California Supreme Court strikes down the state's ban on same-sex marriage as unconst

[smokethedays]

In the news today.
Congrats my homo friends

[QuieTSToRM33]

Awesome.

[spywizard]

congrats.. now your domestic partner can take 50% of everything you have..

welcome to our pain..

[StoneGRMI]

That's gay!


Get it? haaaaaa...

[Carlos_E]

congrats.. now your domestic partner can take 50% of everything you have..

welcome to our pain..

We consider it a privilege. Will treat the institution of marriage with more respect.

[spywizard]

We consider it a privilege. Will treat the institution of marriage with more respect.

I hope so..

tell me carlos what is the average # of relationships (committed) that a gay man will be in on average??

never mind, don't even try it.. My brother is gay and has been all his life, i don't think it will be all you hope it will be.. but i think gays as a general rule do have different expectations then men/women when it comes to commitment and their vows..

Remember "words do mean something"

[rockinred]

hmmm, interesting... I wonder what kind of impact that will bring to our rising medical costs from the insurance companies???

[Carlos_E]

I hope so..

tell me carlos what is the average # of relationships (committed) that a gay man will be in on average??

I can only speak for me. I'm very picky when it comes to dating. I've been in a 7 year and 5 year relationship. I know guys who have been together 11 years and another couple 16 +.

When I meet the right guy I will get married. My brother said he'd be my best man.

Lesbians have a reputation to mate for life. They meet, hook up, then move in together the following week, then stay together 20 + years.

[kfrost06]

God Help Us!!!

[Carlos_E]

God Help Us!!!

The Sky Is Falling! The Sky Is Falling!

[kfrost06]

I wonder if prisoners can now demand a wedding with their cellmate? Why not?

[kfrost06]

The Sky Is Falling! The Sky Is Falling!

For once, we agree!

[Carlos_E]

For once, we agree!

I'll save a seat for you at my wedding.

[smokethedays]

i'm hitting sunset blvd tomorrow to watch, I bit it's gonna be fun

[spywizard]

I can only speak for me. I'm very picky when it comes to dating. I've been in a 7 year and 5 year relationship. I know guys who have been together 11 years and another couple 16 +.

When I meet the right guy I will get married. My brother said he'd be my best man.

Lesbians have a reputation to mate for life. They meet, hook up, then move in together the following week, then stay together 20 + years.

that's a damn honest answer.. thanks, and those #'s hold true as what i am told and see with my brother and his friends, they are in the atlanta area..

when it comes to relationships however, the right to party while you are away on business and the spouse that is still at home has to take it (look the other way) that is one of the things that is different in the commitments.

And it appears that one partner refusing sex with the other parter is not limited to hetro relationships.. like i always tell guys (str8) if she won't sleep with you, there are plenty of women that will .... same is true in the gay community.

thanks again for the honest answer..

[Carlos_E]

when it comes to relationships however, the right to party while you are away on business and the spouse that is still at home has to take it (look the other way) that is one of the things that is different in the commitments.

Umm... that doesn't fly with me. I believe in monogamy and commitment. What you described is considered an open relationship. Like straight swingers.

I and the guys I date don't do open relationships. Cheating is cheating in my book.

[inky-e]

The Sky Is Falling! The Sky Is Falling!

^^^ no, the earth is rising

[spywizard]

I agree.. and kissing is cheating..

Umm... that doesn't fly with me. I believe in monogamy and commitment. What you described is considered an open relationship. Like straight swingers.

I and the guys I date don't do open relationships. Cheating is cheating in my book.

[paulzane]

Welcome to Sodom and Gomorrah .... the end of the world as we know it!!

[Carlos_E]

Welcome to Sodom and Gomorrah .... the end of the world as we know it!!

Don't forget your tin foil hat!

[Carlos_E]

From the ruling:

After carefully evaluating the pertinent considerations in the present case, we conclude that the state interest in limiting the designation of marriage exclusively to opposite-sex couples, and in excluding same-sex couples from access to that designation, cannot properly be considered a compelling state interest for equal protection purposes.

To begin with, the limitation clearly is not necessary to preserve the rights and benefits of marriage currently enjoyed by opposite-sex couples. Extending access to the designation of marriage to same-sex couples will not deprive any opposite-sex couple or their children of any of the rights and benefits conferred by the marriage statutes, but simply will make the benefit of the marriage designation available to same-sex couples and their children. ...

While retention of the limitation of marriage to opposite-sex couples is not needed to preserve the rights and benefits of opposite-sex couples, the exclusion of same-sex couples from the designation of marriage works a real and appreciable harm upon same-sex couples and their children. As discussed above, because of the long and celebrated history of the term "marriage" and the widespread understanding that this word describes a family relationship unreservedly sanctioned by the community, the statutory provisions that continue to limit access to this designation exclusively to opposite-sex couples — while providing only a novel, alternative institution for same-sex couples — likely will be viewed as an official statement that the family relationship of same-sex couples is not of comparable stature or equal dignity to the family relationship of opposite-sex couples.

Furthermore, because of the historic disparagement of gay persons, the retention of a distinction in nomenclature by which the term "marriage" is withheld only from the family relationship of same-sex couples is all the more likely to cause the new parallel institution that has been established for same-sex couples to be considered a mark of second-class citizenship.

Finally, in addition to the potential harm flowing from the lesser stature that is likely to be afforded to the family relationships of same-sex couples by designating them domestic partnerships, there exists a substantial risk that a judicial decision upholding the differential treatment of opposite-sex and same-sex couples would be understood as validating a more general proposition that our state by now has repudiated: that it is permissible, under the law, for society to treat gay individuals and same-sex couples differently from, and less favorably than, heterosexual individuals and opposite-sex couples.

In light of all of these circumstances we conclude that retention of the traditional definition of marriage does not constitute a state interest sufficiently compelling, under the strict scrutiny equal protection standard, to justify withholding that status from same-sex couples. Accordingly, insofar as the provisions of sections 300 and 308.5 draw a distinction between opposite-sex couples and same-sex couples and exclude the latter from access to the designation of marriage, we conclude these statutes are unconstitutional.

[smokethedays]

Ok I have a serious question here:
When a gay couple adopt a child, don't u guys think the child will grow impacted heavily by the non-traditionl family he/she has?

[Red Ketchup]

Ok I have a serious question here:
When a gay couple adopt a child, don't u guys think the child will grow impacted heavily by the non-traditionl family he/she has?

Can it possibly be worse than a single parent family with only a mom or a dad? Or a kid being raised by warring parents who openly hate each other but "stay together for the kids"? Or a kid being raised by extended family?

My opinion is that the only "normal" way to raise a child is with a loving mother and father in a "Mayberry" setting. Unfortunately for the vast majority of kids in north america today, thats not how they are raised. We do the best we can with what we have.

Red
"Yet another single dad"

[audis4]

Some of my best friends are gay and they keep to themselves....they aren't extremely 'flaming' or anything.

They told me that gays have a much higher chance of cheating on each other vs. a guy and girl relationship. Not sure how true this is?

[MASTER]

congrats.. now your domestic partner can take 50% of everything you have..

welcome to our pain..

Surely the advantage of being gay is that guys dont do that kinda crap, and if they try, you can beat the crap out of them since they arent a woman. If a woman ever tried that on me, I know id sure want to pummel her (and I dont mean in the ass).

[Gators]

I have a problem w/ it because the people of CA voted AGAINST it, then along comes activist judges and strike it down. I personally agree w/ the biblical interpretation, but the people of a state should be able to vote about it.

[Carlos_E]

Some of my best friends are gay and they keep to themselves....they aren't extremely 'flaming' or anything.

They told me that gays have a much higher chance of cheating on each other vs. a guy and girl relationship. Not sure how true this is?

That should be prefaced with if they are hoes.

Because of my build I have guys hitting on me left and right and I have never cheated in a relationship.

[Carlos_E]

Surely the advantage of being gay is that guys dont do that kinda crap, and if they try, you can beat the crap out of them since they arent a woman. If a woman ever tried that on me, I know id sure want to pummel her (and I dont mean in the ass).

Please, please say you're joking.

[thetank]

its about ****in time. goddamn.

[MASTER]

Please, please say you're joking.

Lol of course, the lack of ability to convey sarcasm with text has yet again proven problematic.

[nameuser]

Good stuff.

I think gay marriage will help promote more monogamous relationships between gays.

[smokethedays]

Can it possibly be worse than a single parent family with only a mom or a dad? Or a kid being raised by warring parents who openly hate each other but "stay together for the kids"? Or a kid being raised by extended family?

My opinion is that the only "normal" way to raise a child is with a loving mother and father in a "Mayberry" setting. Unfortunately for the vast majority of kids in north america today, thats not how they are raised. We do the best we can with what we have.

Red
"Yet another single dad"

I meant to compare that to an "ideal" two parent family with ideal husband and wife relationship. not no waco family.

[smokethedays]

In other words, imagine this 8 years old, in 1st or 2nd grade, with all other class mates talking about "mom and dad" all the time, don't you think this kid is going to wonder, heck, where are my mom and dad?
and when this kid learns in bio class that male and a female can produce a child like him/her, won't the kid wonder, how did I come here?
although the adopting gay couple would do a great job explaining. He/she still a kid!! You can't expect an 8 years old to understand and comprehend and tolerate such major difference with out any personality impact, good or bad.

[smokethedays]

I'm not con or pro. i'm just saying that the impact of such life style is definitley not well comprehended by humans yet. the psychological impact on children is going to be vast.
For god' sake, until now we have kids that are messed up in the head as a result of skin color issues, imagine "mom and dad" are "dad and dad" or "mom and mom"?

[thetank]

I'm not con or pro. i'm just saying that the impact of such life style is definitley not well comprehended by humans yet. the psychological impact on children is going to be vast.
For god' sake, until now we have kids that are messed up in the head as a result of skin color issues, imagine "mom and dad" are "dad and dad" or "mom and mom"?

i understand what you're sayin..but ide say thats a hump we need to get over. maybe interracial relationships caused grief for some people but making difficult strides for the sake of equality is obviously worth the difficulty, otherwise blacks would still be riding the back of the bus. the change might be hard for some people, but its obviously in a positive direction.

[smokethedays]

i understand what you're sayin..but ide say thats a hump we need to get over. maybe interracial relationships caused grief for some people but making difficult strides for the sake of equality is obviously worth the difficulty, otherwise blacks would still be riding the back of the bus. the change might be hard for some people, but its obviously in a positive direction.

Thats true but are we really in need of anymore social-psychological issues?
we've got sooo many already to add another one.
with all respect to the gay comm. but percent wise straight people to gay, i don't believe it is worth it to legalize marriage and add another issue that soon we will have to have counselors and meetings for.
all these adults that are calling for equality are NOT taking children in mind.
everybody is calling for what would be good for them right now.

[DSM4Life]

that's a damn honest answer.. thanks, and those #'s hold true as what i am told and see with my brother and his friends, they are in the atlanta area..

when it comes to relationships however, the right to party while you are away on business and the spouse that is still at home has to take it (look the other way) that is one of the things that is different in the commitments.

And it appears that one partner refusing sex with the other parter is not limited to hetro relationships.. like i always tell guys (str8) if she won't sleep with you, there are plenty of women that will .... same is true in the gay community.

thanks again for the honest answer..

That is such a stereotype and we can thank shows like Queer as Folk for portraying all these stereotypes as real life for gay couples.

My b/f travels all the time and i already told him if he ever wanted to do anything while he was away to let me know ASAP so we could break up.

Sorry homie don't play dat .




But back to the main topic i am happy to read that.

[thegodfather]

That is such a stereotype and we can thank shows like Queer as Folk for portraying all these stereotypes as real life for gay couples.

My b/f travels all the time and i already told him if he ever wanted to do anything while he was away to let me know ASAP so we could break up.

Sorry homie don't play dat .




But back to the main topic i am happy to read that.

does your b/f work for a pharmaceutical company or something...

[DSM4Life]

does your b/f work for a pharmaceutical company or something...

No but his job does call for him to travel constantly which sucks but we manage.

[DSM4Life]

Here is the full article if you guys want to read it :

California Supreme Court Overturns Gay Marriage Ban

This morning the California state supreme court issued its decision on the same-sex marriage case, and the majority held that laws excluding gay and lesbian couples from the right to marry are unconstitutional. The decision paves the way for California to become the second state in which gay and lesbian residents can marry.

The case involved a series of lawsuits seeking to overturn a voter-approved law that defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

''This is a landmark and historic day," said Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights. "We are grateful that the court upheld the most precious and cherished values of fairness, opportunity, and, most basically, the fundamental right to marry the person you love.''

California already offers domestic partnerships that offer virtually the same state-level legal rights and responsibilities as married spouses, including the right to divorce and to sue for child support.

A coalition of religious and social conservative groups is attempting to put a measure on the November ballot that would enshrine California's current laws banning gay marriage in the state constitution. It's unclear what impact today's decision will have on this initiative. The secretary of state is expected to rule by the end of June whether the sponsors gathered enough signatures to qualify the marriage amendment, similar to ones enacted in 26 other states.

The cases before the California court were brought by the city of San Francisco, two dozen gay and lesbian couples, Equality California, and another gay rights group in March 2004 after the court halted San Francisco's month-long same-sex wedding march that took place at Mayor Gavin Newsom's direction. (AP, with additional reporting by The Advocate)


http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid54388.asp