Introduction to same-sex marriages (SSM) and civil unions. Part 2

Current SSM status outside the U.S. Strategy.
Predictions for the U.S.. Links to resources.

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"SSM" refers to same-sex marriage

Current status outside the U.S.:

Canadian marriage law is very different from that in the U.S. The federal government defines who can marry. Thus, passage of one new federal law made same-sex marriage available on 2005-JUL to 99.6% of the Canadian population, in ten provinces and three territories. A single province -- Prince Edward Island (PEI) -- defied the Government of Canada and refused to marry same-sex couples. Faced with a lawsuit from a lesbian couple, PEI suddenly capitulated in 2005-AUG. SSM has become an accepted part of the culture, except among religious conservatives. Since Canada has no residency requirement for marrying couples, some Irish and Israeli couples have gone there, been married, returned to their country of residence, and asked that their marriages be recognized.

Elsewhere in the world: Same-sex marriage is available  in the Netherlands, Belgium, Mexico City, Spain, South Africa, and Scandanavian countries, and a few other locations. Civil unions are available in many other European countries. SSM is not available in Israel. However, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that five same-sex couples who had married in Canada could register their marriages in Israel. The next countries to legalize SSM will probably be Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom.

Strategy:

Gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and their supporting groups had long felt that a direct drive to try to have the U.S. Supreme Court approve same-sex marriage would be too risky. They have largely abandoned efforts in state courts as well. Their current strategy appears to be to promote bills in state legislatures to allow civil unions or marriage. However, there is a legal case in the federal courts of California that might end up in the U.S. Supreme Court.

On 2007-APR-16, Evan Wolfson of Freedom to Marry said:

"We actually have seen a record number of states this year in which bills were introduced to end gay couples' exclusion from marriage. Some of them will move forward. Some of them may move forward slowly over a period of a few years. And some of them will see a nonlinear progress, where they may move toward marriage, but through other measures, such as partnership or civil union, on the way to marriage equality. But the conversation has begun, and it's begun at the right level."

David Buckel, of Lambda Legal, a gay-positive group, noted:

"There were disappointments in the courts, but there have been successes as well. This is how these civil rights movements go forward -- with ups and downs. And the question really is whether or not we're in it for the long haul, trekking all the way to the end, even though there are some valleys and mountains. And the answer is yes."

OutTake Media LLC produced a very effective 9 minute short in 2007 "to educate and defuse the gay marriage controversy." They sought funding to create a full-length documentary. View the short at: http://www.outtakeonline.com/

Opposition:

A public backlash following the 2003 decision by the courts to legalize SSM Massachusetts -- the first state in the U.S. to do so. Religious and social conservatives have been successful in changing the constitutions and/or laws in most states to prohibit same-sex marriage. Some of these constitutional amendments were stealth measures that were promoted as banning same-sex marriage, but which in reality deny all non-married couples any benefits given to married couples. Most of the people affected by the amendments are actually common-law opposite-sex couples.

A 2006 Pew Forum poll found that 70% of adults over 50 years of age oppose same-sex marriage. But most adults under 30 support it. By mid 2011, national polls showed about 53% in favor and 45% opposed. More info on this and other polls.

Future predictions:

We expect that, eventually:

	In the U.S., a few lawsuits may be launched by gays and lesbians who have been married in one state and then found that their home state refuses to recognize their status. All or essentially all will fail.
	Same-sex marriage in Canada will continue uneventfully until a majority Conservative federal government is elected for its third term. If this happens before about 2020, legislation to forcibly divorce many tens of thousands of same-sex couples and give them civil unions will be introduced. Lawsuits will restart before the ink is dry on the law.
	The U.S. Supreme Court will eventually rule that all states must make civil unions available for same-sex couples. This will become unworkable as separate but equal recognition will be found to be unequal. A decade or so later, the Supreme Court will follow up with a subsequent ruling requiring states to provide SSM.
	The federal DOMA law will be replaced by one that gives equal federal benefits, rights, and protections to both married and "civil unionized" couples.
	Churches will continue to be able to discriminate, on any basis that they feel justified, against any opposite-sex or same-sex couples who seek to be married or solemnize a civil union. Those who oppose SSM will eventually stop spreading the fear that SSM means an end to religious freedom and liberty.

Reference used:

1. Barbara Hagerty, "Gay-Marriage Advocates Switch Tactics," National Public Radio, 2007-APR-16, at: http://www.npr.org/

Internet websites with information about SSM:

• "The Freedom to Marry: Rites & Rights," details the history of marriage equality in the U.S., and provides quick access to the collection of court rulings and other documents. See: http://www.lmaw.org/freedom/ 
  
  
• "Gay Marriage: The arguments and the motives," is an essay by Scott Bidstrup which studies the causes of opposition to same-sex marriage. See: http://www.bidstrup.com/
  
  
• The Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund is the oldest and largest legal organization in the US working for the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, and people with HIV/AIDS. Their site contains a great deal of information
  on legal issues, case, decisions, resources, etc. See: http://www.lambdalegal.org
  
  
• The Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund has a "freedom to marry" WWW site at: http://www.ftm.org/ It lists state by state same-sex marriage news at: http://www.ftm.org/
  
  
• Partners Task Force for Gay & Lesbian Couples is a national resource for same-sex couples. They support the diverse community of committed gay and lesbian partners through a variety of media. The constantly updated Web site contains 140+ pages of essays, surveys, legal information useful to couples, counselors, reporters, etc. Partners has also produced a video called "The Right to Marry"; images of the video are on the Web site. See: http://www.buddybuddy.com
  
  
• The Queer Resources Directory maintains a page of same-sex marriage information; it is frequently updated. See: http://qrd.tcp.com/
  
  
• Rainbow Hearts is a web site devoted to gay and lesbians weddings, unions and marriages." See: http://rainbowhearts.gq.nu/
  
  
• The Same Sex Weddings mailing list is a support group for couples planning a same-sex wedding. See: http://www.onelist.com/
  
  
• A liberal religious view is at: http://student-www.uchicago.edu/
  
  
• If you doubt the importance of extending the marriage option to gays and lesbians, please read about the pain that hatred can accomplish in the absence of such legislation: http://www.critpath.org/
  
  
• A web page associated with the MARRIAGE mailing lists is at: http://abacus.oxy.edu/ 

Essays and articles on same-sex marriage:

	Stuart Shepard, "Homosexual marriage debate spreads," Focus on the Family, 2001-JAN-24 at: http://www.family.org/
	"Gay Marriage: The arguments and the motives," is an essay by Scott Bidstrup which studies the causes of opposition to same-sex marriage. See: http://www.bidstrup.com/
	A 1996 statement by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (United States) is at: http://www.knight.org/
	"A Rite for the Celebration of Commitment to a Life Together" at: http://www.oasiscalifornia.org/ forms part of the "Report of the Second Consultation of Episcopalians on Same-Sex Unions," July 1996; available online at: http://www.oasiscalifornia.org/
	"Defending What? Gay Bashing Taints Legitimate Debate", Anchorage Daily News, Anchorage AK, 1996-SEP-15
	"The Courts Deliver", Honolulu Advertiser, Editorial page, 1996-DEC-4, Section 1, Page 14
	John Boswell, "Same-Sex Unions in Premodern Europe", Villard, New York, NY, (1994) You can read a review and/or safely order this book from the Amazon.com online bookstore
	Valerie Abrahamsen, "Burials in Greek Macedonia: Possible evidence for same-sex committed relationships in early Christianity," Journal of Higher Criticism, 4/2 (1997-FALL), Pages 33-56. Available at: http://daniel.drew.edu/
	Rob Morse, "Who Are These Men to Put Asunder," San Francisco Examiner, 1996-SEP-11

Books and other non-Internet resources

	An English translation of the Danish Act on Registered Partnership can be obtained for $2.00 USF from Paz y Liberacion, Box 66450, Houston, TX 77266.
	John Boswell, "Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality: Gay People in Western Europe from the Beginning of the Christian Era to the Fourteenth Century", Chapter 4, University of Chicago Press (1981). Read reviews and/or order this book.
	John Boswell, "Same-Sex Unions in Premodern Europe", Villard, New York, NY, (1994) You can read a review and/or safely order this book from the Amazon.com online bookstore
	Valerie Abrahamsen, "Burials in Greek Macedonia: Possible evidence for same-sex committed relationships in early Christianity," Journal of Higher Criticism, 4/2 (1997-FALL), Pages 33-56. Available at: http://daniel.drew.edu/

The Amazon.com online bookstore sells many books on same-sex marriage that you can safely buy:

Copyright © 1998 to 2011 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Latest update and review: 2011-AUG-19
Author: B.A. Robinson

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