Some good political news

[redbird]

Yay, Iowa! The Iowa Supreme Court has unanimously upheld a ruling that limiting marriage to mixed-sex couples violates the state constitution, and ordered that marriage licenses be issued to same-sex couples within the next three weeks.

I'd lost track of this case, as we were all watching California and I kept a cautious eye on the NY legislature*


*always the best kind, though in this case I was hopeful they'd do something good, not wary that they'd take something away.

Comments

[daharyn.livejournal.com]

It's my (undoubtedly limited) understanding that we can chalk up being slow to move on this to the four? or so conservative Democrats in the NY state legislature? Am I wrong about that? Also about thinking that it isn't going to take all that long? Even Bloomberg's publicly for it, now. (I'm sure that his announcement at the LGBT center's fundraising dinner last week was a calculated move as he seeks a third term, but even so.) And the dude's trying to get on the Republican line on the ballot...

On the other hand, I'm picturing my mother rushing down from the Cities to, say, Des Moines, tearing down I-35 with a car full of balloons and a big cake, which is giving me more than a little pleasure on an otherwise dreary day. (My family wants me to marry rather badly. They don't care who at this point, but they see it as this essential adult thing, and don't grok me not sharing their opinion on the matter.)

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

That is a *wonderful* image of your mom. :)

[ckd]

My family wants me to marry rather badly.

Something like this?

[cantkeepsilent.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure it's dead for this session of the Legislature. It won't even come up for a vote, which makes me think that behind the scenes the problem is that there are more than the three conservative Dem senators who don't want to be on the record for whatever reason. I suspect that gerrymandering redistricting will go well for the Democrats next year and we'll have a good chance after the 2010 elections as long as we have a pro-legalization Governor (which seems like a good bet).

Also, just to be clear, this fight is over performing same-sex marriage ceremonies in New York. It's already been affirmed that marriages outside the state must be recognized in New York, so all you have to do is hop the border over to Massachusetts or wherever.

[redbird]

Bloomberg's position is weird: when he appealed the state supreme court decision ordering the city to perform same-sex marriages, he said that he agreed with it but thought it should be settled statewide. *sigh*

I think it's three conservative Democrats, plus Albany being like that.

[daharyn.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Didn't mean to hijack redbird's post, but the poly and "alternatives to marriage" conversations with my mom could probably become the basis for a really great stage farce, it's true. Stuff of Legend.

[daharyn.livejournal.com]

I think it's three conservative Democrats, plus Albany being like that.

Word! If I had a dollar for every time "Albany was like that", I'd be traveling the world on my earnings. Being paid by an institution beholden to both city and state (and with both city and state payrolls depending on what you do and where you do it, btw) teaches you a hell of a lot about bureaucracy...

[redbird]

I don't feel remotely hijacked; poly and alternatives to marriage are both topics I'm happy to discuss with interested, intelligent people, or indeed to read said people discussing.

[calanthe-b.livejournal.com]

Yay! This is good news.