Still Looking Backwards

Jim Burroway

April 8th, 2013

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) suggests that if states offered civil unions to same-sex couples, that would put an end to the marriage equality debate and let him keep DOMA:

I’ll say this, I do believe this could be solved greatly by a civil-union law that would give gay people the same rights as married people,” said Hatch, who mentioned hospital visitations and tax benefits. “I think we can solve this problem without undermining the very basis of marital law in our country.”

It looks like someone has decided to jump on board the last decade’s bandwagon.

Gene in L.A.

April 8th, 2013

I remain uncomprehending of these people who say they’re accepting of allowing gay couples all the same rights, but who stop at allowing the use of the word marriage. Everything else being equal, what is preserved by withholding of the word? I wish one of them would plainly explain their reasoning. Also, I’ve come to realize wishing doesn’t do much good.

Priya Lynn

April 8th, 2013

Right Gene. If they were sincere about wanting gay couples to have all the rights of marriage they’d have no problem with giving them the name as well. They don’t want to give them the name “marriage” because they know it isn’t the same, it isn’t as good without the name. There’d be no need to call it something different if it wasn’t different.

Matt

April 8th, 2013

Senator Hatch should ask Vermont how that worked out…

jOHN

April 8th, 2013

Sounds like he knows he is on the loosing side of history but trying to keep face until he is 6 feet under!

There will be marriage for all and some are just looking to stall the progress.

Lindoro Almaviva

April 9th, 2013

Someone has not read brown vs. board of educations. The self entitlement of these new “whites” astonishes.

Timothy Kincaid

April 9th, 2013

Poor Senator Hatch. He’s one if those Mormon Republicans who really do want to kinda sorta be a nice guy if you squint sideways. His inner cranky old man is at war with his desire that everyone be happy.

I’ll give him this: he has at times voted our way. And truly support of civil unions is a far cry from many people on the right.

But after a month of cascading torrents of support for equality, this is kinda sad. If only he’d manage to mumble this two years ago he could maybe be a kinda sorta hero. Now it just sounds desperate.

So thank you Senator Hatch. Now move along.

Hunter

April 9th, 2013

Timothy — you’ve got it right: it’s a desperation move, about two years too late. It’s the sort of thing NOM and the Catholic hierarchy do when they’re losing.

It’s really a shame — twenty years ago, Hatch was on the verge of being a statesman. Now he’s just a dinosaur.

Shannon Spencer Fox

April 9th, 2013

I remain uncomprehending of these people who say they’re accepting of allowing gay couples all the same rights, but who stop at allowing the use of the word marriage. Everything else being equal, what is preserved by withholding of the word? I wish one of them would plainly explain their reasoning. Also, I’ve come to realize wishing doesn’t do much good.

I presume that it still maintains the supposed ‘sanctity’ of the institution, as if people like Brittney ‘Married For About 12 Hours’ Spears and Newt ‘Serial Adulterer’ don’t exist.

Not the least of which is, as Lindoro pointed out, setting up ‘civil unions’ with all the (supposed) rights of marriage, almost the exact definition of ‘separate but equal’… which has already been struck down by the Supreme Court.

Perhaps the most annoying part of all, though, is the fact that this specific concept (allowing for civil unions with ‘all the rights’) has already been done and proven to not work. I imagine I’m not the only one who remembers when New Jersey first tried civil unions, then did a study and found that… big surprise, that things weren’t equal, because everyone recognized what a married couple were, but didn’t have any rules about a ‘civil union’ couple.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recognition_of_same-sex_unions_in_New_Jersey#Same-sex_marriage

Shannon Spencer Fox

April 9th, 2013

… And I forgot to add Gingrich to that first paragraph there… in case anyone somehow didn’t know who I was talking about. ;)

johnson

April 9th, 2013

Definitely a desperate Face-saving move before he fades into the sunset

cowboy

April 9th, 2013

Sen. Hatch is the consummate politician.

His posturing for some sort of legacy will be tempered by this little faux pas on a radio talk-show.

He’s not going to run again for Senator so I can only speculate he is gunning for some Mormon job/calling from his Prophet when he’s finished with politics.

Ned Flaherty

April 9th, 2013

What Hatch is proposing nationally is exactly what the Mormon and Roman Catholic churches do globally.

Since 2003, the Vatican has demanded that local church officials actively campaign for civil unions whenever that would prevent passage of a full equality law, which is what the church did in NH, ME, RI, WA, Argentina, Australia, Austria, England, Italy, Portugal, Scotland, and Wales.

Since 2003, the Vatican has demanded that all Catholic politicians “support proposals aimed at limiting the harm done” by proposed pro-equality legislation.

When civil union is proposed in a last-minute campaign by Mormon/Catholic clergy, it’s nothing but a Trojan Horse antidote against full equality.

Source: “Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions Between Homosexual Persons,” 2003, by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (the future Pope Benedict XVI), approved by Pope John Paul II.

Mark F.

April 9th, 2013

It does seem really silly to fight over a word, and churches can still perform their own marriage ceremonies. I give Mr. Hatch one tenth of a cheer, however.

San Diego Rob

April 9th, 2013

So ah Orin, how are those Civil Unions working out in your state?

Oh wait, your own state hasn’t even granted them. And don’t most states who have passed constitutional amendments even not allow Civil Unions since cause it kinda looks like a marriage?

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