Vermont Legislature Overrides Gov's Veto On Same-Sex Marriage!

[jayjay]

This happened about 10 minutes ago! The Vermont legislature, Senate and House, has overridden Gov. Douglas's veto on the same-sex marriage law!

The vote in the House was 100-46. It was expected to be close to the margin, and it was...they needed 100 votes to override.

So, what does this portend? Two states within the same week approving same-sex marriage by two different methods (judicial and legislative), both (I'm sure) are going to have to fight off state constitutional amendment attempts by disgruntled neanderthals.

Is this the year we'll look back on and consider "the crack in the dam"? Are we gaining momentum? Or will the forces of darkness be energized by this and gather force to drown us in archaic stupidity again*?





*Why, no...I'm not biased against the troglodytes at all...

[Uthrecht]

That's pretty awesome. I believe it's a good sign when state legislatures can start to push the tide like that. Hopefully it'll keep going.

[EJsGirl]

I love Vermont! And Iowa! Dammit, California, GET ON THE BUS!!!

[Fenris]

And this is exactly the way it should be done--via the legislature. Woo-fuckin'-hoo!

Three cheers and a tiger for Vermont.

Now I have to go out and buy some maple syrup or something to support them.

[Australopithecus]

Awesome! I'm totally thrilled to see this happen through legislative action! But...

Originally Posted by Fenris

And this is exactly the way it should be done--via the legislature.

I also fully believe that some legislatures won't be getting around to this in the near future (I'm looking at you, south), so if we see a SCOTUS ruling that equal protection applies to gay marriage a couple decades hence, I'll agree that that should happen too.

[The Second Stone]

oh noes! I will have to marry a lesbian now? Or a gay man. I wanna stay single!

[hajario]

Maybe the tide is turning. I was devastated by Prop 8 and hope it can be reversed by a vote of the people in another year or so. I live in one of the most gay friendly cities in the State, by the way. Santa Barbara County was the only county outside of the SF Bay Area to vote down Prop 8 and the City of SB was overwhelmingly against it. I have a number of gay friends in town and all of them have told me that they've never experienced prejudice here. What the fuck is with the rest of my State?

Anyway, good for the VT legislature. They did a heroic thing. Do any other States have something like this on their agenda?

[EJsGirl]

Originally Posted by The Second Stone

oh noes! I will have to marry a lesbian now? Or a gay man. I wanna stay single!

Oh, not just ONE gay man! You'll have to marry several, plus mix in some bestiality as well! And that's just the beginning!

[jayjay]

Originally Posted by hajario

Do any other States have something like this on their agenda?

New Hampshire has a bill making its way through the legislature right now. And I've heard whispers about Maine, but don't know anything substantial.

[Illuminati Primus]

Originally Posted by EJsGirl

Oh, not just ONE gay man! You'll have to marry several, plus mix in some bestiality as well! And that's just the beginning!

And that's just to get you ready for the harem of children.

Encouraging step in the right direction it seems, but given what has happened in California I wouldn't recommend anyone starts booking their big gay day quite yet.

Oh, any movement on the whole nullifying the SSMs that were conducted in Cali whilst it was (briefly) legal? Or have the SSM opponents realised that that isn't a vote winner?

[Agent Starling]

We are working hard here in Michigan to get our fatass legislators to take notice. Sometimes it feels like a losing battle and I wonder if I will see it happen in my lifetime in this state. Then I remember that much of Michigan is battling just to keep jobs and homes, and it all gets put back into perspective for me.

That is not to say that I am okay with having rights withheld from gays and lesbians that are not withheld from the rest of society. I am saying that I can wait a little longer if it means the entire population of Michigan can worry less about unemployment and housing.

[freudian_slip]

Yay Vermont! But, it's not entirely surprising - including Douglas' performance.

There were nice things about living there - even in the "redneck" part of the state, they were far more enlightened/tolerant than my experiences in the South.


(wondering if my civil union will get "upgraded" )

[Detroit Hoser]

Originally Posted by Agent Starling

We are working hard here in Michigan to get our fatass legislators to take notice. Sometimes it feels like a losing battle and I wonder if I will see it happen in my lifetime in this state. Then I remember that much of Michigan is battling just to keep jobs and homes, and it all gets put back into perspective for me.

That is not to say that I am okay with having rights withheld from gays and lesbians that are not withheld from the rest of society. I am saying that I can wait a little longer if it means the entire population of Michigan can worry less about unemployment and housing.

Sorry darling, but I call "bullshit" on this. They get paid to juggle more than one problem at a time. You can cut them slack if you want, and yeah, our economy sucks hugely right now, but they weren't voted into office because they were single-minded and incapable of walking and chewing gum. Fuck that. They should have been working on civil unions for the whole of society way before our economy plugged up the toilet and overflowed onto the bathroom floor.

(But you're still cooking dinner for me tonight, right?)

[susan]

(wondering if my civil union will get "upgraded" )

A fine question--and will they continue to offer both, since some places may recognize one but not the other? We married in Massachusetts, so our Vermont civil union can't be upgraded, anyway.