Today the California Supreme Court heard arguments in a case brought by gay marriage advocates to overturn last November's Proposition 8. Plaintiffs in the case, including lesbian comedian Robin Tyler, argue that marriage is a basic civil right and that voters don't have the power to overturn the basic rights of minority groups.
There's an interesting discussion of the court proceedings over on Pam's House Blend. Consensus seems to be that the court will uphold the ban on gay marriages, while declaring that the gay marriages that took place before Prop. 8 passed will still be valid. But one possible outcome seems to be that the court will simply discontinue marriage in California and offer all couples the option of domestic partnership.
I've gotta say, that sounds interesting. If you believe in the separation of church and state, or in women's equality, marriage is a terribly troublesome institution.
Why not leave marriage to the church, and allow the state to offer domestic partnership instead? Why not work to provide universal health care and universal secure retirement to everyone, regardless of whether they're in a particular type of relationship?
Just a thought...
Thursday, March 5, 2009
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