April 20, 2000

7:53 AM

Should other states recognize same-sex civil unions licensed in Vermont? Vote and they'll send your vote to state governors, Congress, and the President.
posted by veruca (8 comments total)

there sure are alot of NO votes as opposed to YES. sad sad.

i don't see what the deal is. we shouldnt even have to vote on issues like these. its personal choices between two people that are no business of anyone else. but somehow everyone is scared and feels like it will affect them.
posted by sikk at 8:54 AM on April 20, 2000

the president can cheat on his wife. get his cock sucked in the white house, but gay men and women who wish to be legally recognized as a couple cannot.
posted by sikk at 8:57 AM on April 20, 2000

Indeed.

Perhaps I'm missing something, but who the hell said the states had any choice?

Don't I remember something about "full faith and credit to the actions of other states" in the US Constitution?
posted by baylink at 9:13 AM on April 20, 2000

uh huh. Article IV, section 1. But it *also* says "And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof". Which I guess was all they needed to enact the "Defense of Marriage Act" in 1996, which reads in part: "No State, territory, or possession of the United States, or Indian tribe, shall be required to give effect to any public act, record, or judicial proceeding of any other State, territory, possession, or tribe respecting a relationship between persons of the same sex that is treated as a marriage under the laws of such other State, territory, possession, or tribe, or a right or claim arising from such relationship". It also created a federal-law definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman. Which makes you wonder: if a state were to go ahead and decide to create not gay civil unions, but gay marriages: would they and any couples taking advantage of the state law be criminals under federal law?

ah, America.
posted by Sapphireblue at 10:08 AM on April 20, 2000

Nicely put. I hope and pray that Vermont passes it. You *know* someone's going to jail over it after crossing a stste line, and you *know* that gay lawyers (and for that matter, probably a bunch of straight ones, too) will be falling over each other to prosecute it pro bono. We just have to get it into a court and lose.

Ain't the 'Murrican legal system great?
posted by baylink at 1:39 PM on April 20, 2000

I've said on Lake Effect several times that Vote.com is just another business, one effectively selling "microaccess". It isn't a guarantee your voice will be heard; in fact, it may be the opposite. If you vote in this online poll and expect that your form e-mail will be read, you're delusional.

If, on the other hand, you wish to have some effect on your elected representatives, sit down, write a hand-signed personal letter, and maybe even call.

This particular issue is going to be years, if not decades, in its resolution. It's completely moot until a state actually does begin sanctioning civil unions.
posted by dhartung at 6:38 PM on April 20, 2000

I absolutely agree that the best way to have your voice heard is through a hand-signed letter or phone call to the elected representatives of your district/state/country. However, also sending an email, either through your own addresss, or via vote.com cannot hurt the expression of "your voice". I do realize that vote.com is a corporation that is effectively selling freedom of speech and political activeness, but the people that choose to vote on these isseus via vote.com likely would not have communicated to their government representatives at all without vote.com. And those that would have taken that initiative likely will continue to anyways through other channels so.....what's the harm?
posted by Ms Snit at 7:38 PM on April 21, 2000

I would agree with all of the negative feelings about vote.com. As someone who works for a State Senator up here in Wisconsin, I can tell you that NOTHING is as effective as a handwritten letter or phone call. We get lots of emails a day, and a few "votes" sent to us from different sites on the web. I can tell you that those letters and calls get the most attention. And as a gay 20 year old, with 2 gay siblings (yes, we're 3 for 3 in my family), I of course Vermont's domestic partnership legislation. Too bad Wisconsin's DP legislation didn't even get a public hearing. :(
posted by UWliberal at 7:56 PM on April 21, 2000