Gay legislators having impact in marriage debates

[UrbScotty]

Source: MSNBC

Of America's 7,382 state legislators, only 85 are openly gay or lesbian. They are, however, playing an outsized and often impassioned role when the agenda turns to recognizing same-sex couples with civil unions or full marriage rights.

In Hawaii and Illinois, gay state representatives were lead sponsors of civil union bills signed into law earlier this year. In Maryland and Rhode Island, gay lawmakers are co-sponsoring pending bills that would legalize same-sex marriage. In New York, a gay senator, Tom Duane, is preparing to be lead sponsor of a marriage bill in his chamber later this session.

"For my colleagues, knowing that I am not allowed to marry the person that I love and want to marry, that's very powerful," said Duane, a Democrat from Manhattan. "It's more difficult for them to take for granted the right they have to marry when I don't have it."

The gay lawmakers have impact in two important ways. Their speeches, often evoking personal themes, can sometimes sway wavering colleagues, and they can forge collegial relationships even with ideological foes through day-to-day professional and social interaction.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41937565/ns/politics-more_politics/

[Initech]

1. DOMA is fucking disgusting legislation.

And it really sickens me that the people who keep defending it are people like:

- David Vitter, who got caught ordering hookers with his cell phone off the Congressional floor
- Newt Gingrich, who cheated on his wife while she had cancer
- Rush Limbaugh, who's on his fourth marriage
- Fred Phelps, who, you know...
- Rick Warren, who is trying to get a "kill all the gays" bill passed in Uganda

Such, classy, classy people. And these people should have no fucking say in the marriage debate.

[Democat]

2. Straight legislators have been "impacting" society for years.

About time gay legislators have some say as well.

Right wingers often demand that gay judges not be allowed to rule on gay marriage legal issues. Yet they have no problem with straight judges ruling on straight marriage issues?

[UrbScotty]

5. +1

[BlueIris]

3. K&R for awareness. nt

[JanDutchy]

4. USA should not be hypocrite

Do Ask and Tell about the experience on marriage - includes same-sex marriage by Civil Law - in the Netherlands.

It is a good discission of Obama not to invest time in proceedings at the Supreme Court on this issue. He learned from California I suppose on the Prop8.

And further I hope that US-policy on health-care changes: because in Europe we see the old system as a 3rd World-Policy.

Solidarity and Equality will bring prosperity to all.

[KamaAina]

6. When did Blake Oshiro come out?

I lived in Hawai'i until a couple of years ago, frequented the Capitol to the point where I was considering getting a P.O. box there :-), and had no idea Blake Oshiro was gay.