In my previous blog I talked about New Hampshire becoming the 5th state to legalize same-sex marriage. Things are still on track, the state Senate passed the bill and the bill is awaiting the governor's signature. However, New Hampshire isn't going to be the 5th state to legalize it. Maine passed a law legalizing same-sex marriage. When Governor John E. Baldacci signed the bill into law, he had this to say, "In the past, I opposed gay marriage while supporting the idea of civil unions. I have come to believe that this is a question of fairness and of equal protection under the law, and that a civil union is not equal to civil marriage."

One aspect that's often overlooked when it comes to marriage equality is it's economic impact on the states that legalize it. A recent study by UCLA's Williams Institute (the School of Law) estimates that it will boost the state's budget (via income/sales tax, marriage license fees) by 8 million and will also become a tourist destination for couples wanting to marry. The study says that kind of tourism will generate $60 million from couples coming to Maine to marry and the friends and family that comes to their weddings. Sounds like they're confirming what we already know: we can throw pretty kickass parties.

In gathering articles I might use in my blog, there's always one or two that piss me off. The first article comes from a high school in Kentucky. The Assistant Principal (Karen Buzard) at Franklin County High School sent a memo to teachers telling them to not allow gay students to leave the classroom in order to go to the bathroom. What was their reason? Two female students were reportedly seen kissing in a bathroom and that this was in violation of school rules. Oh boy, Kentuckians should start preparing for the rapture now. I think a question to ask is why these girls felt like they had to go into a high school bathroom (not the most romantic setting) in order to kiss? I find it sad that gay folks in Kentucky need to hide in bathrooms in order to be intimate. Another question is why the Assistant Principal felt the need to sent an email to all teachers about this matter. Perhaps the statement below might help explain that.

"Certain students should not be allowed to leave the classroom during class because they had been in violation of school rules. All students have time between classes to use the facilities."

I'm not sure how you can say certain students and then say, we're not singling anyone out. I truly doubt it's the first time two teenagers have been observed kissing at that school. Fortunately for straight students, they don't have to thinking about leaving class in order to kiss the people they care about. When you're part of a privileged group, you don't have to hide. I'm sure that if two straight teens kissed in the hallway, a teacher might say something, the teens might comply for that day, then do it again the next day. My guess is that a memo to all instructors wouldn't be sent out about those two. If you'd like to send an email to the Assistant Principal who sent the email to all the instructors, her email address is: Karen.Buzard@franklin.kyschools.us.

The next story comes from Louisiana where the state is trying to a pass a bill that would allow the state to not issue birth certificates showing both names of same-sex adoptive parents. This issue initially came up when father Mickey Smith wanted to add his son to his health insurance. When he went to get a new birth certificate for his son, he was told that because he's gay, he's considered unmarried (unmarried people can't adopt), therefore the birth certificate for his son couldn't be issued. A judge ordered the state to put both names on the birth certificate, so now the legislature is trying to go around the judicial system. A story like this illustrates exactly why couples need to be recognized, so people like Mickey can do things like putting his son on his insurance so his son can get access to medical care. People like to think that it's justifiable to deny people the right to marry, but never think about how those couples children are affected. Perhaps this is because it is assumed that gay people can't have families, but many do and those kids don't deserve to lose out on going to the doctor because other people despise their parents for who they are. Oh, and guess who signs the bill if it passes the state House and Senate (it already passed the House committee)? That's right, Republican Governor Bobby Jindal. If that name doesn't sound familiar, perhaps this video will remind you of his genius.



Jindal has also appointed people like Tony Perkins of The Family Research Council, and Gene Mills of The Louisiana Family Forum to the state's Marriage and Family commission which is devoted to making recommendations for the state on matters of marriage and family. If you don't know who Tony Perkins (the founder), this is a taste of what's on The Family Research Council's website.



Also, here is a video of Dan Savage (who I love) schooling him on Anderson Cooper.



As to not end on a sour note, here's a video on the first same-sex couple in Iowa to be wed.



How do you feel when you see the joy those couples feel?

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