California overturns ban on same-sex marriage

[Sean]

Originally Posted by gambit

Maybe we gave you some of our God-fearing, gun-toting conservatives in the exchange?

They're probably all in Bakersfield and Orange County.

[dubman]

my dad sent me this hilarious postcard from bakersfield that was nothing but old oil rigs and desert

it is the worst place ever.

[Sean]

Originally Posted by dubman

my dad sent me this hilarious postcard from bakersfield that was nothing but old oil rigs and desert

it is the worst place ever.

They also have cows.

One of my best friends is originally from there, so I've gotten to see some of the better side of Bakersfield too, like some great Basque restaurants, Buck Owen's Crystal Palace, and....um....I think that's it. But they certainly have no shortage of "God-fearing, gun-toting conservatives".

[jOHN rODRIGUEZ]

Originally Posted by Sean

They also have cows.

One of my best friends is originally from there, so I've gotten to see some of the better side of Bakersfield too, like some great Basque restaurants, Buck Owen's Crystal Palace, and....um....I think that's it. But they certainly have no shortage of "God-fearing, gun-toting conservatives".

And I'm sure they're all so sexy thin.

[Deckard]

Is Gordon Brown the first world leader to speak out against Prop 8?

Speaking at a reception held inside Downing Street last Thursday:

"What I saw in America tells me what we have got to do... This Proposition 8 in California, this attempt to undo good that has been done, this attempt to create divorces for 18,000 people who were perfectly legally brought together in partnerships... this is unacceptable and this shows why we have always got to be vigilant, always got to fight homophobic behaviour and any form of discrimination. I want to say to you all, you have broken new ground, you have shown what can be done, you have shown how you can change opinion in our country, you have shown how the legislative process, by your pressure, can respond."

It's all delivered in Brown's usual cack-handed way of course, but the sentiment (from someone who we're to believe is quite religious) should boost the morale of anyone seeking change in this area.

[Sean]

Originally Posted by Deckard

Is Gordon Brown the first world leader to speak out against Prop 8?

Speaking at a reception held inside Downing Street last Thursday:

"What I saw in America tells me what we have got to do... This Proposition 8 in California, this attempt to undo good that has been done, this attempt to create divorces for 18,000 people who were perfectly legally brought together in partnerships... this is unacceptable and this shows why we have always got to be vigilant, always got to fight homophobic behaviour and any form of discrimination. I want to say to you all, you have broken new ground, you have shown what can be done, you have shown how you can change opinion in our country, you have shown how the legislative process, by your pressure, can respond."

Well done Gordon Brown! It'll be interesting to see what the California Supreme Court's ruling on prop 8 is in the coming weeks. I have a feeling they won't overturn it, but who knows?

[Sean]

Well, California should be ashamed of itself, letting Iowa beat it to making same-sex marriage legal. The ruling stated that:

"We are firmly convinced the exclusion of gay and lesbian people from the institution of civil marriage does not substantially further any important governmental objective. The legislature has excluded a historically disfavored class of persons from a supremely important civil institution without a constitutionally sufficient justification."

Big surprise that there were no constitutional grounds for the ban, right? And again with the people I simply don't understand:

Diane Thacker’s eyes filled with tears as the ruling was read to a crowd opposed to gay marriage that had gathered on the north side of the judicial building.

“Sadness,” she whispered. “But I’m prayerful and hopeful that God’s word will stand.”

Thacker said she joined to group “because I believe in the marriage vow. I can’t see it any other way.”

And why doesn't she feel that the "marriage vow" would carry the same meaning for a same-sex couple as it would for an opposite-sex couple? "God's word", I guess.

[Strangelet]

Originally Posted by Sean

Well, California should be ashamed of itself, letting Iowa beat it to making same-sex marriage legal. The ruling stated that:

iowa has the advantage of not being in such close proximity to utah...

[jOHN rODRIGUEZ]

j: [italicks]crying profusely[end italicks] "I don't wanna get married, I don't wanna get married, no, no, no"

[Sean]

Originally Posted by Strangelet

iowa has the advantage of not being in such close proximity to utah...

Very true.

And now Vermont's State House and Senate have both voted to allow same-sex marriage as well. Cheers, Vermont!