Timing Is The Only Thing
At this point, Gray Davis would sign legislation allowing oysters the right to drive semis. (Wait, can oysters vote?) Gays and lesbians can. Which is why, as Daniel Weintraub writes:
Gov. Gray Davis has promised to sign landmark legislation granting marriage-style rights, benefits and responsibilities to gay and lesbian domestic partners, according to a gay rights activist who participated in a conference call with a top aide to the governor on Saturday.The gay rights bill is at least the third controversial measure that Davis has promised to sign since he came under fire in the recall. He also said he would sign a bill to give driverís licenses to illegal immigrants, and another measure expanding financial privacy protections for consumers. In the past, Davis has almost never agreed to sign legislation before it reached his desk.
Great that heís signing it -- even if it isn't because he has anything resemblng a spine, let alone an opinion that didnít come from rent-a-pollster.
I was telling my mom the other day that I don't understand why politicians still bring up the abortion debate. Certainly, abortion is legal, and it will never be made illegal again, so I'm glad that there's not a whole lot of that talk going on. But...the whole gay marriage thing also seems to be going the way of the dodo. I argued that if they ban gay marriages, they should ban divorces and bring about an entire fundamentalist regime...I don't konw if she agreed with that, but we both concluded that everyone should have the right to marry. I don't know how long it will take for the bill to get passed, but I hope it's before next year when my good friend is having a committment ceremony with her SO.
Clarkified at August 17, 2003 10:25 AM
I'm indifferent to the subject of "gay marriage." Quite frankly, I'm convinced it will never happen. I can enter a union of my own with the man I love. With a little legal paperwork, I can get most things that married couples have. I can even "incorporate," like a business. In which case, all assets are liquidated and divided evenly. Besides, Don and I are pretty much happy with our own separate spaces with each having our own keys to the other space. He's free to spend all the time he likes here and vice versa. We thought about moving in together, but then I got to thinking "why?" The arrangement we have works for us. Why change it if it doesn't need it?
If a bunch of puritanical hypocrites are so hypersensitive about ownership of the word "marriage," they can keep it. Based upon what they are doing with it, it doesn't sound like anything worth having anyway.
California's vascillations regarding the subject of gay marriage are, at least, entertaining to watch. Anyone else remember Prop 22? Now, all of a sudden they're just gung ho to have it legalized. Fickle state, isn't it?
Patrick at August 17, 2003 3:01 PM
"ho" being the operative word in the sudden advanced level of gungness.
Amy Alkon at August 17, 2003 6:20 PM