Friday, August 31, 2007

Gay Marriage and Politics
At a recent presidential candidate forum sponsored by gay rights advocates, Senator Clinton said things have changed on the federal level: for one thing, Republicans aren't pushing for a gay marriage amendment to the Constitution this election cycle. In fact, she said, gay marriage seems like it won't be an issue at all in 2008. Without state referendums and a constitutional amendment to drive evangelical Republicans to the polls, she seemed to be saying, Democrats will have a better time, not having to fight that fight.

I don't know if that's right...but we'll see, because an Iowa court (how fortuitous for GOP candidates there) has just ruled that state's gay marriage ban unconstitutional.
In his 63-page decision, Hanson wrote that the statute excluding same-sex couples from marriage "violates Plaintiff's due process and equal protection rights for the aforementioned reasons including, but not limited to, the absence of a rational relationship to the achievement of any legitimate governmental interest." Therefore the law is "unconstitutional and invalid."
Something tells me we're going to get a healthy dose of gay marriage talk after all, but good for that Iowa judge. Eventually, one of these rulings may stick. Maybe then, with gay couples more able to live their lives, and their loves, in normal social settings, the airport sex stall ring will dissipate, and Republican Senators will have to search out other avenues to explore their personal secret hypocrisies.

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