California attorney general Jerry Brown has altered the wording of the November ballot initiative Proposition 8, which would amend the state’s constitution to prohibit same-sex marriage. Original wording: [Prop 8] Amends the California Constitution to provide that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in Read more »
Category Archives: News
Massachusetts House approves repeal of 1913 marriage statute
Towleroad and everybody else is reporting that the Massachusetts House has voted to repeal a law enacted in 1913 that prohibits out-of-state couples from marrying in Massachusetts if the marriage would be invalid in their home state. The state senate approved the repeal two weeks ago and Massachusetts Governor Deval Read more »
California earthquake
Ron just called me in from the other room. He was on the phone with a colleague who works in Ontario, California, and in the middle of a sentence she suddenly exclaimed, “Oh my god, Ron, oh @#$%!” and dropped the phone. Ron then heard what sounded like things falling Read more »
Massachusetts gets rid of an antiquated law
Via the NY Times, great news from Massachusetts: Massachusetts may have been the first state to legalize same-sex marriage for its residents, but when California last month invited out-of-state gay and lesbian couples to get married, the potential economic benefits did not go unnoticed here. Now Massachusetts wants to extend Read more »
Prosecution for married couples?
Wisconsin has a law, going back to 1915, that’s meant to keep underage couples from marrying in another state, but its provisions might apply to same-sex marriages contracted in California. The Madison, Wis., Capital Times reports: Wisconsin is a state that imposes criminal penalties on residents if they enter a Read more »
Tomorrow’s the day
I’ve got the bags all packed, the cat-sitter’s confirmed to come in while we’re gone, and the last few naggling little household chores have been done. Travel arrangements have been confirmed, boarding passes printed out, transaction numbers recorded, and maps and directions obtained. I’ve been stressing, but all the little Read more »
AZ Senate puts gay marriage proposal on ballot
I spoke too soon. After the measure was first defeated, Arizona’s state senate has approved the anti–same-sex-marriage amendment. From the Arizona Republic: In the final hours of one of the longest state legislative sessions on record, state Senators approved a measure sending a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage to the Read more »
Ban on same-sex marriage fails in Arizona Senate
Ron and I lived in Arizona for six years and we still have lots of friends there, so I was glad to read this on azcentral.com: The Arizona Senate has rejected a proposal that would have asked voters to amend the state constitution to prohibit same-sex marriage. The 14-11 vote Read more »
Marriage shouldn’t be government’s concern? Really?
Here’s a semi-bizarre, though favorable, editorial on marriage equality in the Orange County Register: Our preference would be for the government not to be involved in marriage, the most fundamental of institutions in a civil society. Why two people who want to be married should be required to get a Read more »
Happy 75th, Clarabelle and Ross
We’re big fans of long marriages — Bill’s parents were married for almost 53 years and Ron’s for just under 50 — so we’re happy to see this story in the Daily Times about Ross and Clarabelle Snodgrass, who are celebrating their 75th wedding anniversary on July 1. Clarabelle recounts Read more »