Vermont legalizes gay marriage.

[singtopher]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 11:33am

NY Times article.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 11:35am

What a great week! C'mon California!

If Prop 8 goes down, that will be 10% of the states with marriage equality. And I bet that gets the ball rolling on a few more who are so close to it.

I may just get to have my wedding and my marriage take place on the same day next summer afterall!

[singtopher]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 11:42am

Come on America...everyone's doing it!

[PalJoey]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 11:55am

And Vermont is the first state to do so through the legislature and not the courts, so no accusations of "activist judges legislating from the bench."

This is the will of the people!

[Roscoe]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 11:59am

It isn't the will of the people. It is the will of a small group of legislators devoted to promoting the homosexual agenda of perversion and indecency, and we have to amend Vermont's constitution immediately to keep the faggots in the gutter where they belong!

So I can write faggot, but not ****cat? Man oh man...

Updated On: 4/7/09 at 11:59 AM

[PalJoey]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 12:14pm

Vermont takes its constitution more seriously than California does. The process of amending the Vermont constitution is an arduous one that takes over two years.

It is unlikely that a constitutional amendment like the travesty in California would ever happen in Vermont.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 12:17pm

Yeah, there was something similar about Iowa's constitution, I remember reading about it. An amendment has to be approved in two consecutive sessions and then get voted on by the voters, it takes a LONG time.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 12:24pm

And like MA, the voters will see that the sky won't fall and that things are prob better off. (Esp those voters in the wedding industry).

That's the shame of Cali--that Prop should never have gone to vote so soon.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 12:26pm

Cue the Mormon e-mail to Vermont members telling them to overturn the measure...

[Plum]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 12:32pm

Is there much of a Mormon contingent there? Anyway, I don't think that counter-measures are going to be too successful in Vermont, because that state has had a good long time to wrestle with the idea of gay unions and to see them in action. It isn't a new and scary idea to them - it's something they've digested and, I'm fairly sure, decided isn't so bad. That's how it's going to happen, state by state.

[singtopher]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 12:35pm

The legislature passed it by a very large margin since they had to overturn the Gov. Jim Douglas's veto. 100-49 in the House, 23-5 in the senate.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 12:46pm

I think it will be very similar to the interracial marriage journey--state by state and then a US Supreme Court decision to reach all 50 states and enact Federal recognition (if DOMA isn't struck down by then).

Sadly, interracial marriage wouldn't likely be legal in all 50 states if it was left to the states.

It took 80 years between the first state to legalize interracial marriage until the SC rulling in 67. I believe it won't take as long for gay marriage. It woudn't shock me to see it happen in the next 10 - 20 years, in fact.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 12:50pm

That's the shame of Cali--that Prop should never have gone to vote so soon.

That's a far cry from what was said before the vote.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 12:54pm

Touche. Thank God I learn from my mistakes, right?

But just how many people really thought Cali was gonna fall like that?

If we had been talking about most any state, I would have been afraid of a vote that soon.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 12:57pm

Well, that wasn't directed at you. I was just speaking in general. I think any grand proclamations about stuff like this just beg to be rebuked, is all.

For what it's worth, I had a hunch California was gonna go like that.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 12:59pm

I recall my getting nervous as we got closer and polling was bizarrely close. I recall very few people realizing what could happen. But a big part of me just knew California wouldn't pass it. I think we all learned a lot from it.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 1:00pm

Perhaps now we can say, "As Iowa goes, so goes the nation"?

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 1:02pm

Cute. You do know I didn't coin that phrase, right?? :P

But we might just actually start saying that about Iowa. I think Iowa is gonna help a number of states grow a pair.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 1:08pm

Yes, I do. It's not directed at you! Down, Bridezilla!

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 1:21pm

LOL. That wasn't angry. It wasn't in all caps, duh.

Plus, Jared will be the Bridezilla. I'll be the laid back groom with the crying in pain credit card.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 1:23pm

Ha! I would have taken you for the Bridezilla type. :) I know I'd be.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 1:26pm

I'll prob have at least one melt down during the whole ordeal. Hopefully NOT during the wedding or reception. :P

[madbrian]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 1:41pm

Where are you registered?

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 1:58pm

We aren't yet! We need to get crackin'!

[jaystarr]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 2:38pm

Congrats VERMONT! 46 States to go and 3 new england states (ri, me & nh) and all of new england will be free for gay & lesbian to marry! c'mon... new york!

J*