Yep. I have a friend whose mother in Ohio had her and her partner's already existing legal rights (insurance, hospital visitation, etc.) revoked by the referendum. So, when Bush goes on television and states that he's in favor of allowing civil unions, you can take that as seriously as when he stated that he was only going to war in Iraq as a last resort.
I knew, as I voted in one of those states and live in another. What Drum misses is that it's a stunt. Louisiana passed their anti-homosexual civil union amendment several weeks before the election, and it was challenged and declared unconstiutional in a couple weeks' time. The anti-homosexual marriage laws are the actual troublesome ones, because they are not likely to be declared unconstitutional.
The challenge is going to be the PR while overturning these things. Will the conservative media machine win, and this will be cast in the terms of the national gay agenda using activist judges to overturn the will of the people, or will the democratic media machine get its shit together and make some noise about the civil union deal?
I still don't understand the difference between marriage and civil unions. My wedding was officated by a judge in a hotel. Is that marriage, or a civil union?
Yep. I have a friend whose mother in Ohio had her and her partner's already existing legal rights (insurance, hospital visitation, etc.) revoked by the referendum. So, when Bush goes on television and states that he's in favor of allowing civil unions, you can take that as seriously as when he stated that he was only going to war in Iraq as a last resort.
Posted by apostropher | Link to this comment | 11-19-04 10:54 AM
I knew, as I voted in one of those states and live in another. What Drum misses is that it's a stunt. Louisiana passed their anti-homosexual civil union amendment several weeks before the election, and it was challenged and declared unconstiutional in a couple weeks' time. The anti-homosexual marriage laws are the actual troublesome ones, because they are not likely to be declared unconstitutional.
The challenge is going to be the PR while overturning these things. Will the conservative media machine win, and this will be cast in the terms of the national gay agenda using activist judges to overturn the will of the people, or will the democratic media machine get its shit together and make some noise about the civil union deal?
Posted by Michael | Link to this comment | 11-19-04 1:15 PM
I still don't understand the difference between marriage and civil unions. My wedding was officated by a judge in a hotel. Is that marriage, or a civil union?
Posted by Julie O. | Link to this comment | 11-19-04 8:48 PM