gay marriage

[nonnywood76]

just wanted to ask a quick question........
My partner Craig and I have been together for 10 years now, I have diamonds on my finger and he has a gold band on his. We never had a commitment ceremony, just made a commitment to each other (I'm holding out for it to be legal in OZ).
Just wondering what the situation is in the rest of the world?
What are your rights as far as couples go?

[Daniel]

Originally Posted by nonnywood76

just wanted to ask a quick question........
My partner Craig and I have been together for 10 years now, I have diamonds on my finger and he has a gold band on his. We never had a commitment ceremony, just made a commitment to each other (I'm holding out for it to be legal in OZ).
Just wondering what the situation is in the rest of the world?
What are your rights as far as couples go?

Do I have the place correct? Or am I being hopelessly clueless?

The situation in the rest of the world it that many countries have gay marriage.

North America:

* Canada
* Mexico


United States:

North East
o Connecticut
o District of Columbia
o New Hampshire
o New Jersey
o New York
o Maine
o Massachusetts
o Vermont

Plains/Midwest
o Iowa
o Wisconsin

North West
o Oregon
o Washington

South West
o California
o Nevada

Europe:

* Belgium
* Croatia
* Denmark
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Hungary
* Iceland
* Ireland
* Luxembourg
* Netherlands
* New Zealand
* Norway
* Portugal
* Spain
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* United Kingdom

Africa:

* South Africa

Not bad, huh? And if we are lucky, my own state of New York may be added to the list soon. We are working hard for it here.

Great to hear that you two want to get hitched. That's great!

[nonnywood76]

lol good guess Daniel but nope not Queensland. I'm a country boy, on a river bank in New South Wales Close but no cookie for you

[nonnywood76]

oh and thanks for the answers to my question

[Alecto]

It looks like some of the States on your list, Danial, recognize other states' marriages but will not perform their own. Small detail, but worth noting.

[Daniel]

Originally Posted by Alecto

It looks like some of the States on your list, Danial, recognize other states' marriages but will not perform their own. Small detail, but worth noting.

Like my own state of New York.

Nonnywood- I could have seen where you were from simply by looking at the top of your post! The location of each member shows up there.

Ah me....the answers are staring us in the face and we don't see them. Now that's something to think about.

[tdogg]

Sadly, we don't have it anymore in CA. About 36,000 of us were fortunate enough to take advantage of legal marriage equality for several months in 2008, before Prop 8 passed and it was no longer allowed. There is a bill in the state legislature which would provide for recognition in CA for same gender marriages perfomed in other states, but the governor might veto it, who knows. But we are working hard to get this back in CA!

[offog]

Hey, cool! Congratulations to the two of you. I hope someday you get to officially tie the knot, if that's what you want.

In Canada, we allow gay marriage mostly because of a Supreme Court ruling. "Gay rights" aren't specificaly covered in the Charter of Rights in the Canadian Constitution. The Charter says you're protected from discrimination based on race, religion, gender, and all the usual stuff, but there's nothing about sexual orientation. Then a couple of years ago, the Supreme Court basically said that discrimination is discrimination, even if it's based on something not covered in the Charter.

So now gays and lesbians have equal protection under the law, including the right to marry. Here's hoping something similar happens down where you are.

[BishopIoan]

Here's hoping that there will be marriage equality in OZ soon so you can get married.

tdogg, I am so sorry that marriage equality was voted down in California. What is wrong with people who don't want others to be happy with the one they love? The audacity of people who feel they should get to vote on someone's civil rights is breathtaking. I heard that your Governator signed a bill that will accept marriages from out-of-state, just not call them marriages. Am I correct on that?

offdog, marriage equality in Canada is a wonderful thing. Even better is the fact that you don't have to be a Canadian citizen to get married there. My spouse and I married in Windsor, Ontario in September of 2007. It was wonderful to walk into the marriage license office and be treated just like any other couple applying for a license to wed. They have a swing in the square by city hall. The story is that couples who sit in it have long, happy marriages so of course my honey and I did just that. The wedding was intimate, held in a lovely little park by the Detroit River with those we love in attendance. I will always be grateful to Canada for making our dream of legal marriage a reality.

[AshR]

For about a month now, it has been possible for same sex couples to be married in state churches in Sweden. Individual ministers can still decline to marry same sex couples, but they are fewer who will not than those who will. Once again, the Scandinavian countries are leading the way in social reforms. Oh, and don't read the comments in the link, just the news article. I don't know why these people even move to Sweden if they are so intolerant!

http://www.thelocal.se/22810/20091022/