Court nullifies oregon's gay marriages
Court nullifies oregon's gay marriages"
- Select a language for the TTS:
- UK English Female
- UK English Male
- US English Female
- US English Male
- Australian Female
- Australian Male
- Language selected: (auto detect) - EN
Play all audios:
PORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon Supreme Court on Thursday voided nearly 3,000 marriage licenses issued to gay and lesbian couples last year in Multnomah County, ruling that a single county did
not have the authority to act on a statewide issue. The court noted that Oregonians last November had passed a constitutional amendment defining marriage as a heterosexual institution.
Oregon was one of 11 states to adopt such an amendment. Conservative groups said the court ruling on top of the voter-approved amendment once and for all resolved the issue of same-sex
marriage in the state. “It’s over and done,” said Tim Nashif, director of the Defense of Marriage Coalition. “Marriage has been protected in Oregon.” But gay and lesbian groups say the fight
is not over. They promise to explore other legal and legislative avenues, including the legalization of same-sex civil unions. Democratic Gov. Ted Kulongoski, anticipating the court ruling,
introduced legislation Wednesday that would allow such unions and would outlaw discrimination against gays and lesbians. But even advocates say it could take months or years for the
legislation to become law. States have addressed the issue in different ways -- some to block the unions and some to allow them. Vermont offers civil unions to gays, and Connecticut is
expected to follow suit soon. Legal recognition of such unions would ascribe most rights and benefits of marriage to committed same-sex partners. Massachusetts is the only state that allows
same-sex marriages. President Bush supports amending the U.S. Constitution to ban same-sex marriages. In Portland, Thursday’s court ruling hit home for the couples involved. “In my mind and
heart, we are still married,” said Warren Clement, 62, referring to his partner, Scott Clift, 65. Portlanders and partners for nearly 29 years, Clement and Clift were among those who
obtained marriage licenses and married en masse last year in Multnomah County. The county encompasses the state’s most populous region, including Greater Portland, and is known as a
liberal-leaning pocket. Early last spring, county officials decided the state’s constitution prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and began issuing licenses to
same-sex couples. Soon there were long lines of people applying for licenses. The Oregon marriages became part of a flurry of same-sex weddings across the nation -- in San Francisco,
Seattle, New York and Massachusetts -- in the spring of 2004. Clement and Clift exchanged vows in one of Portland’s civic auditoriums, along with hundreds of gay and lesbian couples that
day. The couple celebrated their one-year anniversary March 3. “The fact that we have a marriage certificate on our living room wall is for me a great source of pride, and I’m not tearing it
down,” said Clift. “If they want it down, they’ll have to break into our house and take it down.” The mass weddings in Portland and elsewhere triggered a backlash, and opponents of same-sex
marriage began a series of legal challenges. Last April, Multnomah County Circuit Judge Frank Bearden ruled that restricting marriage to heterosexual couples constituted discrimination
against gays, but he also ordered the county to stop issuing licenses until the Legislature or the courts decided the issue. Thursday’s ruling by Oregon’s high court brought a mix of
reactions. Portland Mayor Tom Potter said in a statement that it was “a sad day” for Oregonians and all Americans. “I am especially saddened for my daughter, Katie,” he said. “As a Portland
police officer, she has put her life on the line to protect our community. Katie and her partner, Pam, married last March, with their two little girls watching. Now, I wonder, who will
protect Katie and her family?” John Belgarde, executive director of the Christian Coalition of Oregon, said he was pleased by the ruling and said he had predicted it. “We felt all along it
was going to go our way,” Belgarde said. “It was really a no-brainer.” The group is suing Multnomah County commissioners for spending taxpayer money on the issue of marriage licenses for
gays. “Part of the job of the Christian Coalition is to hold officials accountable to the people who elected them.” Mary Li, 41, and her partner, Rebecca Kennedy, 44, were among the first
gay Oregonians to marry last spring. Their wedding ceremony, at the Hilton in downtown Portland, was covered by local media. Although discouraged by Thursday’s ruling, Li said it only
affected the legal aspect of their partnership. “It has nothing to do with us as a couple, as a family,” she said. “We’ll continue to be a couple.” Li works with Basic Rights Oregon, a gay
advocacy group at the forefront of the marriage issue. She said the group’s lawyers would study the ruling before deciding on a new strategy. The state attorney general’s office said in a
statement that the ruling did not address the issue of civil unions and appeared to leave the door open for legislators to decide. “That issue still needs to be resolved, either through the
courts or the Legislature,” said Kevin Neely, spokesman for the attorney general. “The battle will still rage.” Meanwhile, conservative groups are bracing for a continued fight. “Same-sex
civil unions are gay marriage by another name, and they are just as wrong and just as dangerous,” said Robert Knight, director of the Culture and Family Institute, which is affiliated with
Concerned Women for America, a conservative public-policy organization in Washington, D.C. Such unions would “put the government’s stamp of approval on homosexuality,” Knight said. “It will
then be imposed on everyone ... and we will oppose it.” MORE TO READ
Trending News
He listens to the music of L.A.The frontman and soul of the rock band Jane’s Addiction leads us through the nooks and crannies of his favorite hometown...
5 ways the wwe can rescue roman reignsIt was all a bit too convenient: Fans revolt against a lackluster _Royal Rumble_, the next evening’s _Raw _is scheduled ...
Arsenal v Newcastle live stream: How to watch the Premier League from anywhere in the worldArsenal will be looking to bounce back from last weekend’s thrashing by Liverpool when they take on Newcastle in the ear...
‘Jewish Space Lasers’ Takes You on a Mindblowing Trip Into Conspiracy MadnessHaving a Cabal‘Jewish Space Lasers’ Takes You on a Mindblowing Trip Into Conspiracy MadnessMike Rothschild, who wrote a ...
Justices debate keeping iras away from creditorsWASHINGTON — With personal bankruptcies rising throughout the nation, the Supreme Court considered Wednesday whether IRA...
Latests News
Court nullifies oregon's gay marriagesPORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon Supreme Court on Thursday voided nearly 3,000 marriage licenses issued to gay and lesbian co...
See blake shelton, chris stapleton read mean tweets on 'kimmel'Old Dominion, Luke Combs and Little Big Town take a few punches after the 2017 CMA Awards The 2017 CMA Awards may have b...
See kiefer sutherland's video debut, 'not enough whiskey'As Kiefer Sutherland, star of _24_ and countless movies, preps the release of his debut album — an Americana and country...
Can a pro-pot-legalization texas dem beat an incumbent drug warrior? Update: yesUS House candidate Beto O'Rourke (D-Texas)<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/betoforcongress/7026017235/...
Wolves Return to Colorado? – Mother JonesPhoto by Chris Muiden, Wikipedia Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for t...