bus.
Comment by postmoderncritic
Postmodern Critic
Relativity Watch
Padsoc
Perhaps what they could have done was to provide links to the comments on another site, so that you were only exposed to them if you wanted to.
I believe in freedom of speech, but I also don't reproduce homophobic rhetoric in my posts, unless I plan to offer a positive deconstruction of the content.
As for Kentucky and Alabama, it will happen... it won't happen as quickly as it might in other states, but what will happen is that the rest of America will legalise it, and then they'll be the odd ones out, the last conservative strong-hold. And then they'll legalise it too, unable to keep up this narrow-mindedness and bringing down the country.
I'm more worried about how long it's going to take for the Muslim world to come around, or places like Sri Lanka, Fiji and Bolivia.
Comment by RubySoho
Music Zone
Thought Zone
Not going to happen. There will be revolt, public lynchings, the fundies will go (even more) insane. It'll be the end of the world, not as they know it, but as they try to force it to be.
i like reading their comments when something like this happens. people sometimes ask me if i am trying to make fundies look bad, all i can say is, they are doing a fine enough job of it themselves without my help.
Comment by postmoderncritic
Postmodern Critic
Relativity Watch
Padsoc
I'm not going to try to predict the future, but I hope the fundies' influence holds less sway sooner than later. I think that American conservatives are more progressive than Muslim ones in general in regards to same-sex marriage, and I do hope to see all of America allowing it in my time. And even if it doesn't, I know that the world will be a more progressive place when I leave it than it was when I entered.
Thanks for your interesting comments on my new blog!
Comment by RubySoho
Music Zone
Thought Zone
oh the world is definitely progressing Epiphanie, just not at the pace that I would like....
Comment by postmoderncritic
Postmodern Critic
Relativity Watch
Padsoc
I hear your frustration, the world isn't progressing nearly rapidly enough for me, but I'm trying to keep positive and focus on the people that are changing at a rate that belies the majority. And when governments are actually informed by those people, I take notice.