From the Burlington Free Press:
The Legislature voted Tuesday to override Gov. Jim Douglas’ veto of a bill allowing gays and lesbians to marry. The vote was 23-5 to override in the state Senate and 100-49 to override in the House. Under Vermont law, two-thirds of each chamber had to vote for override.
The vote came nine years after Vermont adopted its first-in-the-nation civil unions law.
It’s now the fourth state to permit same-sex marriage. Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa are the others. Their approval of gay marriage came from the courts.
Let the marriage segregationists push their hate. Let them rail against the concept of two loving people committing to one another for life. Let them insist that people who don’t follow the dictates of their chosen faith should be second-class citizens. Let them argue against love.
The fact is, they have already lost.
Hallelujah.
Video after the cut.
Please do not comment unless you accept the basic dignity, equality, and inherent worth of all people.
This is turning out to be a very nice couple of weeks! :)
Vermont on Tuesday became the fourth state to legalize gay marriage — and the first to do so with a legislature’s vote.
That’s the biggie. Vermont has the kind of voters who will support their legislature’s taking the first step with civil unions, and then completing the process by approving same-sex marriage. I’m happy about Iowa’s Supreme Court, but I’m puzzled by the kind of “yay Iowans!” stuff I’ve heard — Iowa voters approved a statute barring SSM, and they have yet to vote on a constitutional amendment to overturn the Court’s decision. There’s not much reason to be proud of the polity’s being pro-equality, rather than the courts, until there’s a vote — whether through the legislature or by referendum — on the issue.
So to me, Vermont’s step today is really the biggest one: the first time that the legislators elected by regular people, instead of judges who were appointed by elites, have legalized same-sex marriage. The fact that it happened in a state with almost a decade of legalized civil unions under its belt does provide support for incrementalism: let cautious voters see that the sky doesn’t fall when same-sex couples have legal rights, and they can move on to accepting SSM.
I would never have predicted that Iowa would be #3, but I did correctly forecast Vermont as #4 — not much of a trick for any US resident not living in a cave, but I’m happy nonetheless. Then again, I’d be happy anyway. Yay Iowa! Yay Vermont!
There is so much happiness here in Vermont today! Just another reason to love this beautiful state. We have our share of bigots and idiots, but happily sanity prevailed today.
Another great day. We could get used to this. I’ve posted on this and on Iowa, explaining the decision for non-lawyers, at my blog.
I am so proud to be a Vermonter today. We worked very hard and for a very long time for this. I called my mom as soon as I heard (by following my friend Shay on Twitter http://twitter.com/ShayTotten) and she burst into tears. She said “I knew it was as good as everyone else but it feels so amazing to be acknowledged as equal and worthy a loving and committed relationship.” It’s a really, really good day.
Oh my goodness, I don’t even know her, but that makes me want to give her a hug!
—Myca
I recommend the timeline. It has been a most significant week. This is a staggeringly important day–hell, an announcement that a jurisdiction has passed marriage equality appeared before the last one fell off the front page. I’m in awe.
BTW, has anyone spotted the various libertarian/ moderate conservative folks who claimed that they were fine with SSM, they just opposed its coming through judicial fiat … has anyone seen them cheering today? I checked NR’s Corner, Althouse… nothing so far.
You know what it reminds me of, actually? It reminds me of the people who say, “Oh, I’m not opposed to Civil unions, and I want gay couples to have all the same rights as straight couples, I just oppose Same Sex Marriage.”
I always want to ask, “Really? And have you done a single goddamn thing to advocate for those equal rights, or do you just use your ‘position’ as a stance with which to oppose equality?”
I swear. Be a little less transparent, you know?
—Myca
Go Vermont!!!! Now to see this spread to the rest of the country
I am from the first state to legalize Same Sex Marriage at all (Massachussets,) but I now go to school in North Carolina. I’m planning on staying NC for a while, and am registered to vote here, so hopefully I can help make the same thing happen as happened back home! (Doubtful I know considering the fact that NC is usually fairly Conservative, but we pulled through for the Democrats in the presidential election so times might be changing)
D.C. Council Votes To Recognize Gay Nuptials Elsewhere
Decision Comes as Vermont Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage
AMAZING!
From the WaPo:
The D.C. Council unanimously voted yesterday to recognize gay marriages performed elsewhere, joining a growing number of states to loosen restrictions on the unions.
The District’s actions came the same day as Vermont became the fourth state to recognize same-sex marriages and a week after the Iowa Supreme Court legalized such unions. …
Am I wrong, or didn’t California’s legislature pass gay marriage first?
It got vetoed, but that doesn’t alter the significant fact that the legislature passed it initially.
BTW in the comments on Hot Air, someone referred to VT’s legalization as “legislative fiat.” HILARIOUS!
idyllicmollusk,
The CA legislature tried to pass SSM when the CA voters already had prohibited it by statute, through a referendum. The governor vetoed it because he said the legislature did not have the power to overturn the statutorily-expressed will of the voters.