Posted on 06/11/2003 2:33:14 PM PDT by bedolido
BERLIN Abutt Focker was beaming as he took the vow of marriage with his same-sex partner. "I love Dick, and we wanted to marry as soon as the new law was passed," he said shortly after he and his longtime lover, Dick Schlupper, became husband and husband.
Since August 2001, Germany has legally recognized same-sex marriages, creating a torrent of lesbian and gay couples who wed in government offices. But it didn't take long (24 hours to be precise) for many couple's dreams to turn into nightmares, resulting in a new flood of gay and lesbian legal paperwork; divorce documents.
"We've been waiting for this day for a long time so that we can be recognized as a couple under the law and have the same rights as heterosexual couples," said Mr. Focker, who along with his husband will be the first gay couple to seek a divorce under the new German law. They had been together for 10 years, but shortly after exchanging their vows, things began to change.
"We started arguing about anything and everything," Focker explained. "For 10 years he couldn't keep his hands off me, then the minute we're married it's 'Not tonight, I have a back ache.' It's like I don't even know who he is anymore."
For his part, Dick complains that Abutt has unrealistic expectations about what marriage is supposed to be.
"It's like we can't even talk any more without arguing," said Dick. "The tiniest thing becomes a mountain to him. We used to be able to laugh together, but not since getting married. All he wants is sex, sex, sex. We just don't have anything to say to each other. Maybe we didn't before either, but there wasn't such a chasm then between us."
According to officials, 25 gay and lesbian couples have already filed for divorce. The Dysfunctional Family Research Institute in Baden-Württemberg estimates that up to 8,400 gay couples will marry this year with approximately 4,200 of those ending up in divorce court.
Commercially speaking, the rash of gay divorces has its benefits. Marriage counselors have begun advertising their services to struggling gay couples, and divorce attorneys have already started targeting gay couples with special uncontested divorce packages beginning at as little as $99.00.
Said a spokesman for the Dysfunctional Family Research Institute, "I guess it just goes to show that gays and lesbians are no better at this marriage thing than are heterosexual couples."
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Humor to end your hard day
(no pun intended)
Gay couple married after ruling
(Toronto, Canada)
Gay couple married after ruling (Toronto, Canada)
MICHAEL STUPARYK/TORONTO STAR Michael Stark, left, and Michael Lashner pop champagne
and kiss after their wedding ceremony yesterday.
Leshner called the ruling, "Day One for millions of gays
and lesbians around the world."
Okay, I can understand you might not have noticed the author's name. But, "Abutt Focker" didn't make you wonder? ;O)
In this dangerous world, a little humor (if this can be called that) is necessary. You have a "mouse" click on a serious thread and pour your great wisdom out there. For a few minutes on this thread we "lowered the bar" and raised our spirits.
loosen up and find humor somewhere, if you can.
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