The Rights, Responsibilities, and Benefits of Marriage

I recall that (4.00 / 2)

   the mouth-breathers who pushed this vile amendment vehemently denied that they wanted to take benefits away from anyone; they were merely doing God's will in defending the sanctity of marriage.

  Yeah, right. Did anyone really doubt that this was their intention all along? To punish gay people for, well, being gay?

   

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by: happy camper @ Wed May 07, 2008 at 21:34:39 PM CDT

nope... (0.00 / 0)

I never doubted that the Catholic Church in Michigan (the main funders of this terrorism against a minority group) wanted gays to be abolished and extinct.  As such, I avoid giving a penny to any charity that ends up in the hands of Catholic organizations because I do not want to fund the terrorists.  I will never forget.  

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by: jimwhitaker @ Thu May 08, 2008 at 16:50:37 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

In my Chicago suburb... (4.00 / 3)

we called it "ass-backwards!"

Aren't linguistic variations fascinating? I wonder how many miles apart we were in the 'burbs.

But seriously...the rights, responsibilities and benefits of marriage are available to gay and lesbian couples in just one state, Massachusetts. Yet even there, those provisions do not attain federal recognition.

Health benefits are just one goody people link with marriage. Don't forget pensions, inheritance, adoption, community property, hospital visitation and more. It isn't that these things are direct benefits of marriage, but they are customarily provided to married people in order for society to affirm families. So, yes, it seems some Michigan families matter more than others.

Michigan's constitution now enshrines in law heterosexual privilege. Michigan's gay and lesbian families have some tough decisions ahead. Do we love Michigan enough to stay even when the laws discriminate? Even when other more progressive states offer recognition and protection for our families?  My hunch is that, just as in 2004, people will leave. And that will be Michigan's loss.

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by: cew @ Wed May 07, 2008 at 21:51:42 PM CDT

I heard... (0.00 / 0)

"ass-backwards" a lot, too. And for a city whose dialect mangles the English language and is known for its medieval style of politics, city employees are still offered domestic partner benefits.

I can't say I blame LGBT people for leaving Michigan. Unfortunately, the Right has been very successful here in making life difficult for them. It looks like our only hope is for some kind of ballot proposal to undo that marriage amendment.  

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by: rich @ Thu May 08, 2008 at 06:24:09 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Unfortunately (0.00 / 0)

LGBT people leaving Michigan is exactly what these  rightwingassholes want.    

The end of the human race will be that it will eventually die of civilization.

 - Ralph Waldo Emerson

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by: michmark @ Thu May 08, 2008 at 06:42:52 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Adds a whole new meaning to "Pure Michigan" (4.00 / 3)

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by: cew @ Thu May 08, 2008 at 07:07:55 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Greener Pastures (4.00 / 1)

Personally, when my partner is finished with school we are going to be taking a hard look at places we want to live, and right now Michigan is not even on the list.

Especially considering that Canada is right over the border, it is beyond ludicrous that Michigan has become pretty much the worst state in the country in terms of LBGT rights. A certain political block is so reflexively anti-gay that we cannot even pass legislation against bullying for crying out loud.

(Angry venting done...)

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by: boehmianrhapsody @ Thu May 08, 2008 at 06:30:16 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Repeal the amendment soon (4.00 / 1)

while there are still progressives left in the state.  I'm not LGBT but I don't want to live in such a repressive state.  My hope is that one day, Gary Glenn will find out the true intention of God, what real love is, and how we are supposed to care for one another -- regardless.

I might add that Mr. Glenn and others strain my Godliness to the maximum, but if anyone stood in the need of prayer, it's him

hb

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by: hb @ Thu May 08, 2008 at 07:04:30 AM CDT

Repressive AND stupid -- what a combo! (4.00 / 2)

I'm not a lawyer, but it seems to me that if an entity offers health care coverage to cohabiting hetero couples (who have chosen not to marry), how can they legally deny it to cohabiting LGBT couples (who can't get married thanks to a medieval law)?  

Smells like a lawsuit to me...

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by: kelster @ Thu May 08, 2008 at 07:53:46 AM CDT

Sigh. (4.00 / 3)

Yet ANOTHER reason to work harder on the Universal Health Care ballot measure.

Honestly though -- I'd prefer we didn't accumulate any more reasons why we need this amendment.

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by: Buster Vainamoinen @ Thu May 08, 2008 at 08:11:29 AM CDT

Shiny magic time (4.00 / 2)

before that devil's music Rock 'n Roll shoved aside the manly swank of Frank Sinatra, the cool wit of Cole Porter, and the grace and power of composers Aaron Copland and Samuel Barber.

Hate to point this out, but right in the middle there? Cole Porter? Gay gay gay. And interestingly enough, even before women's liberation, both of my grandmothers worked.

So what do we want? A society that addresses reality with reasonable laws? Or a society that tries to recreate an imagined noble past due to fear of something called "relativisim"?

Rome is coming to mind, for some reason.

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by: joanb @ Thu May 08, 2008 at 09:11:10 AM CDT

Gay (4.00 / 2)

So were Aaron Copland Samuel Barber. That was me being ironic.

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by: rich @ Thu May 08, 2008 at 13:38:44 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Irony? (4.00 / 2)

I don't understand what you're talking about. :-)

Sorry, shall not comment before coffee ever again.

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by: joanb @ Thu May 08, 2008 at 14:32:30 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

No worries, Joan! (4.00 / 1)

I'm a member of the Vast Homosexual Conspiracy and I didn't know Aaron Copland was gay (and I still have no idea who Samuel Barber is).

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by: PerfectStormer @ Thu May 08, 2008 at 14:40:19 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Barber... (4.00 / 1)

wrote the opera "Vanessa." His most famous piece of music is "Adagio for Strings." It was played at FDR's funeral. It's also been used in countless movies and for other solemn occasions. It's an incredibly moving piece of music.

Copland wrote "Hoe-Down" for the ballet "Rodeo." It's the music that everyone has heard used in those "Beef, It's what's for dinner" commercials. Which, well, I'll let you all make up your own jokes. ;)

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by: rich @ Thu May 08, 2008 at 14:58:17 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Why We have to Defeat Cliff Taylor (4.00 / 1)

This ruling by the Court is just another example of the legally illogical reasoning of this Supreme Court.  I call them "The Best Court Money Can Buy".

The obvious partisanship is so pervasive that even extremely convservative jurists (Hon. Dan Ryan - U.S. -6th Circuit Ct. of Appeals) has reprimanded this Court for its outcome determinitive rulings.

Lets identify a viable candidate and get behind her/him!!

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by: crimlawpro @ Thu May 08, 2008 at 14:47:34 PM CDT