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Maine Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage

A

andy9o

Senior member
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITI...ex.marriage/index.html

(CNN) -- Same-sex marriage became legal in Maine on Wednesday as Gov. John Baldacci signed a bill less than an hour after the state legislature approved it.
Maine Gov. John Baldacci signed a bill Wednesday legalizing same-sex marriage.

"I have come to believe that this is a question of fairness and of equal protection under the law and that a civil union is not equal to civil marriage," said Baldacci, a Democrat.

But he raised the possibility that the residents of the state would overturn the law, saying, "Just as the Maine Constitution demands that all people are treated equally under the law, it also guarantees that the ultimate political power in the State belongs to the people."

Three other states -- Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa -- allow same-sex marriages. Vermont has passed a law making gay and lesbian marriages legal that takes effect in September. New Hampshire lawmakers are close to passing a similar bill.

On Tuesday, the Washington City Council voted to recognize same-sex marriages from states that allow those unions. Mayor Adrian Fenty has indicated that he will sign the measure. It will become law if Congress fails to overturn the measure during a 30-day review period.

A slim majority of Americans are against legal recognition for same-sex marriage, CNN polling found last month.

Fifty-four percent of adults questioned in an April 23-26 nationwide CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll said that marriages between gay or lesbian couples should not be recognized as valid, while 44 percent said they should be considered legal.

The survey's sampling error was plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Click to expand...

I agree with the governor, that separation cannot be legal. Even among the "liberal" parties politicians, not many get this.
 
Originally posted by: andy9o
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITI...ex.marriage/index.html

(CNN) -- Same-sex marriage became legal in Maine on Wednesday as Gov. John Baldacci signed a bill less than an hour after the state legislature approved it.
Maine Gov. John Baldacci signed a bill Wednesday legalizing same-sex marriage.

"I have come to believe that this is a question of fairness and of equal protection under the law and that a civil union is not equal to civil marriage," said Baldacci, a Democrat.

But he raised the possibility that the residents of the state would overturn the law, saying, "Just as the Maine Constitution demands that all people are treated equally under the law, it also guarantees that the ultimate political power in the State belongs to the people."

Three other states -- Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa -- allow same-sex marriages. Vermont has passed a law making gay and lesbian marriages legal that takes effect in September. New Hampshire lawmakers are close to passing a similar bill.

On Tuesday, the Washington City Council voted to recognize same-sex marriages from states that allow those unions. Mayor Adrian Fenty has indicated that he will sign the measure. It will become law if Congress fails to overturn the measure during a 30-day review period.

A slim majority of Americans are against legal recognition for same-sex marriage, CNN polling found last month.

Fifty-four percent of adults questioned in an April 23-26 nationwide CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll said that marriages between gay or lesbian couples should not be recognized as valid, while 44 percent said they should be considered legal.

The survey's sampling error was plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Click to expand...

I agree with the governor, that separation cannot be legal. Even among the "liberal" parties politicians, not many get this.
Click to expand...

Depends on your definition of marriage. I see it as between a man and a woman....

But I see being "gay" as a genetic disorder. You are born that way, and it's something that is phsically wrong with you, not a choice by anymeans. Doesn't mean we should support that way of life as normal.
 
Originally posted by: Mackie2k
Originally posted by: andy9o
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITI...ex.marriage/index.html

(CNN) -- Same-sex marriage became legal in Maine on Wednesday as Gov. John Baldacci signed a bill less than an hour after the state legislature approved it.
Maine Gov. John Baldacci signed a bill Wednesday legalizing same-sex marriage.

"I have come to believe that this is a question of fairness and of equal protection under the law and that a civil union is not equal to civil marriage," said Baldacci, a Democrat.

But he raised the possibility that the residents of the state would overturn the law, saying, "Just as the Maine Constitution demands that all people are treated equally under the law, it also guarantees that the ultimate political power in the State belongs to the people."

Three other states -- Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa -- allow same-sex marriages. Vermont has passed a law making gay and lesbian marriages legal that takes effect in September. New Hampshire lawmakers are close to passing a similar bill.

On Tuesday, the Washington City Council voted to recognize same-sex marriages from states that allow those unions. Mayor Adrian Fenty has indicated that he will sign the measure. It will become law if Congress fails to overturn the measure during a 30-day review period.

A slim majority of Americans are against legal recognition for same-sex marriage, CNN polling found last month.

Fifty-four percent of adults questioned in an April 23-26 nationwide CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll said that marriages between gay or lesbian couples should not be recognized as valid, while 44 percent said they should be considered legal.

The survey's sampling error was plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Click to expand...

I agree with the governor, that separation cannot be legal. Even among the "liberal" parties politicians, not many get this.
Click to expand...

Depends on your definition of marriage. I see it as between a man and a woman....

But I see being "gay" as a genetic disorder. You are born that way, and it's something that is phsically wrong with you, not a choice by anymeans. Doesn't mean we should support that way of life as normal.
Click to expand...

Good thing your definition of marriage doesn't matter, and your view of homosexuality is irrelevant.
 
Originally posted by: Mackie2k

Depends on your definition of marriage. I see it as between a man and a woman....

But I see being "gay" as a genetic disorder. You are born that way, and it's something that is phsically wrong with you, not a choice by anymeans. Doesn't mean we should support that way of life as normal.
Click to expand...

I hope you have a hefty flame suit today.... 😀
 
Originally posted by: n yusef
Originally posted by: Mackie2k
Originally posted by: andy9o
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITI...ex.marriage/index.html

I agree with the governor, that separation cannot be legal. Even among the "liberal" parties politicians, not many get this.
Click to expand...

Depends on your definition of marriage. I see it as between a man and a woman....

But I see being "gay" as a genetic disorder. You are born that way, and it's something that is phsically wrong with you, not a choice by anymeans. Doesn't mean we should support that way of life as normal.
Click to expand...

Good thing your definition of marriage doesn't matter, and your view of homosexuality is irrelevant.
Click to expand...

So, you agree with most that homosexuality is not a choice, but, think they should be second-class citizens? I guess I'm a little confused as to what you would have them do then? Sit at the back of the bus?
 
Although I disagree with changing the definition of marriage, I won't argue with a statute if it is passed by their legislature. The will of the people of Maine prevails, it seems...
 
Originally posted by: andy9o
Originally posted by: n yusef
Originally posted by: Mackie2k
Originally posted by: andy9o
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITI...ex.marriage/index.html

I agree with the governor, that separation cannot be legal. Even among the "liberal" parties politicians, not many get this.
Click to expand...

Depends on your definition of marriage. I see it as between a man and a woman....

But I see being "gay" as a genetic disorder. You are born that way, and it's something that is phsically wrong with you, not a choice by anymeans. Doesn't mean we should support that way of life as normal.
Click to expand...

Good thing your definition of marriage doesn't matter, and your view of homosexuality is irrelevant.
Click to expand...

So, you agree with most that homosexuality is not a choice, but, think they should be second-class citizens? I guess I'm a little confused as to what you would have them do then? Sit at the back of the bus?
Click to expand...

Sorry if you misunderstood. I'm strongly pro-gay rights.

Many people write things like "I think marriage [blah blah blah]" or "I think homosexuality is [blah blah blah]," like the law should be based on their uninformed opinion. It's narcissistic to make every issue about you, or to assume that the law must reflect your personal morality.

My point was that there are more important things than some guy on the internet who has never met a gay person's opinion.
 
I saw recently (no link right now) that the District of Columbia was going to recognize SS marriage from the states. Don't remember if they were legalizing the procedure in the District though.
 
Originally posted by: Mackie2k
Depends on your definition of marriage. I see it as between a man and a woman....

But I see being "gay" as a genetic disorder. You are born that way, and it's something that is phsically wrong with you, not a choice by anymeans. Doesn't mean we should support that way of life as normal.
Click to expand...

White supremacists see being born black as a genetic inferiority too. Societal norms moved in the opposite direction. We used to think schizophrenia was demonic possession. But we learn, we grow and adapt. Some of us do anyway. Some buy sheets and cut holes in them.
 
Listening to the morning show on the way to work this morning they were discussing the gay marriage vote by the city council in Washington. This bit is hilarious:

The council first voted unanimously and without debate to approve the bill, but Marion Barry, a council member and former mayor, said he misunderstood the measure and requested another vote. He then voted against it.He called it an "agonizing and difficult decision," according to The Associated Press, and one that he arrived at after consulting ministers. A call to Mr. Barry?s office for comment was not immediately returned.

According to The Washington Post, he later told reporters: ?All hell is going to break lose. We may have a civil war. The black community is just adament against this.?
Click to expand...

Good old Marion Berry. I wonder if comedy writers contribute to his campaign fund just to keep him around.
 
Originally posted by: Mackie2k

But I see being "gay" as a genetic disorder. You are born that way, and it's something that is phsically wrong with you, not a choice by anymeans.
Click to expand...

There's a hell of a lot of them, and they live, eat, sleep, breathe and have functional lives like the rest of the human race. Who the fsck are you to say they have a "disorder" or they're not within the range of "normal" human behavior?

Doesn't mean we should support that way of life as normal.
Click to expand...

No one is demanding that you should join "their way of life," but you're in no position to impose your choices on them or penalize them for theirs, either. If you support the Constitution, you should support allowing others their own peaceful choices about the way they live their lives.

Originally posted by: jman19

:thumbsup: for civil rights
Click to expand...

+1 :thumbsup:
 
Originally posted by: Harvey
No one is demanding that you should join "their way of life," but you're in no position to impose your choices on them or penalize them for theirs, either. If you support the Constitution, you should support allowing others their own peaceful choices about the way they live their lives.
Click to expand...

Unless they choose to smoke, eh?
 
This is a fantastic bill. Not only does it recognize the rights of same-sex couples, but it also has a provision explicitly protecting churches and other religious institutions that refuse to perform ceremonies for same-sex couples. It protects the rights of people on both sides of the debate and I believe that it is an admirable bill that should be used as a model for the remainder of the states.

ZV
 
Originally posted by: BoberFett
Listening to the morning show on the way to work this morning they were discussing the gay marriage vote by the city council in Washington. This bit is hilarious:

The council first voted unanimously and without debate to approve the bill, but Marion Barry, a council member and former mayor, said he misunderstood the measure and requested another vote. He then voted against it.He called it an "agonizing and difficult decision," according to The Associated Press, and one that he arrived at after consulting ministers. A call to Mr. Barry?s office for comment was not immediately returned.

According to The Washington Post, he later told reporters: ?All hell is going to break lose. We may have a civil war. The black community is just adament against this.?
Click to expand...

Good old Marion Berry. I wonder if comedy writers contribute to his campaign fund just to keep him around.
Click to expand...

"I'm sorry, I was high on crack the first time we voted and thought we were voting on lunch."
 
Originally posted by: BoberFett

Originally posted by: Harvey
No one is demanding that you should join "their way of life," but you're in no position to impose your choices on them or penalize them for theirs, either. If you support the Constitution, you should support allowing others their own peaceful choices about the way they live their lives.
Click to expand...

Unless they choose to smoke, eh?
Click to expand...

Irrelevant, non-sequiter bullshit. What smokers do to themselves in their own space is tragic, but it's their own self-destructive tragedy. When they smoke in public, they pollute the public environment with carcinogens and other toxins.

Are you afraid of catching "teh gay" from them simply because they're in public... or are you lamenting that it already happened to you? :Q :laugh:
 
Originally posted by: Harvey
Originally posted by: BoberFett

Originally posted by: Harvey
No one is demanding that you should join "their way of life," but you're in no position to impose your choices on them or penalize them for theirs, either. If you support the Constitution, you should support allowing others their own peaceful choices about the way they live their lives.
Click to expand...

Unless they choose to smoke, eh?
Click to expand...

Irrelevant, non-sequiter bullshit. What smokers do to themselves in their own space is tragic, but it's their own self-destructive tragedy. When they smoke in public, they pollute the public environment with carcinogens and other toxins.

Are you afraid of catching "teh gay" from them simply because they're in public... or are you lamenting that it already happened to you? :Q :laugh:
Click to expand...

In a properly ventilated area secondhand smoke is no more dangerous than dry-erase marker fumes.

The chemicals in secondhand smoke are already regulated by OSHA and studies, including a study by the American Cancer Society, have repeatedly found that, in real-world environments in which smoking is permitted, the levels of chemicals from secondhand smoke are well below the OSHA "safe" level guidelines. Links in this article.

But that's not really relevant to this thread so I will simply congratulate Maine once again for actually handling the same-sex marriage issue with intelligence and common sense.

ZV
 
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