Box Turtle Bulletin
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News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyMay 14th, 2013
Fireworks over Minneapolis
You remember how every time a new state or country completed the process of granting marriage equality for same-sex couples, we’d post a picture of fireworks. But in the past two weeks, we’ve had Rhode Island and Delaware do that, and we’ve had a hard time mustering the energy to Google “Fireworks Providence” to find a photo to swipe. And it’s not just BTB. I noticed our local paper, the otherwise somewhat left-of-center Arizona Daily Star, burying the Minnesota story deep inside — in the B section, no less, under one of those “Around the Nation” aggregations.
But when Minnesota’s Gov. Mark Dayton (DFL) signed that state’s marriage equality legislation in an outdoor ceremony on the Capital steps this afternoon, Minnesota became the first Midwestern state to legalize same-sex marriage as a result of legislative action and not by court order, and it became the twelth state nationally to provide marriage equality. As Gov. Dayton said:
“Progress has often been difficult, controversial and, initially, divisive,” Dayton said. “However, it has always been the next step ahead to fulfilling this country’s promise to every American.”
That next step will take place on August 1 when the new marriage law goes into effect.
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Joseph Singer
May 15th, 2013
Why do you insist on saying that Minnesota is the first midwest state to have marriage equality when Iowa (news it’s midwest too!) has had marriage equality since 2009.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midwestern_United_States
Please get with the program!
occono
May 15th, 2013
“Not by court order”.
Jim Burroway
May 15th, 2013
John Singer,
I did not say Minnesota is the first midwest state to have marriage equality. I said it was the first one to get it via legislative initiative and not under court order.
Get with the program! ;-)
Michael C
May 15th, 2013
While Minnesota legislators rocked my socks today, it also pleases me to hear that the nationwide reaction is rather ho-hum.
I can get married, now! The rest of the country says “That’s nice, dear.”
Ben McL
May 15th, 2013
I’ve noticed, too, that the response to the recent spate of Marriage Equality victories has been rather ho-hum (outside of the LGBTQ sphere). It has been in newspapers but I specifically watched the network news broadcasts (ABC, CBS and NBC) and there was not a single mention of RI, DE or MN passing Marriage Equality. I know it was mentioned in those respective states but I guess we’ve reached a point where it’s not such a big deal anymore. As Michael C said, “I can get married now! That’s nice, dear.”
I’m sure when the Supreme Court decision comes down we will have a flurry of news coverage and then RI, DE and MN will be mentioned and the talking heads of Tony Perkins and Brian Brown and others will declaim on the upcoming downfall of civilization but until then I guess we should be happy for the quiet.
Timothy Kincaid
May 15th, 2013
Yep, it’s old hat.
The next time the news will notice our battle is with the SCOTUS decisions in June. And if they don’t overturn the anti-equality apple cart, after that the next national news story will be Oregon reversing their marriage amendment.
And from then on, it will only be local news: “Also today the voters amended the state constitution to allow gay couples to marry. And now to Susan who is at the zoo where a new baby giraffe was born.”
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