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geminigirlI'm not sure how closely other people have been following the path of HB 751 in Virginia, but earlier this year, this bill, which effectively invalidates all legal agreements like living wills, custody agreements and wills between two people of the same sex. [1]
If I've learned one thing from being engaged (and it's not like I didn't know this before, but lets pretend here for a minute) it's that letting people who love each other get married doesn't make my relationship any less valid.
The law goes into effect on July 1, 2004. In addition to the usual calling your representatives to tell them what you think, here's something else you can do...
Virginians Stand Up for Equality is sponsoring rallies and town hall meetings all across Virginia on Wednesday, June 30th to draw attention to and educate the public about the “Affirmation of Marriage Act” which goes into effect on July 1. The VSUE is a coalition of 80 national, state and local organizations, religious congregations, and businesses opposed to the outrageously restrictive act which would severely restrict the rights of gays and lesbians to contract with one another regarding issues of medical power of attorney, wills, family plans, etc. It is widely recognized as the most homophobic bill to pass in the United States in the so-called defense of marriage actions. It will deeply affect the lives of many of our clients, our friends in the community and many of our staff members. It is creating all kinds of reactions from group boycotts of Virginia to individuals finally giving up and moving to DC or Maryland.
I invite each of you to the following and show your support by attending this Northern Virginia rally:
Wednesday, June 30th
Fairfax County Govt. Center
12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax
5:30 Activities begin; 6:00 rally
Spread the word to all of your friends in your email list!
More information and commentary about HB 751 (The Affirmation of Marriage Act) can be found at:
http://www.rightrainbow.com/archives/000455.html
http://equalityvirginia.org/news/news_014.html
http://virginiaisforhaters.org/
[1] A lot of people look at this and ask, "What about, say two heterosexual men who have a living will where one is the health care proxy for another...apparently no one thought of that situation. So if you're not gay and thinking that this doesn't affect you cause you're not queer, the answer is sorry, no, it still does.
If I've learned one thing from being engaged (and it's not like I didn't know this before, but lets pretend here for a minute) it's that letting people who love each other get married doesn't make my relationship any less valid.
The law goes into effect on July 1, 2004. In addition to the usual calling your representatives to tell them what you think, here's something else you can do...
Virginians Stand Up for Equality is sponsoring rallies and town hall meetings all across Virginia on Wednesday, June 30th to draw attention to and educate the public about the “Affirmation of Marriage Act” which goes into effect on July 1. The VSUE is a coalition of 80 national, state and local organizations, religious congregations, and businesses opposed to the outrageously restrictive act which would severely restrict the rights of gays and lesbians to contract with one another regarding issues of medical power of attorney, wills, family plans, etc. It is widely recognized as the most homophobic bill to pass in the United States in the so-called defense of marriage actions. It will deeply affect the lives of many of our clients, our friends in the community and many of our staff members. It is creating all kinds of reactions from group boycotts of Virginia to individuals finally giving up and moving to DC or Maryland.
I invite each of you to the following and show your support by attending this Northern Virginia rally:
Wednesday, June 30th
Fairfax County Govt. Center
12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax
5:30 Activities begin; 6:00 rally
Spread the word to all of your friends in your email list!
More information and commentary about HB 751 (The Affirmation of Marriage Act) can be found at:
http://www.rightrainbow.com/archives/000455.html
http://equalityvirginia.org/news/news_014.html
http://virginiaisforhaters.org/
[1] A lot of people look at this and ask, "What about, say two heterosexual men who have a living will where one is the health care proxy for another...apparently no one thought of that situation. So if you're not gay and thinking that this doesn't affect you cause you're not queer, the answer is sorry, no, it still does.
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no subject
Date: 2004-06-23 03:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-06-23 03:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-06-23 03:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-06-23 03:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-06-23 03:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-06-23 03:36 pm (UTC)If it's easier, I can forward you the e-mail that was sent to me this morning at work (the body of which I copied and pasted into this post anyway-my post provides links and a little explanation that's missing from the e-mail.)
And sure, if you want to invite me to your stuff, I'd love to be on your list.
no subject
Date: 2004-06-23 03:43 pm (UTC)Ping me with your preferred email address for list stuff and I'll add you. It's usually a pretty quiet list.
no subject
Date: 2004-06-23 04:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-06-23 04:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-06-23 05:21 pm (UTC)However, gays in Virginia couldn't get married *BEFORE* this law, so this law didn't make that aspect worse. Gays in Virginia couldn' it get Civil Unioned before this law, so this law didn't make that aspect worse. What this law does (in my view, neither of us are lawyers, yada yada) is if a new term is defined (call it New Term) where being New Termed is like marriage, only different, this law makes it so Gays in Virginia can't get New Termed. But they couldn't before, so this law doesn't make *that* different.
The law doesn't prohibit partnership contract or other arrangements between people of the same sex, it prohibits partnership contracts or other arrangements that purport to bestow the privileges or obligations of marriage. You can still name someone in your will, since naming someone in your will doesn't proport to the privileges or obligations of marriage.
Now you know me personally as someone who thinks the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitional for two seperate reasons, and thinks gays enjoy a right under the equal protection clause to get married. However, I still think that the current law under discussion is being intentionally scare mongered by some people (and i don't think either of you are intentionally scare mongering), and I simply hate arguments that appeal to Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt.
Opinions are like assholes; everyone's got one
Date: 2004-06-23 04:53 pm (UTC)"...Whereas, because very few homosexuals will "marry" or seek civil unions, the legal effect for homosexual marriage or same sex unions is not primarily about marriage itself, but is directed at weakening the institution of marriage which is foundational to this country's history and tradition; and where heterosexual marriage requires sexual exclusivity, advocates of same sex unions merely prefer sexual exclusivity, but do not demand it. Promoting and defending the common good of society requires that marriage be recognized and defended as a preferential and beneficial complimentary relationship between the sexes for one man, a husband, and one woman, a wife which are necessary conditions for the formation of a family; and ...."
there's also the part that said "and where heterosexual marriage requires sexual exclusivity, advocates of same sex unions merely prefer sexual exclusivity, but do not demand it"
and the part that said, "Whereas, providing for same sex unions would obscure certain basic moral values and further devalue the institution of marriage and the status of children; children need not just parents, but a mother and a father, and to deprive children of a mother and a father is harmful to their development; and"
And best of all, where it says "[because] the Massachusetts Supreme Court in Goodrich v. Department of Health, SJC 08860, March 4, 2003-November 18, 2003, failed to consider the beneficial health effects of heterosexual marriage, as contrasted to the life-shortening and health compromising consequences of homosexual behavior..."
The bill is filled with hate. It's clearly directed at damaging attempts by same sex partners to protect fairly basic civil rights. It has the potential to negatively impact the ways same sex couples have tried to protect their relationships, in a state where it's very difficult for them to do so.
And just as an aside...how many people do you know in heterosexual marriages that don't require exclusivity?
Re: Opinions are like assholes; everyone's got one
Date: 2004-06-23 05:08 pm (UTC)And best of all, where it says "[because] the Massachusetts Supreme Court in Goodrich v. Department of Health, SJC 08860, March 4, 2003-November 18, 2003, failed to consider the beneficial health effects of heterosexual marriage, as contrasted to the life-shortening and health compromising consequences of homosexual behavior..."
Clearly, someone needs to inform them that it's not called GRID anymore.
no subject
Date: 2004-06-23 05:25 pm (UTC)I know previous versions had all sorts of hate filled language. That doesn't give people the right to lie about what the law says. The law is bad enough on its own merits.
no subject
Date: 2004-06-23 05:40 pm (UTC)The law provides additional legal footing for people to do things like challenge the partner of their gay kid who they haven't had anything to do with for the last fifteen years for the right to make decisions about his life and medical care, and the disposition of his estate.
I've seen it happen...and it sucks. At the root, it's not about marriage or civil unions or anything like that, but about discrimination. There's enough of that already here in Virginia...where second parent adoption isn't legal, where providing certain kinds of domestic partnership benefits to anyone (no matter who the partner is) is prohibited.
It's providing additional legal footing for institutionalized and codified discrimination, and that's what I have a problem with.
no subject
Date: 2004-06-23 06:41 pm (UTC)I do think that there may be people who attempt to use it as such, but I also think that the existing Virginia law gives them plenty of ways to do that already.
no subject
Date: 2004-06-23 08:13 pm (UTC)it's Virginia, of course there will be people who attempt to use it as such. your opinion is valid, but it doesn't exist in a vacuum; the intent of the authors of the bill is to discriminate against the LGBT community, not to protect marriage. the writing may be open to interpretation from objective parties, but the authors aren't and don't profess to be objective. do you really think many judges in VA will hesitate to interpret the law as invalidating contracts between same-sex couples? all that's required is a convincing argument that the intent of the contract was to mimic the rights and responsibilities of marriage.
no subject
Date: 2004-06-23 08:44 pm (UTC)Yes, I think most Judges will read the law, and follow what the law says, not look for anyone way to screw gays or lesbians. I do think that the latter type of judge exist, but are a minority.
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Date: 2004-06-23 06:06 pm (UTC)BTW, that original preamble... I have difficulty deciding whether its bigotry or its ignorance is more overwhelming. I'd say it comes out as a dead heat.
no subject
Date: 2004-06-23 06:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-06-23 09:08 pm (UTC)I'm afraid I'm not nearly as optimistic as you are about this being interpreted so narrowly, given the environment that allowed it to be passed at all. If we're lucky, the courts will find it unconstitutional just as the governor predicted they will.
no subject
Date: 2004-06-24 02:07 am (UTC)