Seattle mayor to recognize gay marriages(From other places )

mlive.com ^ | 03/07/04 | ELIZABETH M. GILLESPIE

[KQQL]

SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle's mayor said Sunday the city will begin recognizing the marriages of gay employees who tie the knot elsewhere, although it will not conduct its own same-sex weddings.

Mayor Greg Nickels was to sign an executive order Monday giving same-sex spouses of city employees all the benefits of heterosexual spouses, including health insurance. He also planned to send a proposal to the City Council to protect the rights of same-sex married couples in Seattle.

"The basic message is one of fairness, and that is that people who are willing to make a commitment to one another, who love one another, and who are willing to take on the responsibilities of marriage ought to be able to, regardless of their gender," Nickels told the Associated Press.

Seattle has offered domestic partnership benefits to its employees since 1989, but the process requires workers to fill out extensive paperwork. Under the new order, married same-sex couples will be able to skip that process, officials said.

Nickels said he cannot follow the lead of mayors in San Francisco and New Paltz, N.Y., by allowing same-sex weddings because counties, not cities, have the authority to issue marriage licenses in Washington.

More than 3,600 same-sex marriages were performed in San Francisco over the last three weeks, and hundreds of gay couples were granted wedding licenses last week in Portland, Ore. The marriages are being challenged in court.

King County Executive Ron Sims, a Democratic gubernatorial candidate, said the law prevents him from issuing same-sex marriage licenses. Washington is one of 38 states that define marriage as the union of a man and a woman.

The ordinance Nickels was to send to the City Council on Monday defines "spouse" as a husband or wife in a same-sex or opposite-sex marriage.

If approved, the ordinance would protect gay married couples from discrimination in employment, housing, parks and other city facilities. It also would bar contractors doing business with the city from discriminating against people based on their marital status.

[KQQL]

@#

[CWOJackson]

If you lived in this area you wouldn't be surprised.

That being said, I am surprised that the mayor isn't going to conduct gay marriages himself. One thing about our liberals here, they're pretty much spineless jellyfish.

[KQQL]

It's against the law in WA...as far as I know

[TheBattman]

Does this queer-loving mayor actually have that authortity (to recognize gay marriages and to make those changes in employee benefits without city council approval)?

As I have said before, the longer it takes for some kind of legal action to stop this homosexual "marriage", the less chance there is of stopping it ever. THe more places that recognize it, the harder it will be for other jurisdictions to not recognize it.

Welcome to the USofA - the new Sodom.

[CWOJackson]

If it is no one would enforce it.

This is a state where the Governor (Gary Locke) lead the "official" 9/11 memorial services and had no flag lapel pin or any other symbol of our nation on his suit...but will wear ever color of special interest ribbon any time.

[OpusatFR]

They are trying to swamp the legal system.

Capitulation through overwhelming numbers.

I know that there is another game to counter that tactic.

[Mo1]

Mayor Greg Nickels was to sign an executive order Monday giving same-sex spouses of city employees all the benefits of heterosexual spouses, including health insurance

City employees huh? .. Gee and who is going to pay for all this .. the Seattle taxpayers?

[Scott from the Left Coast]

It doesn't matter...the left always ignores any law it doesn't agree with, claiming a higher calling to do what is "right" in their own eyes. They will ignore any such law and dare anyone to call them on it -- when someone tries to, they will demagogue them into submission or into another state.

[KQQL]

Don;t ask me...do laws even matter for these mayors?

[AUH2OY2K]

Where are the polygamists? I'm willing to bet that the leftist notion of the equal protect clause does not extent to those who, for religious reasons, want to enter into a polygamist relationship.

[CWOJackson]

They already do pay for it. Both the city and the county currently have "domestic partners" benefits that are the same as real married people. The mayor is only eliminating the need for them to fill out the currently required "domestic partners" paperwork and will accept a bogus marriage license instead.

Hey, this is the city where the major league baseball stadium refuses to fly an American flag where it can be seen outside of the stadium so it won't offend the locals.

[Psycho_Bunny]

Indigenous to Washington State, the North American Yellow-Back Pander Bear.........

[Mo1]

The mayor is only eliminating the need for them to fill out the currently required "domestic partners" paperwork and will accept a bogus marriage license instead.

And because of this .. just watch how many people sign up for it now since it's so much easier .. which means the costs will rise

[Mo1]

Don;t ask me...do laws even matter for these mayors?

Nope .. you should see what laws the Mayor of Philly ignores

[KQQL]

Brief history of gay (same-sex) marriages:
-----------------
1989:
Denmark was the first country to grant civil partnership to gay couples.
--------------------
09/00:
Dutch legalize same-sex marriages as of 09/2000.
01/03:
Belgium begins to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
06/03:
In Canada on 06/10/03 the Ontario Court of Appeals authorized immediate marriage for same-sex couples in the province.
07/03:
Also, in Canada on 07/08/03 the British Columbia Court of Appeals authorized immediate marriage for same-sex couples in the province.
11/03:
MA Supreme Court issues Court Order for MA to allow same-sex marriages as of 05/17/04.
02/04:
SF County (SF CA) begins to issue same-sex marriage licenses as of 02/12/04.
02/04:
NM County issues same-sex marriage licenses for one day (02/20/04).
NM AG rules same-sex marriages are illegal under NM laws.
02-03/04:
New Paltz,NY Mayor begins to perform same-sex marriage ceremonies as of 02/27/04.
03/03/04: NY AG rules same-sex marriages are illegal under NY laws.
03/05/04: NY Judge bars New Paltz Mayor from performing same-sex marriages for a month.
03/06/04: Same-sex marriage ceremonies continue in New Paltz, this time under the Unitarian Pastor.
03/04:
Multnomah County (Portland OR) begins to issue same-sex marriage licenses as of 03/03/04.
03/04:
03/07/04: Seattle mayor to recognize gay marriages from other places.
..............................
Which country/state/county will be next?

[Kuksool]

How will this development effect the open Governor race and the Senate show down between Osama Murray and George Nethercutt?

[CWOJackson]

Costs? We don't worry about costs around here. A couple of weeks ago the city proudly open their five new self cleaning, graffiti proof public toilets in Pioneer Square; home to countless drug users, homeless, male/female prostitutes...you know the kind, Seattle's upper crust.

Within two days one of the self cleaning toilet seats had been jammed by a discarded needle, they aren't exactly graffiti proof unless the vandle is using a grease pencil and the local inhabitants discovered that these nice, roomy good looking toilets are an excellent place to conduct business.

Cost: $120,000 a year EACH

[KQQL]

WA is RAT state..period.

[17th Miss Regt]

Let's see what happens if one member of a 'married' couple commits a crime and the other attempts to avoid testifying aganst the perp because they are 'spouses'. What do you think the DA will do then?