Not Equal Yet
(June 4, 2009) Editor:
Although I’m not a Certified Town Dandy or licensed attorney, I feel qualified (from decades of civil rights activism) to correct a common misconception that seemed to be expressed in Hank Sims’ column last week (“Town Dandy,” May 28). There are dozens of legal rights included in marriage (regardless whether the marriage is performed in a church or in a government office) that are not included in domestic partnerships, civil unions or other arrangements. It does matter, from a legal standpoint and a daily practicality, whether a same-sex or opposite-sex couple has a marriage or “something else.” Because there is a difference between marriage and something-else, people interested in civil rights are spending their time, energy and money on obtaining marriage equality for same-sex couples.
You can learn more about the difference between marriage and something-else at www.aclu.org (Click “gay rights” or “marriage equality.”)
If there was no difference between marriage and something-else, I would invite Mr. Sims to mischievously collaborate with me on giving the fictitious singular “legal arrangement a couple has” a new and silly name. But because there is a lot of civil-rights difference between marriage and something-else, I’ll refrain from soliciting Sims’ wit and instead keep doing what I can to support marriage equality for same-sex couples.
One of the crucial questions now facing us in California is “should the initiative process (that puts measures before the public to vote on) be used to let any majority oppress any minority?”
Cindee Grace, Eureka
Sweet Spot: *Cindee Grace wins a Bon Boniere sundae for sending our favorite letter of the week.*
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ONE Comments
Comment / By Thirdeye / June 11, 2009, 7:25 p.m.
What Ms. Grace fails to mention is that the inequality between marriage and other unions resides at the federal level. States can sponsor something called “marriage” that is not within the federal definition and it will still be second class “marriage” because it is not recognized by the feds. All of these state-level fights over the word “marriage” are essentially meaningless. Sims was on the money.