Retired Chair of the U. S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, General John Shalikashvili, who had supported the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, says “I now believe that if gay men and lesbians served openly in the United States military, they would not undermine the efficacy of the armed forces. Our military has been stretched thin by our deployments in the Middle East, and we must welcome the service of any American who is willing and able to do the job.” Former Clinton Secretary of Defense William Cohen (R), agreed that “It’s time to start thinking about it.” The Seattle Post-Intelligencer hits the target by asking, “So now that we’re considering letting homosexuals in on our big, national sacrifice, maybe we can also let them get married. Just an idea.”- The 2008 U. S. presidential race is already shaping up. Coverage this week showed us a little of what several candidates think about same-sex marriage: Senator John McCain(R) has said “I think that gay marriage should be allowed, if there’s a ceremony kind of thing, if you want to call it that. I don’t have any problem with that, but I do believe in preserving the sanctity of the union between man and woman.” Mitt Romney(R), outgoing governor of Massachusetts, has been known for his opposition to same-sex marriage in his state, but also had his supporters give out fliers with well wishes from him and his running mate at Boston’s 2002 Pride Parade. Senator John Edwards(D) waffles, saying “I have a lot of personal struggle” with whether civil unions will be sufficient to give civil rights to same-sex couples or if we have to go all the way to marriage. John Bohrer’s article at the Huffington Post about Edwards is worth a read, though. He says “When Senator Edwards says he doesn’t know the answer to extending full equality, he’s spreading a misconception and confusing progressives. He knows the answer to that question—it’s the political one he’s struggling with.”
- The Massachusetts Legislature voted to advance a measure that would amend the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage. If the Legislature passes the measure again in its next session, it will go onto the 2008 ballot.
- A national poll indicates that 57 percent of the American public believe another state will legalize same-sex marriage in 2007. It is most likely to be California, where the legislature will consider such a bill and the state Supreme Court will hear on the issue. The LA Times reviews the status of same-sex marriage legislation and cases in California, and teaches us the acronym “ABM” to describe the middle position of “anything but marriage.” Guess I’m still stuck in the ’80’s—I thought it stood for “anti-ballistic missle.”
- New York could be next after California, however. Within a year, incoming New York Governor Eliot Spitzer will propose legislation legalizing same-sex marriage in the state.
- In a move that went almost unnoticed, the Washington, D.C. Council approved a bill on Dec. 19 that would allow the city’s registered domestic partners to file joint returns for their District of Columbia income taxes starting with the 2007 tax year. The passage of the bill was kept quiet to avoid opposition, but this meant that outgoing Mayor Anthony Williams, a supporter of LGBT rights, did not hear of it or sign it before he left office. Incoming Mayor Adrian Fenty has said “It’s a great bill. . . . We’ll make sure it happens.”
Around the world:
- In a groundbreaking case that expands the legal definition of family, a Canadian Court named three people—a lesbian couple and the biological father—parents of the same child.
- A couple in Switzerland has celebrated that country’s first same-sex civil union.