Just a quick, happy shout out to Iowa (last week) and Vermont (today) for legalizing gay marriage. Â
I actually did a little dance when I heard the news. Â
Hopefully, Iowa’s supreme court ruling will have a positive influence on California’s….  who should be making their ruling very soon, I believe.   Does this give you hope, my dear gay friends and family?
Bit by bit, this nation is becoming enlightened.  Which states do you think will be next?
Oh happy day!
I saw this today on the news! Wonderful.
I’m quite sure it will be Utah…I just have a funny feeling. I’ve been wrong before though. This is feeling better and better. The fact that the decision by the Supreme Court in Iowa was unanimous was thrilling. From what I’ve heard and read California’s Supreme Court has already made up their mind but it doesn’t hurt to have state after state falling in line. It will happen sooner than later everywhere.
Even in Utah.
Last week Iowa and Sweden (and Sweden, five months after Norway legalized it)… This week Vermont. Next week, hopefully New Hampshire. Their Senate or House has passed a marriage bill, and the other chamber is expected to. The question in NH, as in Vermont, is the Governor. He feels civil unions are sufficient. A Democrat, no less.
Maine in the next month or two. Hopefully. Rhode Island as soon as the current governor’s term is up. He is the ONLY reason Rhode Island hasn’t legalized marriage. But maybe Vermont will put an idea into the minds of the legislators there.
I still hope California’s judges do right by us. But from their questioning it is clear that is not likely. This is why Supreme Court judges should be appointed rather than elected. In California the judges have to run for office of the Supreme court. Therefore, they are ‘answerable to the people,’ instead of beholding only to the constitution. When they have to be elected, they become nothing more than politicians. They have been threatened by the right with recall if they vote to uphold what they declared last spring. And it is obvious in their statements the day they took oral arguments that they are not maintaining the positions they took last spring. I still hope they will do the right thing, but I don’t believe they have the political courage to do it.
What states after Vermont? I think New Hampshire.. then Maine or New Jersey. New York is close. I hope Iowa and a year or two will pull Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois into it. All traditionally liberal states.
Utah I expect to be last. And only when the Congress or the Supreme court forces it on them (as is appropriate). But it will come there, and when it does, I hope they hold gay marriages outside across the street from the stupid Church Office Building to rub it in their prejudiced noses.. The couples can have their wedding photos taken with the Temple behind them, not as a token of some mythical eternal union (a really bizarre concept now that I’ve had 20 years of a clear head to think about it)…. but a token of standing up to bigotry and perserverance.
I was not expecting Vermont to pass it today. I did not think they could sway five representatives who voted against marriage equality last week – to vote for it today. I went into the break room around 4pm and it was on the news. Gave me a major rush… : )
I was especially happy the vote of the Iowa Supreme court was unanimous. And today, I was so encouraged that the President of the Iowa Senate, and the Speaker of the Iowa House held a joint news conference applauding the ruling and stating they would not allow any motion of any amendment undoing it to be voted upon.
In Iowa and Vermont, an amendment has to pass both chambers of the state legislature twice before it can go before the ‘people’ for a vote. It won’t advance in Iowa. And it’s highly unlikely the legislators in Vermont will pass an amendment twice so the bigots in Vermont can vote to undo equality after what they did today.
It’s over in those states. I can only hope the Mormons spent a ton of money there so they can now enjoy having lost so much of it.
I’m channeling Oregon. We need a western state.
If California tosses Prop 8, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii will all pass marriage bills within 5 to 10 years. I’m sure of it.
New Mexico and Colorado will likely go for Civil unions in that time…
Well the Iowa governor has now come out against amending the state’s constitution…. so I think that truly ends it there. In Massachusetts, none of the state representatives who voted to prevent an amendment from going to the people were voted out of office as a result. Though plenty of those who tried to push an amendment through did lose their seats. Contrary to the threats made by the right to legislators who vote to protect marriage equality, there is no evidence the voters will ‘punish’ them for voting for equality. I think while many people oppose gay marriage for their own personal religious reasons – they grudgingly accept it when a court or a legislator vote for equality because, well… this is still America.
The news today had an article on whether Iowa’s decision will influence the Supreme Court in California. It would be nice if it did, but I think that is wishful thinking. They have to decide whether California voters had the right to take away rights based on California’s laws, and I doubt the ruling of another state will play any part in their decision. Especially if they are inclined to support Prop 8 for their own political reasons…
I just am hoping the psychic I went to last spring was correct when she went into her little trans and told me gay marriage ‘would stand’ in California. I mean, she told me I’d have major dental problems this year and I’ve never had any dental problems in my entire life. I sort of laughed that off… Now a year later with 3 root canals and one extraction, and about 8 fillings that have come out and had to be replaced…. I’m thinking she was dead on about that. And that lends her some legitimacy in my mind. I’m just hoping it means she was right about marriage in California too.. : )
I wish it were going to be Oregon. Someday we hope to move there. We’re currently in Vermont and planning to marry this fall after 19 years of love and growth.
New Hampshire may be next. The discussion is certainly alive in the legislature.
But I wish the feds would get with the program. I just read an article in Newsweek about a family about to be split up because of the deportation of one of the women. If they were straight, they could simply marry, and voila, problem would be over. What they are going through is so WRONG.
Anyway, thanks for this post.
Welcome Lulu – and congrats. As I mentioned on your blog, I’m delighted when I hear of long time partners finally getting the opportunity to wed (if thy so choose).
BTW – I love your blog… stopped by and thought, “great – just when I was committing myself to spend LESS time at the computer, there’s another blog I just HAVE to follow!” LOL….