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Good News for Gay Couples
On Wednesday, Oregon’s governor (Ted Kulongoski) signed a bill into law recognizing same-sex unions, granting couples who join in such a union most of the benefits afforded to “regular” married folk (another new law he signed bans discrimination based on sexual orientation):
Kulongoski, a strong backer of both measures, said they would “transform our state from one of exclusion to one of complete inclusion.”
The new law for gay couples recognizes their union as a “domestic partnership,” allowing the couples to enter into a contractual relationship. This puts the state in line with six other states that recognize such civil unions or domestic partnerships (Vermont, Connecticut, California, New Jersey, Maine and Washington). And by banning sexual orientation discrimination, Oregon joins 18 other states.
Meanwhile, Massachusetts remains the only state to fully allow gay couples to marry. Eventually, a proposition may show up on state ballots for voters to take a chance at banning gay marriages. However, the state legislature has again decided to put off the fight over that ballot proposition for the moment. It’s only a small reprieve, though, as the vote was only put off until June 14, and the folks over at Bostonist would just like to get things over with:
We oppose adding the ban to the ballot, but this delaying makes us want to yell, “Get it over with!” The collision [and “ugly battle”] is inevitable.On the bright side, perhaps pro-gay marriage forces will have a little more time to convince eight lawmakers to vote against adding the ban to the ballot. That’s all it would take to turn things around. On the negative side, if a small number of legislators allowed the ban, who’s to say they won’t do it again?
