North Carolina Official Resigns Rather than Perform Newly Legalized Gay Marriage

[LAGC]

A North Carolina official resigned Thursday rather than perform gay marriages, an individual stand that comes as fewer and fewer states are holding on to oppose same-sex unions.

Triggered by a U.S. Supreme Court decision last week, lower courts across the nation have moved to strike down gay marriage bans. Among the holdouts are conservative states such as Arizona and Wyoming, and their defiance comes against a tide of rulings that give hope to those who want to see same-sex unions legalized in every state.

The North Carolina magistrate who quit his job said performing gay marriages would violate his religious beliefs.

http://news.yahoo.com/gay-marriage-d...073358282.html



Ah, that rebellious South, dragging feet and clinging onto tradition to the bitter end, just like they did with civil rights 50 years ago.

The onslaught is coming... and the South will be defeated yet again.

[Oswald Bastable]

Good to know there are still people with the courage of their convictions about...we'll need them before long.

[LAGC]

Nah, 5 years from now, once same-sex marriage is legalized nationwide everyone will be looking back and wondering what the big deal ever was.

The only thing that changes is that same-sex partners can visit their loved ones in hospitals now instead of being turned away because they weren't legally recognized spouses.

Oh yeah, and go through messy divorces. If gays want to put up with that noise, more power to them.

[Oswald Bastable]

Nah, 5 years from now, once same-sex marriage is legalized nationwide everyone will be looking back and wondering what the big deal ever was.

If society lasts so long, 5 years from now we'll (those of us who care about such things) be fighting to stop pedophilia from becoming fully accepted as the "new" alternative lifestyle that must be accepted.

The only thing that changes is that same-sex partners can visit their loved ones in hospitals now instead of being turned away because they weren't legally recognized spouses.

Crock of BS. Anyone can give anyone else medical power of attorney through a few simple hospital forms, thereby guaranteeing them access to that other person in a hospitalization situation. If concerned prior to a hospitalization situation, it can be done through a lawyer before any such situation occurs. My own experience of hospitalization situations, whether it was a friend or a loved one, I was always able to visit them as long as there wasn't some very good reason to prevent it...i.e., they're in surgery, recovery, or visiting hours are over.

[LAGC]

If society lasts so long, 5 years from now we'll (those of us who care about such things) be fighting to stop pedophilia from becoming fully accepted as the "new" alternative lifestyle that must be accepted.

Oh relax. Same-sex marriage isn't going to lead to pedophilia or bestiality being legalized, or people marrying their friggin' cars or trees. It's all about consenting adults committing to each other, regardless of who they love. It doesn't diminish or devalue your marriage at all.

Crock of BS. Anyone can give anyone else medical power of attorney through a few simple hospital forms, thereby guaranteeing them access to that other person in a hospitalization situation. If concerned prior to a hospitalization situation, it can be done through a lawyer before any such situation occurs. My own experience of hospitalization situations, whether it was a friend or a loved one, I was always able to visit them as long as there wasn't some very good reason to prevent it...i.e., they're in surgery, recovery, or visiting hours are over.

But how many people anticipate such a thing? Hardly anyone proactively thinks "Oh yeah, maybe I'm going to get in a serious car accident and be hospitalized with a coma and unable to speak or make decisions for myself, so I better..." -- there's no good reason why a partner should be denied visitation just because they didn't have the foresight to anticipate the unimaginable. That was the problem with civil unions, they still didn't recognize that basic spousal right. That's why the gays pushed for full equality, full marriage.

It's now legal in 27 states, and the world hasn't ended. God hasn't smote San Francisco.

People need to just chill out and live and let live. That's what America has always been about.

[Oswald Bastable]

Oh relax. Same-sex marriage isn't going to lead to pedophilia or bestiality being legalized, or people marrying their friggin' cars or trees. It's all about consenting adults committing to each other, regardless of who they love. It doesn't diminish or devalue your marriage at all.

5 years ago it was unlikely marriage would be considered anything but between a man and a woman also...

The drumbeat of tolerance deception goes on, on to the next "lifestyle" to legitimate.

But how many people anticipate such a thing? Hardly anyone proactively thinks "Oh yeah, maybe I'm going to get in a serious car accident and be hospitalized with a coma and unable to speak or make decisions for myself, so I better..." -- there's no good reason why a partner should be denied visitation just because they didn't have the foresight to anticipate the unimaginable.

That argument is a straw man...visitors are not excluded at hospitals unless there's a medical reason for it...i.e., they are in surgery, recovery, or visiting hours are over.

[LAGC]

That argument is a straw man...visitors are not excluded at hospitals unless there's a medical reason for it...i.e., they are in surgery, recovery, or visiting hours are over.

So you're claiming this guy never got arrested just because his civil union wasn't good enough for the hospital?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamie-...b_3061108.html

There are hundreds of stories just like that one, played out all across America. But hopefully not for very much longer.

[Oswald Bastable]

So you're claiming this guy never got arrested just because his civil union wasn't good enough for the hospital?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamie-...b_3061108.html

There are hundreds of stories just like that one, played out all across America. But hopefully not for very much longer.

Subtext woo woo of the article suggests the "husband" was being a disruptive, flaming bitch...don't blame the hospital for ejecting him...

[LAGC]

Protections Denied to Same-sex Couples and Their Kids

Death: If a couple is not married and one partner dies, the other partner is not entitled to bereavement leave from work, to file wrongful death claims, to draw the Social Security of the deceased partner, or to automatically inherit a shared home, assets, or personal items in the absence of a will.

Debts: Unmarried partners do not generally have responsibility for each other's debt.

Divorce: Unmarried couples do not have access to the courts, structure, or guidelines in times of break-up, including rules for how to handle shared property, child support, and alimony, or protecting the weaker party and kids.

Family leave: Unmarried couples are often not covered by laws and policies that permit people to take medical leave to care for a sick spouse or for the kids.

Health: Unlike spouses, unmarried partners are usually not considered next of kin for the purposes of hospital visitation and emergency medical decisions. In addition, they can't cover their families on their health plans without paying taxes on the coverage, nor are they eligible for Medicare and Medicaid coverage.

Housing: Denied marriage, couples of lesser means are not recognized and thus can be denied or disfavored in their applications for public housing.

Immigration: U.S. residency and family unification are not available to an unmarried partner from another country.

Inheritance: Unmarried surviving partners do not automatically inherit property should their loved one die without a will, nor do they get legal protection for inheritance rights such as elective share or bypassing the hassles and expenses of probate court.

Insurance: Unmarried partners can't always sign up for joint home and auto insurance. In addition, many employers don't cover domestic partners or their biological or non-biological children in their health insurance plans.

Portability: Unlike marriages, which are honored in all states and countries, domestic partnerships and other alternative mechanisms only exist in a few states and countries, are not given any legal acknowledgment in most, and leave families without the clarity and security of knowing what their legal status and rights will be.

Parenting: Unmarried couples are denied the automatic right to joint parenting, joint adoption, joint foster care, and visitation for non-biological parents. In addition, the children of unmarried couples are denied the guarantee of child support and an automatic legal relationship to both parents, and are sometimes sent a wrongheaded but real negative message about their own status and family.

Privilege: Unmarried couples are not protected against having to testify against each other in judicial proceedings, and are also usually denied the coverage in crime victims counseling and protection programs afforded married couples.

Property: Unmarried couples are excluded from special rules that permit married couples to buy and own property together under favorable terms, rules that protect married couples in their shared homes and rules regarding the distribution of the property in the event of death or divorce.

Retirement: In addition to being denied access to shared or spousal benefits through Social Security as well as coverage under Medicare and other programs, unmarried couples are denied withdrawal rights and protective tax treatment given to spouses with regard to IRA's and other retirement plans.

Taxes: Unmarried couples cannot file joint tax returns and are excluded from tax benefits and claims specific to marriage. In addition, they are denied the right to transfer property to one another and pool the family's resources without adverse tax consequences.

http://www.freedomtomarry.org/pages/...y-evan-wolfson

[Kadmos]

5 years ago it was unlikely marriage would be considered anything but between a man and a woman also...

The drumbeat of tolerance deception goes on, on to the next "lifestyle" to legitimate.

5...
4...
3....
2...
1...

That argument is a straw man...

And we have irony

[Oswald Bastable]

Are you pot, or kettle?

I forget...

[was_peacemaker]

LAGC, you realize that the Federal Government all but defined marriage as between one man and one women in the late 19th century. Well, they did it indirectly so that Utah was forced to put that in their state constitution, as to ban polygamy which was really a restriction on how Mormons believed. But, it doesn't matter to you ACLU types that the Feds are hypocritical and are now punishing states who banned same-sex union on you're own. You ACLU types were fine with it when it was violating someone's religion, but you are not fine with it when people of religious faith act on their own.

[N/A]

Little Marxist is against anyone who believes in moral behavior, unless it is defined by his religious mentors (politicians and atheist).

[LAGC]

Little Marxist is against anyone who believes in moral behavior, unless it is defined by his religious mentors (politicians and atheist).

Nah, I just wish people would keep their "moral behaviors" to themselves instead of force them on everyone else by government force.

You have to admit, Christians haven't exactly been kind to homosexuals over the past 2000 years, so you can't blame them for enjoying a little bit of schadenfreude right now, with Christian dogma getting peeled back from coast-to-coast.

Hopefully, once all the dust is settled, the Christians will reluctantly accept the gays (love the sinner, not the sin) and the gays will get over how badly they've been treated over the centuries, enjoy their newfound freedom, and everyone will put their differences aside and co-exist in peace.

We can hope, right?

[N/A]

You mean like accepting Marxists for the kind, benevolent people they are.??

Right....

[was_peacemaker]

Nah, I just wish people would keep their "moral behaviors" to themselves instead of force them on everyone else by government force.

Just like the liberal left and you're ACLU buddies are doing to states rights through the federal courts now? Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. States with large faith based populations voted on how they decided marriage should be defined in their states (a luxury, the poor Mormons didn't get) and then the cry baby left uses the feds to force their definition of moral behavior on people who voted other wise in their rightful states.

So you are against voting, states rights, infringement of people's religion, just so you're gay friends can get married. Wow! Why aren't you sticking up for the wrong that was done for the Mormons? Why are you not protesting to legalize polygamy?

[5.56NATO]

Good to know there are still people with the courage of their convictions about...we'll need them before long.

Well said.

[5.56NATO]

"Nah, I just wish people would keep their "moral behaviors" to themselves instead of force them on everyone else by government force."


Say like when gays don't keep their "moral behaviors" to themselves and instead force them on everyone else by government force?

[LAGC]

Just like the liberal left and you're ACLU buddies are doing to states rights through the federal courts now? Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. States with large faith based populations voted on how they decided marriage should be defined in their states (a luxury, the poor Mormons didn't get) and then the cry baby left uses the feds to force their definition of moral behavior on people who voted other wise in their rightful states.

The U.S. constitution trumps authoritarian state laws, my friend.

Just as states can't discriminate against African Americans any more, the courts have finally agreed that states can no longer discriminate against gay people either.

The Bill of Rights has always been about protecting the minority's rights and freedoms from being trampled on by the majority mob. It's refreshing that the courts have finally recognized this, and expanded freedoms to same-sex couples who want the same equal rights to be able to enjoy the benefits of marriage as well.

[LAGC]

Say like when gays don't keep their "moral behaviors" to themselves and instead force them on everyone else by government force?

No one's forcing you to get married to another man.