The Next Hurrah: 2006 anti-gay laws ROUNDUP

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February 21, 2006

2006 anti-gay laws ROUNDUP

I thought I would list a quick roundup of anti-gay legislation which has passed or may pass in various states. Some of this is from the legislature, others might be from a citizen petition process. In the spirit of giving the bad news first, at the bottom I will list the states whose legislature or initative process defeated anti-gay legislation this year. I will also list some of the state gay organizations you can go to if you want to help out, whether through money, or volunteering, whatever you wish. If I have missed any potential laws in any states, please let me know. There are efforts to ban gay adoption and/or foster care in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Indiana, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, but aside from Ohio and possibly Missouri, most of those bans have achieved prominence this year (next year or 2008 may be a very different story).

*Alaska* - due to a state supreme court ruling that said Anchorage had to give domestic partner benefits to city employees, the leg is pushing through a constutitional amendment to bar the state from granting domestic partner benefits. As the eloquent speaker Rep. Bob Lynn put it: "Go get health care on your own."

*Arizona* - the legislature passed a constitutional amendment that will go before voters in November and will ban most legal contracts for gay couples. Some polls have shown opposition to the amendment, if that means anything. If you want to help out, go here.

*California* - 2 different groups planned for ballot iniatives which will ban most legal contracts for gay couples, repeal the state's domestic partnership law, and may even ban co-parent adoption. One group didn't get enough signatures in time, but the other is still going forward. If you want to help out you can go here.

*Colorado* - after some debate, notorious homophobic crusaders in the state decided to push a ballot process for an amendment that will ban gay marriage, not other benefits (we'll see if that lasts if Republicans make gains in the state this year). In a probable attempt to head off any legislation that would create domestic partnerships, Dobson has endorsed "reciprocal" benefits (similar to those passed in Hawaii about 8 years ago), very small benefits which are available to many people, to gay couples. Even this stance has led to attacks from the far right. If you want to help out, go here.

*Georgia* - the gay adoption/foster care bill seems to have been put off for this year (I think they said they were still drafting the language - maybe the Georgia GOP realized that their fanged, blood-dripping element on the far right does not appeal to the Atlanta suburbs). A bill designed to send a wrecking ball through George's gay-straight alliance is making its way through the Georgia legislature, albeit in a very watered-down form. It's always surprising to me that some Georgia Republican officials know when to put the brakes on the extremists, yet still give them some of what they want. This type of moderation game is likely to keep the Georgia GOP in power for some time unless Democrats get their act together. If you want to help, go here..

*Idaho* - after failing in 2004 and 2005, bigots in Idaho managed to strongarm enough votes in the state senate topass an amendment banning gay marriage. If you want to help, go here.

*Indiana* - legislation against most legal benefits for gay couples passed the legislature in this session and has to pass again in 2007 or 2008 to be put on the 2008 ballot. The house is narrowly controlled by Republicans - if Democrats take the house back this year, they may either block or alter the wording of the ban. If you want to help fight the ban, go here.

*Illinois* and *Iowa* - last I heard, Illinois bigots were trying to get a ballot iniative which would call for a gay benefits constitutional ban (the legislature has the power over whether or not to pass a ban - the ballot would only be a symbolic call), and Iowa's split legislature is likely to defeat a gay benefits ban this year, but that could change next year if Democrats lost their split control of the senate. If you want to help, go here and here.

*Maine* - While I don't know if there is any anti-gay legislation currently in the works in Maine, if their legislature is taken by Republicans this November, there is a chance that they may push a bill through that would make it easier for the public to get various items on the ballot (like a gay marriage ban).

*Maryland* - Much controversy in the state due to a court ruling in favor of equal marriage rights. One attempt to push an amendment through the house (the amendment would have banned pretty much all legal contracts for gays) failed, but they may try again. If you want to help, go here.

*Massachusetts* - a petition to ban gay marriage and civil unions has to pass the legislature in 2 separate legislative sessions to go to the voters in 2008. If you want to help, go here.

*Minnesota* - Republican extremists like Michelle Bachmann are pushing an amendment to ban most legal benefits for gay couples. The DFL controls the senate and they blocked the amendment in 2004 (and have continued to gain seats in the state legislature after blocking the amendment, in spite of the belief that if you are not anti-gay you lose elections). Hopefully they will do so again this year, but there is NO guarantee that they will not cave. *Please* go to here and help out. This is a CRITICAL state this year in so many elections.

*Ohio* - the far right fringe which is becoming so dominant in Ohio politics want to ban gay adoption and foster care. The bill may also bar those with gays living in their home from adopting children (a similar bill was struck down in Arkansas a few years ago). The speaker of the house in Ohio has said he will not put the bill up for a vote, but the far right may put this on the ballot - they probably can't wait to have this as a huge wedge issue for 2006 voters. If you want to help, go here..

*Pennsylvania* - the legislature will be voting on an amendment to ban most legal contracts for gay couples. This would come up for a public vote in 2008.

*South Carolina* - an amendment banning most legal contracts for gays will be on the 2006 ballot. If you want to help, go here.

*South Dakota* - a ban against gay marriage passed the legislature and will be on the ballot this year.

*Utah* - various ugly laws against gay/straight alliancesand would prevent Salt Lake City or other municipalities from giving gays domestic partnership benefits. If you want to help, go here.

*Virginia* - a ban against most legal contracts for gays will be on the ballot this year. If you want to help, go here.

*Washington* - efforts are underway by Tim Eyman to repeal the state's hard-fought anti-discrimination laws for gays, and probably to ban the state from passing laws based on sexual "preference". There is also an upcoming ruling on gay marriage from the state supreme court, and that could cause a huge backlash and pass a ban on benefits for gay couples. If you want to help, go here.

*Wisconsin* - a ban on most legal contracts for gays passed the legislature and will be on the 2006 ballot. If you want to help, go here.

The good news? Well, state legislatures in West Virginia and New Hampshire recently defeated bans on benefits for gay couples. A slew of anti-gay legislation was defeated in Virginia's legislature, ranging from adding "pro marriage" license plates to cars, to banning artificial insemination for single women. And in spite of the media hype, there have not been as many legislatures as expected who have picked fights on gay issues or using gays as scapegoats. Many thought that gay adoption battles were going to be far more prevalent than they have been this year, although there is still time of course.

Anyway, I'm sorry this went on so long, but these are critical issues for the lives of millions of Americans, and their children and friends and family and partners. Please help if you can. Even writing a letter to the paper or alerting people you know in these states about how ugly these laws are might help.

February 21, 2006 at 18:22 in Contributor--JamesB3 | Permalink

Comments

Thank you, James. This is a help in keeping track.

Posted by: DemFromCT | February 21, 2006 at 18:37

Bush Says He Will Veto Any Bill to Stop UAE Port Deal

*Link: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,185479,00.html

Posted by: lj | February 21, 2006 at 20:07

Hey lj, the story about Bush threatening to veto the port deal does NOT belong in this comments thread. This happens to be an important issue to me, and I wish you'd respect that by posting comments that are relevant to the story.

Posted by: xjt | February 22, 2006 at 10:06

Thanks for the round up, James. Sometimes with these politico-bigots, it's kind of like dealing with a mad beast - you have no idea whether they're going to turn their full fury onto one thing or onto something entirely different. So many scapegoats, so little time. What's going to poll better - anti gay or anti-AY-rab/anti-Mexican (ie immigrants)? Anyway, the people closely tied into the GOP itself are going to have their hands full this year...

I found the attempts to outlaw foster care among current foster parents to be particularly interesting. Seems to me they'll have problems taking kids out of settled situations they're already in (interesting AK case). I sort of prefer raw seething hatred (like that) to the savvy, politically sophisticated kind, just because the former tends to be politically feckless. I'm not making light of the pure ugliness, I just think the purer form of hatred is relatively blind.

Not that I'm sanguine....

Posted by: jonnybutter | February 22, 2006 at 14:08

I wonder how history will view this period of American politics. This ruse of making gays the boogeymen, the whipping boys, for the moral ills and the transmogrification of traditional American family values into the decadent excesses and moral ambiguities of 2006. Frightening this must be to those over 60. But even more frightening to those who so fear change, so hold dear the security of their status and the comfort of their family and the esteem of their position in society – to see all around them, wretched moral decay. Oh, politicians are clever and this generation has produced some of the cleverest. And in Machiavellian style they have looked for a scapegoat – not unlike how other minorities have been scapegoat in the past – we all know about those.

Whether there are witches to burn, or heretics to torture, or Jews to incinerate – or homosexual perverts to bash. Whip up frenzy, diatribes of ignorance, even exhort from your pulpits to exorcise the demons. Bring down the queers and their liberal weak nelly girly men supporters – for we are Americans, strong men brave and proud, and our women folk obedient and dutiful.

Nature seems to require that history repeat itself.

State after state has heard the call – rise up and defend your families, your youth, from the queer hoards that are at your borders. Carve deep into your most sacred texts, that no queer is to be tolerated, no sexual deviant quartered, no homo pervert to be comfortable in your midst. Roll back if necessary the very foundations of equality and permit the shadow of dark beliefs, from chapel and church, to take the helm of state and guide our nation through these waters.

And from heaven’s rim must Copernicus and Newton, Darwin and Galileo, even Socrates and Plato sadly shake their heads at how past lessons learned are lost. And how an extreme authoritarian right can, in the name of all that is good and holy, cause such pain, such anguish such inequity.

The hallmarks through time are glaringly similar – hypocrisy thy name is zealous conservatism. Lie enough and the ignorant masses believe, even you will begin to swallow your own lies. Oh how arrogant it is to have beliefs of one forced on another – for beliefs are just that, imaginings without fact. And when fact is dismissed out of hand, then one begins to have insight into principle motivations – power. Power and more power. Power for survival – to insure security of self and family. Power commands respect.

And the Republican Party has cleverly taken attention away from their naked power grab by turning such a powerful spotlight on the sexual bogeyman hiding in everyone’s ignorance.

And state after state is brought into this unholy alliance such that an overwhelming tyrannical majority is at the gates of the very Constitution – determined to craft hysteria into solid and everlasting law. In the name of good and God.

Oh how far have we as a people drifted, not just from God’s message but also from democracy’s message. How far from the idea that “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” was preeminent. That love and tolerance hold the majestic heights. That reason, common sense, humility, and individual accountability supercede myth, ignorance, superstition.

Odd, one might think this wouldn’t happen at a time when America’s stated position around the world is liberty and equality and recognition of minority rights. We fight that Iraqi women can vote, that Afghan girls can go to school. We demand that China give it’s population free and unfettered access to truthful information.

Yet – at home – we legislate and mandate the second-class status of millions of Americans who, through no action or fault of their own, happen to be of a different sexual orientation. We object, as a nation, to the beheading of homosexuals in Muslim countries – but can not see our own type of intolerance here.

Realizations have swept the world over and over through time, fighting against ignorance and those whose vested interests are at risk. But fact and reality eventually win out. As it is now in much of Europe – who as distant parents have come to realize essential truths not yet accepted by an arrogant and upstart progeny.

Timing is everything – and without the match, that spark of the Massachusetts Supreme Court decision that ignited this bonfire – perhaps this whole ugly episode would have been avoided, as the generations next in line are far more knowledgeable, accepting, progressive, and unfrightened of homosexuals. That generation may well have even expanded gay rights in conformity with The Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada and in line with the thinking of much of the western world. And certainly in line with scientific and medical opinion.

And it may end up as an historical irony that the religious right’s ascendancy on this issue may be both short lived and followed by a backlash, that for some time will brand such power grabs from the right as exactly what they are. The Inquisition had their moment. Osama had his moment. The Nazis had their moment. And far right extremist religious conservatives in American may surely have theirs. But there is always a price to pay and history will record that as well.

Posted by: Bill Garnett | February 23, 2006 at 01:47

Crazy --- Abortion a Felony in South Dakota

this is also a story worth noting

Posted by: RE | February 24, 2006 at 01:09

Link to story: http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/6475148

Being fairly new to the gay rights issue, I have a question & you guys seem to be the ones to ask. I was reading the above referenced story, and came across the following quote: "His words pollute the atmosphere," Amaechi said. "It creates an atmosphere that allows young gays and lesbians to be harassed in school, creates an atmosphere where in 33 states you can lose your job, and where anti-gay and lesbian issues are used for political gain. It's an atmosphere that hurts all of us, not just gay people" My question is: What is he referring to when he says in 33 states you can lose your job? Hope it's not too silly a question, I was just wondering about it.

Thanks!

Posted by: JT | February 15, 2007 at 19:04

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