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Massachusetts Court: Gay Civil Unions Not Enough
Standing by its ruling from November, the Massachusetts high court ruled on Wednesday that civil unions for same-sex couples are not a viable alternative to full civil marriage in the eyes of the state Constitution.
"The history of our nation has demonstrated that separate is seldom, if ever, equal," the four justices wrote, as reported by the Associated Press.
The advisory opinion was requested by the state Senate last December. It brings the state a significant step closer to legalizing same-sex marriages in May.
Advocates for GLBT civil rights applauded Wednesday's decision with a flurry of press releases.
"Lesbian and gay people are not being treated equally as long as we are denied full marriage equality, and Massachusetts' highest court made that clear again today," said David Buckel, director of Lambda Legal's Marriage Project.
"It comes as no surprise to most people that the court upheld its earlier ruling for equality and fairness," Cheryl Jacques, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement. "In handing down Goodridge, the state's highest court did the only thing it could do in the face of such glaring discrimination against hard-working, taxpaying couples and their children in Massachusetts. Today, the court reaffirmed its fair-minded and historic decision."
In last November's landmark decision, The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled in the case -- known as Goodridge et al v. The Department of Public Health -- that withholding civil marriage rights from same-sex couples is unconstitutional.
More details coming shortly on Gay.com/PlanetOut.com...
http://planetout.com/news/article.html?date=2004/02/04/1
The advisory opinion was requested by the state Senate last December. It brings the state a significant step closer to legalizing same-sex marriages in May.
Advocates for GLBT civil rights applauded Wednesday's decision with a flurry of press releases.
"Lesbian and gay people are not being treated equally as long as we are denied full marriage equality, and Massachusetts' highest court made that clear again today," said David Buckel, director of Lambda Legal's Marriage Project.
"It comes as no surprise to most people that the court upheld its earlier ruling for equality and fairness," Cheryl Jacques, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement. "In handing down Goodridge, the state's highest court did the only thing it could do in the face of such glaring discrimination against hard-working, taxpaying couples and their children in Massachusetts. Today, the court reaffirmed its fair-minded and historic decision."
In last November's landmark decision, The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled in the case -- known as Goodridge et al v. The Department of Public Health -- that withholding civil marriage rights from same-sex couples is unconstitutional.
More details coming shortly on Gay.com/PlanetOut.com...
http://planetout.com/news/article.html?date=2004/02/04/1
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