ACLU Drops Gay Marriage Case in Oregon

Reuters - Yahoo News ^

[the_gospel_of_thomas]

PORTLAND, Ore. (Reuters) - After Oregonians voted to ban same-sex marriages earlier this month, a gay rights advocate has given up its fight to take its case to the state's supreme court, activists said on Friday.

The American Civil Liberties Union (news - web sites) (ACLU) will instead argue for a legal civil unions between same-sex couples giving them the same rights and benefits as married couples.

"This changes our case in only one way. We are no longer seeking marriage," said Ken Choe, a New York attorney with the ACLU who will argue the Oregon case. "But we do believe that the Oregon Constitution requires equality with respect to the protections that come with marriage."

Also at issue is the fate of 3,000 same-sex couple who were married in Portland's Multnomah County after county commissioners started issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in March before halting the practice amid a flurry of lawsuits nationwide both for an against same-sex marriages.

The constitutional amendment to Oregon's state constitution, known as Measure 36, that passed earlier this month "in no way affects those 3,000 marriages. Measure 36 cannot retroactively undo those marriages," Choe said.

Oregon's Defense of Marriage Coalition, which pushed for Measure 36's passage, disagrees. "The licenses are not valid because they were issued in contradiction of the law," Tim Nashif, a spokesman for the Coalition said.

The Coalition contends that as a result of the gay marriage ban "the suit should be dismissed," Nashif said.

Oregon was one of 11 states that voted in the Nov. 2 election to prohibit gay marriage. Some political pundits have argued that the push for gay marriage was too much too soon for many Americans and the initiatives on the 11 state ballots brought out more conservative voters, leading to President Bush (news - web sites)'s reelection.

Oregon went against that trend. About 57 percent of voters agreed to ban gay marriage, but Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry (news - web sites) won in Oregon.

"Whether it is called civil unions or it is called domestic partnerships or whether it is called something else," Choe said, the arrangements must "contain the full range of legal protections that married couples enjoy."

Vermont pioneered the civil union in 2000. It entitles same sex couples to "all the same benefits, protections and responsibilities" as marriage, according to the state.

The Oregon Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in the case on December 15.

[Caipirabob]

EEEP! Again...Spel Chekar iz my fiend...

[GeekDejure]

So where the heck is AIDS when you really need it, eh?

[gatex]

For info ---From www.aclu.org

"Ford Foundation Gives $7 Million to ACLU Endowment Campaign (06/28/1999)

" NEW YORK--In a display of substantial confidence in and dedication to key areas of the American Civil Liberties Union's program, the Ford Foundation has contributed $7 million to its endowment fund, the Trust for the Bill of Rights, the largest gift the ACLU has received to date. "

[little jeremiah]

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

All I do is get my .02 in - and have fun doing it!

[longtermmemmory]

This is just lawyer games. A rose by any other name.

First they mandate civil unions.

THEN

they mandate social security survival benefits to homosexual sex civil unions.

THEN

they mandate spousal visas for civil union "fiance's".

THEN

they mandate mariage not be recognized based on some obscure reference to seperation of church and state.

THEN

they mandate the word marriage forbidden from schools as a homophobic hate crime

[aimhigh]

Anyone know anything about the OR supreme court?

Liberals, including one judge who is gay. Oregon needs another ballot initiative to ban civil unions.

[NYer]

Good news ... but not good enough, bump!

Voter's Guide for Serious Catholics

THE FIVE NON-NEGOTIABLE ISSUES

5. Homosexual "Marriage"

True marriage is the union of one man and one woman. Legal recognition of any other union as "marriage" undermines true marriage, and legal recognition of homosexual unions actually does homosexual persons a disfavor by encouraging them to persist in what is an objectively immoral arrangement.

"When legislation in favor of the recognition of homosexual unions is proposed for the first time in a legislative assembly, the Catholic lawmaker has a moral duty to express his opposition clearly and publicly and to vote against it. To vote in favor of a law so harmful to the common good is gravely immoral" (UHP 10).

UHP Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Considerations regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions between Homosexual Persons

“Homosexual unions are totally lacking in the biological and anthropological elements of marriage and family which would be the basis, on the level of reason, for granting them legal recognition. Such unions are not able to contribute in a proper way to the procreation and survival of the human race. The possibility of using recently discovered methods of artificial reproduction, beyond involving a grave lack of respect for human dignity,(15) does nothing to alter this inadequacy.”
CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING PROPOSALS TO GIVE LEGAL RECOGNITION TO UNIONS BETWEEN HOMOSEXUAL PERSONS

Catholic Ping - please freepmail me if you want on/off this list

[little jeremiah]

You are right. Remember in Huxley's "Brave New World" the words "father" and "mother" were dirty, unmentionable words?

[little jeremiah]

Why does this not surprise me?

Gag.

[murphE]

The argument for homosexual "marriage", civil unions, etc. would not be possible if the marital act had not been separated from its primary purpose, procreation. Once people start arguing that marriage has as its primary purpose union and love, and not procreation anything goes.

[narses]

"The argument for homosexual "marriage", civil unions, etc. would not be possible if the marital act had not been separated from its primary purpose, procreation. Once people start arguing that marriage has as its primary purpose union and love, and not procreation anything goes."

Someone who gets it!

[jocon307]

"I often said if I ever win the lottery, a big win, I would fund the best and largest anti aclu programs I could find."

You sound very much like me. I always say the only people happier than me, if I ever win the lottery, will be the folks at National Right to Life!

gidget7, we need to hit the jackpot!

[John O]

If I could have one wish granted, it would be the complete and utter elimination of the ACLU. Starting today.

And the salvation or death of all those involved in it, from the donors to the lawyers to the lobbyists.

Unless you kill every cell of the cancer it may come back.

May God save and change them all, or kill them before they drag others into hell with them.