Vermont says -˜yes’
Vermont has become the fourth US state to legalise same-sex marriage, joining Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa.
The state’s legislature voted for a same-sex marriage bill last week but were four votes short of the majority need to override a gubernatorial veto. Republican governor Jim Douglas vetoed the bill on Monday.
On Tuesday several members of the legislature who had originally voted against the bill changed their votes, thus providing the majority needed to override the governor’s veto. Under Vermont law, two-thirds of each chamber must vote for an override.
In the nation’s capital, Washington DC’s council has voted to recognise same-sex marriages performed in other states.
I agree with Jason. Also, did we get an opportunity to vote on the Marriage Act 1961? Should we be able to vote on every piece of legislation passed by state and federal parliaments? And should we have had the opportunity to vote on the Home and Community Care Act 1985 (for example)?
Why should same-sex marriage and gay rights be voted on when other human rights issues are considered off limits?
Mark – Also in my opinion if Australia did have a vote on gay marriage and the majority voted against gay marriage well that would make it alot harder to legalise gay marriage, There is bascially two ways for gay marriage to become legal in Australia, the first is we need a government that will table a bill on gay marriage and pass it into law, and the second option is do to gay marriage state by state.
Mark – Califorina is arguably the most gay friendly state in the United States and the majority of people voted for prop 8 which banned gay marriage, so what chance does Australia stand ? And yes running up to the vote for or against prop 8 a number of opinion polls actually suggested that the majority supported gay marriage so when in reality its a different story at the voting box. Australia is to backwards in regards to homosexuality just yet to allow a vote on gay marriage, Im sorry people but thats the truth.
I fully agree James, since most Australian support same-sex marriage – put it to the voters as a refaremdum and we will then see if it will be legal then in 2010. The proposed question on the ballot will be –
Do you support amending section 6 of the Marriage Act 1961 to include two individual adult persons that consist of the same sex to say “a union bewtween two (2) adult persons, regardless of sex or sexual orientation?
YES with a box
NO with a box
Paul Keating and his quote, Two men and a cockerspaniel do not make a family have no relevance or justification these days.
I do not care that Mr Gay is a vegetarian – what matters that we as gay people are not invisable and that we should be recognised and our right to marry should be our right under the law and consitution!!!! By the way I am a meat eater (yes “that” kind of meat also as well – get the joke).
Whats interesting is that in all the major “news papers” there’s no coverage of the Iowa and Vermont gay marriage decision to legalise it. Yet when the winner of Mr gay UK turned out to be a killer (he was not a vegetarian) it was posted in most major news papers.
They should put it to the people and see what they think.
4 down, 46 to go!!!!
So do I.
Thats progress. I hope the other states follow suit!