Within the past two weeks my home state of NY made me very proud by announcing that it would legally honor gay marriages as valid from other countries, i.e. Canada. What a great day! Absolutely! Just like a Canadian couple who decided to move to the US would have their marriage honored, or a couple from another country coming here, or even if we took two native New Yorkers who wanted to be married in Europe - we would honor all of those marriages. And now we would recognize two people of the same sex with valid marriages as well! WOOHOO! So my partner and I will have our ceremony here with our friends and family and will go get the legal document from Canada - we can finally be recognized!
Yeah, well, recognized until our county head honcho Maggie Brooks decided that she was going to challenge any gay couple happily bringing back their marriage licenses and say that they're not valid. Her public spokesperson said that the appellate division, in essence, made a mistake and Monroe County wasn't going to legally abide by their decision. But make no mistake! This WAS NOT a moral discrepancy. By honoring legal contracts made in Canada or elsewhere, this was going to pose a problem to the tax payers of Rochester; but how? This was going to be a problem for tax payers - except 50% of NYS is PRO gay marriage - and last I knew those 50% paid taxes too.
I can't understand why allowing homosexuals to marry is such a terrible thing. Why is Britney Spears allowed to honor the sacred act for less than 24 hours before divorcing while we'll spend our whole lifetime with one person and it won't count for rat crap? If this ISN'T a moral judgement call - where's the problem? There is none - THAT'S the problem - fear, ignorance and hatred are just in the way and some people who claim to be Christian and are carrying out the work of God really aren't. And politicians are afraid of losing their jobs or not getting reelected. And then there are those that just hate us and don't want to see us do anything but suffer and get off the planet.
"Imagine all the people, living life in peace...." if only, John, if only...
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If it is not overturned, I wonder what effect this will have on immigration? I know a lot of people who have had to leave the country because their visa expired, and they can't marry their partners. Then, in some cases, the immigration laws of their country keep their partner from following them out of the U.S., so they are effectively FORCED to end the relationship. It's awful.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
Wow - doesn't that just seem so backwards from the American Dream and the whole, "all men are created equal" and right to pursuit of, "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness"??? I didn't know (or think of) immigration and how that would be effected. Why can't people just be people?
But then again, we're also working very hard in New Delhi to sell American made arms to India - we don't have time to focus on immorality...
Is it just me or does anyone else think we're going to sell another country the arms that are going to blow us up?
Pessimistic, I know.
"drink from that wishing well but may it never quench your thirst" - Indigo Girls
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/flnerd
I don' t even really know what to say. I believe that love is sacred and special and however it happens upon you, it should be allowed to happen. I don't quite understand exactly what is going on with New York, because it seems to me that if the state made it legal then one county shouldn't be able to make it illegal, but then again I am reminded of the fact that my one city has banned alcohol. Which, isn't the same thing, but at least helps me realize how smaller government can outrule larger.
I'm angry for you, I wish that people could get over their hate and anger and allow you to enjoy your life and happiness. Until it does, I know I'll keep arguing for the right for people to marry who they want and you should to. Just don't forget to enjoy what you're fighting for while you're at it. :)
Thank you so much for the comment! That's really nice of you to speak up and voice your opinion - thank you. My colleague at work pointed out that single people receive more tax breaks than married people so she's not sure why the gov't would want to give out that extra money to us homos who can't marry - I thought it was a great point m'own self :)
I understand where you're coming from w/the alcohol reference - that's very interesting to me that they made your town 'dry' - why is that?
- my name is Liz too!
"drink from that wishing well but may it never quench your thirst" - Indigo Girls
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/flnerd
Ahh, I think they made it dry because it's a repressed little Baptist town... one of the main reasons I am not pro-leaving things up to the state's because I believe it would take forever for the state I live in to be progressive enough to accept love as it is. I mean, they manage to still get offended by interracial marriage on a regular basis.
I wish that I was in fact joking or being silly, but it does have to do with the high concentration of churches and religious groups and we live in an area where they can manage to govern on some level. Like, when Brokeback Mountain came out, it actually came out late in my area, because the church groups revolted and attempted to not let it in. At other times, some movies they did manage to completely refuse to allow in. It's a common thing in the South, or at least my state, unfortunately.
But, we're not all silly people who don't accept change and beauty and life.
They've fought several times to change the laws about alchol in my city (which is a small city) because its actually hard to grow very much without allowing alcohol into your town. I know that sounds silly, but its true. Good restaurants won't come into a town that won't allow them to at least serve like wine or something and thus, business places and convention centers, etc. don't follow.
Alas, stuck in small town USA. Well, not really, because I don't intend to stay in small town, USA. I'd much rather go to somewhere exciting like NY, London, Chicago. But, as you so graciously point out, they all have their problems.
Wow - thank you so much for sharing your story. I find the stereotype of the South very interesting - how it's seen as so blue color white male Christian pure... I very much subscribe to the wonders of the South, the peach trees, the home cookin', the rocking chairs on the porch and lemonade or mid day ice tea - but of course all of those positive ideals are stereotypes too.
I find your small town interesting. What strikes me is that while I see no problem with interracial marriages (clearly), they believe in their hearts that it really is something horrific. It sounds like you're saying the church puts it there, but I also believe in love which comes from my religious upbringing.
And I would have never put 2 and 2 together regarding bringing other businesses in, or rather keeping them out, because of no alcohol laws.
Thank you so much for sharing!
"drink from that wishing well but may it never quench your thirst" - Indigo Girls
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/flnerd
I think many states need to follow the decision of NY. Like you said there isn't much harm in the decision.