Senate panel OKs repeal of Defense of Marriage Act (but there's no chance of it passing) (legal, state)

[AnUnidentifiedMale]

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Thursday to repeal a federal law defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman, but the legislation lacks vote for passage in either House.

The vote was 10-8, with all committee Democrats favoring appeal and all Republicans opposed. The only immediate effect is political: Democrats can show part of their liberal base of backers that they strongly support equality in federal benefits for gay couples.

Senate panel OKs repeal of Defense of Marriage Act - politics - Capitol Hill - msnbc.com

Instead of wrestling with this marriage issue for years to come, I'd love to see a push for same-sex civil unions legislation in every state. It would be a lot less divisive, and would give same-sex marriage proponents everything they want except for the word 'marriage'.

What would be wrong with that?

[Gibbous Moon]

Originally Posted by AnUnidentifiedMale

Senate panel OKs repeal of Defense of Marriage Act - politics - Capitol Hill - msnbc.com

Instead of wrestling with this marriage issue for years to come, I'd love to see a push for same-sex civil unions legislation in every state. It would be a lot less divisive, and would give same-sex marriage proponents everything they want except for the word 'marriage'.

What would be wrong with that?

Nothing-- so long as the state can make a compelling reason to enact "separate but equal" (which we all know are never equal-- this country has been down that road before) legislation. In other words, does such a two-tiered system pass the strict scrutiny test, or at least the rational basis test?

Good luck with that.

DOMA will be repealed or struck down. Laws prohibiting same-sex marriage will be repealed or struck down. These things will happen, the only question being precisely when.

[hammertime33]

Originally Posted by AnUnidentifiedMale

Senate panel OKs repeal of Defense of Marriage Act - politics - Capitol Hill - msnbc.com

Instead of wrestling with this marriage issue for years to come, I'd love to see a push for same-sex civil unions legislation in every state. It would be a lot less divisive, and would give same-sex marriage proponents everything they want except for the word 'marriage'.

What would be wrong with that?

Separate but equal is wrong. We don't call identical legal contracts one thing for a group of people and another thing for different group of people based solely on the classification of people accessing the law. That's just about as un-American as it can get.

And why stop at the different names along the gay/straight divide. Why not civil "marriage" for straight couples, civil "unions" for gay couples, civil "shacking-ups" for atheist couples, civil "God commitments" for Christian couples, civil "mixings" for interracial or interfaith couples, etc, etc, etc?