“Traditional” Marriage or a Break with Tradition?

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By Stephanie Coontz
June 30, 2008

The recent California court ruling in favor of same-sex marriage has elicited a new round of warnings about the threats to “traditional” marriage. Marriage, say foes of the ruling, has always been a union of one man and one woman, with procreation as its central purpose. And Christianity in particular has historically surrounded marriage with sacred ceremonies, reserved for those who understand its solemn meaning, they contend. Compelling either church or state to accept the validity of same-sex unions would force these institutions, in defiance of tradition, to condone marriages of which they disapprove.

NYS Senator Diane Savino speaks on the Marriage Equality bill

A good quality and level headed argument on why gay marriage  should be allowed

ST Breaking news: 6th state to allow gay marriage

4 June 2009
Straits Times Breaking News (online only)
Source

6th state to allow gay marriage

New York  – THE US state of New Hampshire has become the nation’s sixth to allow same-sex marriage, adding fuel to the fire of a social issue that remains divisive across much of the United States.

Supporters insist that legalising same-sex marriage is a question of civil rights and equal rights. Some opponents favour legally sanctioned same-sex unions, not called marriage; and others reject outright any government sanctioning of same-sex unions.

China Daily: Gay couples say ‘I do’ in symbolic marriages

16 April 2009
China Daily
Source

Gay couples say ‘I do’ in symbolic marriages
By Mei Jia (China Daily)

Wang Zhiyong was trying to tear up the two copies of a “marriage certificate” embossed with a photo of him and his gay “spouse”.

His partner lunged to snatch them back.

However, their token of love finally lay torn and tattered on the ground.

It was only two months earlier that 42-year-old Wang, a senior mechanic based in Beijing, and his much-younger lover got the “marriage certificate” issued by Beijing LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transsexual) Center as a tangible expression of their commitment.

Wang threw a small wedding feast to which relatives and close friends were invited.

“I know the wedding was not legally valid, but I liked the freshness of the idea,” he said.

AP: Majority of RI voters favor gay marriage law

28 May 2009
Associated Press

Poll: Majority of RI voters favor gay marriage law

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A survey released Wednesday shows that more than half of Rhode Island voters favor a law allowing gay marriage, leading advocates to point out to state leadership that it’s what residents want.

A Brown University poll showed 60 percent of registered voters in the state said they would support a law allowing gay couples to marry, and 75 percent said they would support a law allowing civil unions. Thirty-one percent said they would oppose a gay marriage law.

LA Times: Answers to questions about Prop 8 ruling

27 May 2009
Los Angeles Times

Source.

Answers to questions about Prop. 8 ruling

Details and implications of the California Supreme Court ruling
By Rong-Gong Lin II

The Times answers readers’ questions about Tuesday’s ruling upholding Proposition 8, the voter-approved constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

On what grounds did the California Supreme Court uphold Proposition 8?

Opponents of the proposition asked the court to overturn the ballot measure on the grounds that banning same-sex marriage changed the tenets of the state Constitution and therefore amounted to a revision, which can be placed on the ballot only by a two-thirds vote of the Legislature. Proposition 8 reached the ballot after a signature drive.

In Tuesday’s ruling, the court said Proposition 8 “adds but a single, simple section to the Constitution” and therefore was a constitutional amendment and not a revision.

NYT: California High Court Upholds Gay Marriage Ban

26 May 2009
New York Times

California High Court Upholds Gay Marriage Ban

By JOHN SCHWARTZ
Published: May 26, 2009

The California Supreme Court upheld a ban on same-sex marriage Tuesday, ratifying a decision made by voters last year. The ruling comes at a time when several state governments have moved in the opposite direction.

The court’s decision does, however, preserve the 18,000 same-sex marriages performed between the justices’ ruling last May that same-sex marriage was constitutionally protected and voters’ passage in November of Proposition 8, which banned it.

TOI: Gay couples ‘marry’ with parents’ approval, hawan and priests

10 May 2009
The Times of India
Source

Gay couples ‘marry’ with parents’ approval, hawan and priests
10 May 2009, Mansi Choksi, TNN

MUMBAI: Last week, Durban-based sales advisor Joe Singh and his partner Wesley Nolan solemnised their relationship at a ceremony where a Hindu priest officiated. In the Singh living room, Wesley tied a necklace with a Ganesha pendant around Joe’s neck. The couple, now honeymooning in Mauritius, chose the Ganesha instead of garlands because both of them are “staunch Hindus” and wanted the Elephant God to “ward off evil and remove obstacles from their path”.

The Edge: Maine marriage law signed

Edition of 7 – 10 May 2009
Edge, Boston
Source

Maine Marriage Becomes Reality: Governor Signs Bill Into Law
by Steve Weinstein

Governor John E. Baldacci today signed into law LD 1020, An Act to End Discrimination in Civil Marriage and Affirm Religious Freedom.

“I have followed closely the debate on this issue. I have listened to both sides, as they have presented their arguments during the public hearing and on the floor of the Maine Senate and the House of Representatives. I have read many of the notes and letters sent to my office, and I have weighed my decision carefully,” Baldacci sai

NYT: 57 percent of Americans under 40 support gay marriage – poll

28 April 2009
The New York Times

Source.

On Politics
Signs G.O.P. Is Rethinking Stance on Gay Marriage

By ADAM NAGOURNEY
Published: April 28, 2009

WASHINGTON — It was only five years ago that opposition to gay marriage was so strong that Republicans explicitly turned to the issue as a way to energize conservative voters. Yet today, as the party contemplates the task of rebuilding itself, some Republicans say the issue of gay marriage may be turning into more of a hindrance than a help.