I Would Like 1 Civil Union Plz, Hold the Onions

[jJoEd77]

So what would it take for the feds to recognize civil unions? Is it complicated for a bill or whatever to go through? Cause I hear a lot about people debate whether to be for or against gay marriage but can we at least do something for the time being and give unionized couples rights at the federal level? We'll discuss the marriage in a bit.
Is the Obama administration even for accepting civil unions at the federal level?

 

[fabulouslyghetto]

Re: I Would Like 1 Civil Union Plz, Hold the Onion

Gays need to get more proactive instead of reactive.

Take a cue from the black community who, embarrassingly, waited for a black candidate to start registering to vote.

 

[TheTalkingAsshole]

Re: I Would Like 1 Civil Union Plz, Hold the Onion

fab...I couldn't disagree more. It was the proactivity and judicial activism that led to dozens of states taking up ballot initiatives that prohibited gay marriage. I'm not saying I agree with that, but that's what happened. You can say that we should fight...and fuck them and whatever you want to say...but the reality is that we need a lot of outside help to get it done. Making them defensive won't help.

A lot of Republicans and conservatives even have no problem with civil unions for gays which gives equal rights as far as the government is concerned. Heterosexual marriage is pretty much just a civil union governmentally, but they made the mistake of calling it marriage, which is more a religious institution.

The problem with the OP's question is that marriage is regulated on the state level, so federal legislation might be tricky in this arena. Since some of the early attempts to force gay marriage was met with so much resistance and it will take decades to reverse, the only way I see a quick favorable resolution is through the Supreme Court, although I don't see that happening quickly either.

One can say that gays should have been proactive by working through legislatures and courts, but it has backfired. I think that if we had worked within the system for civil unions we would have them much quicker than will end up being the case.

 

[HenryReardon]

Re: I Would Like 1 Civil Union Plz, Hold the Onion

fab...I couldn't disagree more. It was the proactivity and judicial activism that led to dozens of states taking up ballot initiatives that prohibited gay marriage. I'm not saying I agree with that, but that's what happened. You can say that we should fight...and fuck them and whatever you want to say...but the reality is that we need a lot of outside help to get it done. Making them defensive won't help.

A lot of Republicans and conservatives even have no problem with civil unions for gays which gives equal rights as far as the government is concerned. Heterosexual marriage is pretty much just a civil union governmentally, but they made the mistake of calling it marriage, which is more a religious institution.

The problem with the OP's question is that marriage is regulated on the state level, so federal legislation might be tricky in this arena. Since some of the early attempts to force gay marriage was met with so much resistance and it will take decades to reverse, the only way I see a quick favorable resolution is through the Supreme Court, although I don't see that happening quickly either.

One can say that gays should have been proactive by working through legislatures and courts, but it has backfired. I think that if we had worked within the system for civil unions we would have them much quicker than will end up being the case.

I've been saying much the same thing all along, and so (more or less) has Kuli. We are now experiencing the backlash which resulted from the activist crowd's shrill insistence on Marriage or nothing.

It will be years before the lost goodwill has been recovered.

 

[Spensed]

Re: I Would Like 1 Civil Union Plz, Hold the Onion

^ Of course, the other, and probably more realistic view, is that insisting on gay marriage has accelerated the concession of gay civil unions. Most civil rights movements have their appeasers and Uncle Toms.

 

[TheTalkingAsshole]

Re: I Would Like 1 Civil Union Plz, Hold the Onion

^ Of course, the other, and probably more realistic view, is that insisting on gay marriage has accelerated the concession of gay civil unions. Most civil rights movements have their appeasers and Uncle Toms.

Yes, I would equate the denial of marriage rights with the gaining civil unions. Makes sense to me. Because everyone is beating down the state capitols' doors to offer civil union legislation. And I'd ask you to expound on the second statement, but it makes so little sense that expounding isn't really appropriate...I'm think more along the lines of expunging.

 

[gewhite3]

Re: I Would Like 1 Civil Union Plz, Hold the Onion

There's an article on time.com that speaks to this very topic and makes some excellent points. Hope you read and enjoy it!!

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1885190,00.html