Colorado Senate Passes Civil Unions Bill (Without the Religious Giveaways)

[rareboy]

yay for the good guys and our side!!!!!!!

[Just_Believe18]

Colorado, welcome to progressivism and social justice!

[tigerfan482]

Love it. Isn't it great when hatred and discrimination backfire?

[Ninja108]

It's not gay marriage but it's a start. And good riddance to the Religious Reich.

[Ninja108]

Seperate but unequal stinks but it's better then nothing.
And when will they start taxing the churches?!

[T-Rexx]

YAY! Now we can get a seat at the back of the bus!

[Sausy]

While civil unions aren't perfect every positive step taken towards equality is something worth our support. We've a long way to go but have come a whole lot farther than most of us could have imagined. Politics is the art of accomplishing the possible, not the ideal. Jockboy's perspective is spot on.

[Rolyo85]

I'm sure it's not a small thing for Coloradans, but ultimately, in 2013 it's no longer a "win" when we are talking about recognizing officially our relationships. Civil unions were always a half-measure, a band aid on the wound of marriage inequality. Today, with so many wins for real marriage, civil unions just feel "meh".

[Sausy]

Sad that Republicans still overall have tremendous resistance to basic equality and fairness but glad two at least are on the right side of history.

[Rolyo85]

The bill passed. It's now headed for the governor's desk.

[Sausy]

There probably would have been more if the religious conscience provisions had passed, but that would have meant infringing on the anti-discrimination law passed in 2007 for votes we did not need.

The problem with the religious conscience provisions is how in the name of faith the right to discriminate gets codified.... thankfully we didn't need to water down our rights to win a few squeamish bigots over.

[Sausy]

It's a farce meant to justify descrimination. "Religious freedom" is the "states' rights" argument rebranded. Rep. Salazar even called it Jim Crow in the house floor.

Very true. It's like "you can have your rights, but I don't have to accept them because it goes against my moral code", in essence makes the law meaningless which is of course the bigots aim.

[Sausy]

I was reading on online article about what constituencies still were most hostile to marriage equality, and though of course religious conservatives and poorer whites were highly in opposition interestingly the most hostile were those who were identified with the Tea Party. Nearly 100% opposition... so called " small government" principles my ass!

That there was that realization of inevitability makes it so pathetic how they looked so transparent with those amendments. In that article it also was mentioned 12-13 states additionally could enact legislation recognizing civil unions and full on marriage within the next year so hopefully we'll have a lot more good news before long regarding the move towards equality.

[Rolyo85]

Congratulations. A step forward

[72-Jay]

The bill has been signed and is officially law.

Coloradans, I know G-Lex is from Denver, if you need the rights of civil unions for your relationship, you can apply on May 1.

Yep.. signed into law today
If I had had today off ..I woulda deffinitely considered going down into Denver to attend the signing event

[Ninja108]

It should also be noted that when this bill was killed last year,two of the Republicians who voted against it had gay sons. One of them made it a point to have it be known his gay son didn't matter one bit in his vote,he was representing his voters blah blah blah.
The other one had her son outed in the public eye by accident by someone who was giving her kudos for voting against the bill and keeping her son a second class citizen.
Tried to use that when faced when a primary threat on how anti-gay she was and got primaried anyway. She spat in the face of her son for a party that got rid of her anyway.
And finally,this should put to rest the argument that the "family values" groups and others would be fine with civil unions since it isn't called marriage.
They don't want us to be acknowledged at all,period.

[CoolBlue71]

Update:

http://www.denverpost.com/breakingne...es-up-pen-sign

[72-Jay]

^Just a bit ago I read that article in today's paper

[Ninja108]

IMO,gay marriage will happen in Colorado down the road. The times are changing

[72-Jay]

there probably will be petitions circulating for repeal soon.

There was talk of doing that as early as next year...

[72-Jay]

The bill takes effect tonight (at 12:01 am wednesday)

Denver & Boulder will have offices open at midnight (til 3am & 2am) to begin issuing licenses to eager couples.
Officials be on hand to perform civil union ceremonies.
In Denver 'One Colorado' is hosting a midnight celebration
In Boulder 'Out Boulder' is hosting a celebration beginning at 11:30pm

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Congrats to anyone who is getting Civil Union'ed (not sure if thats the correct way to say it?)

[Ninja108]

Civil unions will do for now but seperate but equal isn't.

[ChickenGuy]

YAY! Now we can get a seat at the back of the bus!

Civil unions will do for now but seperate but equal isn't.

More of the usual bullshit fiction about civil unions. It has just NOTHING to do with 'getting to the back of the bus' T-Rexx and (gasp) Ninja108 you might yet realise that some gays WANT separate but equal, some gays PREFER seperate but equal, and I for one am one of them. Stop living in your ideological goldfish bowl and stop regurgitating your spoon-fed catchphrases.

I get really sick to death of the gay community intentionally sabotaging and alienating the progress of their own rights by slandering and insulting ANYONE who does not 100% agree with the POLITICAL left-wing inspired marriage mania obsession in the United States. Spout your website inspired talking points all you wish, but don't claim you speak for everyone, and don't insult both gays and African-Americans by making ridiculously inaccurate comparisons with the 1960's black civil rights movement.

[White Eagle]

Hopefully the Dem takeover of their Congress is an example of what the GOP can expect next election.

[eastofeden]

^^^I have no desire to embrace the oppressive institution of marriage. I don't want any part of it personally...

...but the fact remains that marriage is a legal institution and equality under the law is essential....for everyone. Simple.

(PS...Gay Marriage is not necessarily a "left wing" obsession. Equality under the law for everyone *is*)

[Ninja108]

More of the usual bullshit fiction about civil unions. It has just NOTHING to do with 'getting to the back of the bus' T-Rexx and (gasp) Ninja108 you might yet realise that some gays WANT separate but equal, some gays PREFER seperate but equal, and I for one am one of them. Stop living in your ideological goldfish bowl and stop regurgitating your spoon-fed catchphrases.

I get really sick to death of the gay community intentionally sabotaging and alienating the progress of their own rights by slandering and insulting ANYONE who does not 100% agree with the POLITICAL left-wing inspired marriage mania obsession in the United States. Spout your website inspired talking points all you wish, but don't claim you speak for everyone, and don't insult both gays and African-Americans by making ridiculously inaccurate comparisons with the 1960's black civil rights movement.

You have the right to your option. Just DON'T lecture me about how I live in a goldfish bowl and how we are hurting ourselves by not being content with civil unions which DON'T have all the rights of marriage and WON'T be acknowledged at the federal level even if DOMA is struck down.
As for "insulting" the movement,gays and lesbians have also been murdered,targeted for discrimination when it comes to work,housing etc so yes,it is part of the civil rights movement.

[rareboy]

Well as a Canadian living in a country with all the rights of marriage...we're very happy with it, thank you all very much.

Civil unions are perceived as a second class solution. Pure and simple. If people are satisfied with this, great. But we shouldn't have to be.

[ChickenGuy]

(PS...Gay Marriage is not necessarily a "left wing" obsession. Equality under the law for everyone *is*)

The polarised world of political 'debate' in America has MADE it a left-wing obsession, by expecting and assuming that either 100% or 0% of your party membership (depending on your affiliation) is for and against the issue. That's when a pro-marriage Republican isn't tolerated by party or voter AND when an anti-marriage Democrat isn't tolerated by party or voter. And that's when the issue starts becoming MORE ABOUT POLITICS than civil rights.

You have the right to your option. Just DON'T lecture me about how I live in a goldfish bowl and how we are hurting ourselves by not being content with civil unions which DON'T have all the rights of marriage and WON'T be acknowledged at the federal level even if DOMA is struck down.

It's not a matter of 'not being content' - it's the castigation and dismissing and effective stigmatising of anyone who prefers civil unions over marriage. It is ALSO the refusal to even consider the possibility of a debate on the issue OR that both systems (as I've previously suggested) could operate in tandem and be open and available for both straight and gay.

Instead, it's always back to the stupid and simplistic one-liner catchphrases like 'back of the bus' and 'seperate but equal' as if nothing more ever needed to be said about the issue. Dumbing the whole issue down to that moronic level of 'discussion' is what angers me.

Civil unions are perceived as a second class solution.

Thankyou for making my point. That perception has been fostered and perpetrated by the media, websites, news outlets, all obviously on the polarised far left (see my reply to eastofeden). And it is a false perception. Why is it peddled? My guess is because any 'middle ground' is claimed by them to be out of the question and tantamount to Nazi sympathisers and black pro-segregationists. (more political emotive rhetoric). Why is any middle ground so despised? Because the furtherly ideological both sides become, the more intolerant they are of beliefs and opinions other than their own.

Meh. I guess CE&P is hardly the best place to be expecting agreement from people about the inherent flaws of overly politically-driven thought.

[Ninja108]

When the federal government treats civil unions the same as marriage,then we'll talk. But since they don't,and still won't when DOMA is struck down,it's a seperate and not equal carrot.