TresSugar

Rhode Island Governor Vetoes Same-Sex Funeral Rights

TresSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0800

Rhode Island's state legislature thought it would be a good idea to give same-sex partners the right to plan each other's funerals when one partner passes away. It's a right married couples have, of course. But Gov. Don Carcieri said: not so fast! The socially conservative leader vetoed the bill because it's part of a "disturbing trend" threatening heterosexual marriage. I'm confused. How does a gay person planning a loved one's funeral have anything to do with someone else's marriage?

Those who support the veto point out that Rhode Island recognizes neither gay marriage nor civil unions. Still, many people are shocked that the governor would intervene to deny same-sex partners some comfort during a hard time. The state's attorney general has called the veto "cruel and heartless," and lawmakers in the Democratically-controlled legislature said they would work to override the veto. Hopefully they will succeed!

Say What? Portia de Rossi on Why Marriage Matters

TresSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:05:00 -0800

"The thing about being a gay couple is that in the past you referred to your 'wife' and there was quotation marks around it. There was always that chance that people would kind of snigger about it. But now it's fact, it's law. She's my wife. I get to say that she's my wife. And that's just the way it is."

- Portia de Rossi told Oprah yesterday why marriage matters to gay couples. Portia and her wife Ellen DeGeneres got married in August 2008 and they both appeared on Oprah's show to discuss their relationship and careers.

Front Page: Maine Voters Reject Gay Marriage

TresSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:00:12 -0800

Voters in Maine voted to repeal legislature-approved gay marriage yesterday by 53 to 47 percent. - Politico
Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin will host the Oscars together this year. - BuzzSugar
Michael Bloomberg has won a third term as New York City's mayor, after spending a record $90 million on the campaign. - New York Times
Convicted rapist Anthony Sowell has been charged with five counts of aggravated murder, as investigators in Cleveland, OH, continue to search for bodies in his home. - CNN
Roman Polanski's defense team will argue for the dismissal of the director's sexual assault case during a hearing to be held in US court on Dec. 10. - LA Times
Judge who disapproved of interracial marriages resigns. - CNN

Source: Flickr User Hodgey

Which Will Be Legalized First: Pot or Gay Marriage?

TresSugar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:00:46 -0800

Can you believe it used to be against the law in America to have a nice cold beer or a refreshing glass of wine? I can't! Perhaps that's what future generations will say when they look back at some of our more moralistic laws, specifically those banning marijuana and gay marriage.

Slate ran a piece yesterday arguing that America will soon get rid of these modern prohibitions. In fact, Maine is voting today on a referendum that would legalize gay marriage and another that would legalize medical marijuana, so I guess we'll get to test that thesis soon.

Now that we have a justice department that will not prosecute medical marijuana possession - not to mention a president who once said: "I inhaled. . . frequently. That was the point." - it's not such a stretch to think Americans might soon be able to get high without fear of the jail time. And while many states still have all-out bans on same-sex marriage, the public seems increasingly supportive of marriage equality. Which do you think has a better chance of becoming fully legalized first?

Flashback: What If You Had to Ask Permission to Get Married?

TresSugar — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 02:00:00 -0700

Sometimes empathy is the most powerful way of moving civil rights forward, which is why this PSA from 2005 is so effective. It depicts what it must feel like for gay people who are barred from legally marrying by showing a man walking from house to house asking strangers if can have his girlfriend's hand in marriage. Wow. (As of today, five states - New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Iowa - have made gay marriage legal.)

News Flash: 92% of Iowans Say Gay Marriage Has Had No Impact on Their Lives

TresSugar — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:00:00 -0700

Despite Iowa's legalization of same-sex marriage earlier this year, 92 percent of people there say life has continued as normal. Surprise! Apparently allowing gay people to participate in an institution designed to stabilize society hasn't caused all hell to break loose or threatened anyone's "traditional" marriage (or divorce).

Ironically, this same poll found that Iowans are still divided about whether gay marriage should be legal - 41 percent said they would vote to ban gay marriage and 40 percent said they would vote to continue it. Certain respondents must not have cared about the cognitive dissonance required to say on the one hand, gay marriage has brought no change to my life, but on the other, I'm still opposed to it.

Do these contradictory opinions surprise you?

Flashback: The Golden Girls on Gay Marriage

TresSugar — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:00:00 -0700

The Golden Girls were wise beyond their collective years. (And that's really saying something!) In this snippet, Blanche's brother is marrying a man (you could do that then, apparently) and the Southern belle is not charmed. But leave it to Sophia to dole out the only argument ever really needed for gay marriage: they love each other. And, then of course follow up with a smart-ass bang! Whoa. Pun definitely not intended.

Gay-Married: A Term of Exuberance or Ignorance?

TresSugar — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 10:15:00 -0700

Some gay people may get married now, but do they get "gay-married"? Not so sure. The term is popular among a gaggle of campy gay (and straight) people to signify that they like something a lot. How much? They want to gay-marry it, like the Twitterer above who wants to do unmentionable things to a sandwich.

Good magazine cites our Do, Dump, or Gay-Marry Angelina Jolie post - and Pinko Magazine's more abrasive Gay Marry or Abort feature - as evidence that gettin' gay-married can be all in good fun. It's a new spin on the childhood taunt of "If you like it so much, why don't you marry it," and no different than 30 Rock's Tracy Jordan saying "I love it so much, I want to take it behind the middle school and get it pregnant."

Glib? Yes. Contemptuous? It depends. Some argue that it's insulting to gay people who want gay marriage to go mainstream; purveyor-of-the-bright-side Good thinks it entered our vernacular through the media and reflects society's comfort level with gay marriage. What do you think - is the use of "gay-marry" insulting to gays, or can it be a term expressing exuberance?

Mormons Petition Church to Change Gay Marriage Stance

TresSugar — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 06:00:00 -0700

A group of Mormons have urged the church to change its position on gay marriage for the sake of Mormon families and gay individuals who have lost rights because of the church's actions. A petition going around urges both sides of the debate to be open to understanding, forgiveness, and apology.

The group's organizer says:

"We would like the church to recognize the harm that's been done to people in the gay community, in general, but specifically to LDS gays who have tried to change their orientation to live up to the church's expectations. The effects can be really devastating to them and their families."

Supporters of the petition also point out that the Mormon teachings have made it hard for followers with gay family members to reconcile their support of their loved ones with their faith. Marie Osmond offers one high profile example of someone that did make it work - Marie doesn't think her Mormon faith should keep her from loving her gay daughter because Christ, she said "loved everyone."

Do you find it admirable that these Mormons are trying to change the ways of their religion?

MTV News: Top 5 Cultural Milestones for Class '09

TresSugar — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:30:00 -0700

MTV News came up with what it considers the top five cultural milestones for the last graduating class of the decade.
Here's what they came up with:
5. Gay marriage
4. Twitter
3. Twilight
2. Lady Gaga
1. President Obama

Here's how one irate recent graduate responded to the list:

Just omit the middle three and pretend like nothing happened. Just, go five to one. I'm PART of this generation and I am amazed at the choices. But maybe it's because I graduated a whole entire year ahead of them that I realized how stupid my generation is. I mean, I do not even think we would notice if the list went from five to one. We'd just clap our hands and move on to the next shiny, unimportant thing, all the while ignorant to anything beside auto-tuning and Robert Pattinson.

Whether you've just graduated or are old enough to be the parent of an '09 graduate, what do you think about MTV's list and/or this commenter's assessment of the so-called Millennials or Generation Y?