marc
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Needs to get a life! |
Registered: March 2003
Messages: 4729
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Hi folks - Wanted to share this great news about the decision in
Massachusetts, some recommended talking point themes and a heads up
about
PFLAG on the news later tonight.
1. Washington Post coverage
2. Suggested talking points
3. PFLAG on CNN TV and BBC Radio tonight
1. Washington Post coverage
Mass. High Court Rules to Mandate Same-Sex Marriage
Decision Says Civil Unions Are Not Constitutional
By Jennifer Peter
The Associated Press
Wednesday, February 4, 2004; 3:08 PM
Full text see:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12273-2004Feb4.html
.....ruled Wednesday that only full,
equal
marriage rights for gay couples -- rather than civil unions -- are
constitutional, clearing the way for the nation's first same-sex
marriages
in the state as early as May.
"The history of our nation has demonstrated that separate is seldom, if
ever, equal," the four justices who ruled in favor of gay marriage
wrote in
the advisory opinion requested by the state Senate.
After seven gay couples sued in 2001, the Supreme Judicial Court ruled
in
November that gay couples have a constitutional right to marry. In its
4-3
ruling, the seven-member court gave the Legislature six months to
change
state laws to make it happen.
2. Suggested talking points
Good luck all. We won. Now we need to hang on to it. Thanks for all
that
everyone is doing!
Mary Bonauto
Talking Points on Opinion of the Justices to the Senate
The SJC Opinion says government may not deny marriage rights to
same-sex
couples.
· The Justices stated clearly today that civil unions do not offer the
same protections and rights as marriage and, therefore, are
unconstitutional
and violate the equality and liberty guarantees of the Massachusetts
Constitution. The fact that "prejudice exists is not a reason to
insist on
less than the Constitution requires."
· The only issue for legislators is whether or not they will go out of
their way to write discrimination into the Constitution and take away
rights
from gay and lesbian families and their children.
· The Court rejected the proposed civil union remedy and said: "The
history of our nation has demonstrated that separate is seldom, if
ever,
equal."
· The Court said "no amount of tinkering with language will eradicate
that stain" of exclusion from marriage rights. "The dissimilitude
between
the terms 'civil marriage' and 'civil union' is not innocuous; it is a
considered choice of language that reflects a demonstrable assigning of
same-sex, largely homosexual, couples to second-class status."
Legislators shouldn't write discrimination into the Constitution
· The only issue for legislators is whether they should go out of
their way to deny marriage rights and protections to same-sex couples
and
their families by writing discrimination into the Massachusetts
Constitution.
Court clarifies that this has no impact on religious marriages
· As in the original decision, the Court emphasized that every
religious faith remains free to make its own decisions about whom to
marry
and on what terms. People of different faiths take different views, but
the
court's role is to uphold constitutional guarantees for all citizens.
· As the Justices wrote, "The Court stated then, and we reaffirm, that
the State may not interfere with the convictions or with the decision
of any
religion to perform religious marriages of same-sex couples."
Human rights should not be put to a vote
· It is undemocratic and wrong to put peoples' civil rights to a vote.
Putting people's human rights on the ballot is the first step to
writing
discrimination into the Constitution.
· When one individual's civil rights are put to a vote, like some
popularity contest, no individual's human rights can be safe and
guaranteed.
Marriage exists to stabilize and support families
· "As the court concluded in Goodridge, the traditional, historic
nature and meaning of civil marriage in Massachusetts is wholly secular
and
dynamic legal institution, the governmental aim of which is to
encourage
stable adult relationships for the good of the individual and of the
community, especially its children."
3. PFLAG on CNN TV & BBC Radio tonight
David Tseng will appear on CNN's Paula Zahn Now this evening at 8:00 pm
EST.
David will be interviewed about the Massachusetts high court ruling
today
that stated only full, equal marriage rights for gay couples -- rather
than
civil unions -- are constitutional.
Ron Schlittler will be interviewed on BBC radio tonight also at 8:00 pm
EST
Life is great for me... Most of the time... But then I meet people online... Very few are real friends... Many say they are but know nothing of what it means... Some say they are, but are so shallow...
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