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Log Cabin Republicans Endorses McCain
A group of gay men and women has endorsed US Senator John McCain (Republican-Arizona) as its nominee for US President because he is an “inclusive Republican.” Log Cabin Republicans endorsed him at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, CNN reported. “He’s a very inclusive Republican, a different type of Republican,” according to the organization’s President, Patrick Sammon. “At the same time, we have honest disagreements on some issues.” McCain opposes same-sex marriage, although he did oppose a federal constitutional amendment that would have defined marriage as being between a man and a woman. While McCain’s running mate, Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska, has expressed support for the amendment, she vetoed a bill that would have banned her state from giving benefits to same-sex partners of employees. “She’s a great choice,” Log Cabin member David Valkema of Illinois said. “We’re learning more every day, but what we know, we like.”
Court Upholds New York Same-Sex Recognition
A New York judge ruled that Governor David Paterson was right in ordering state agencies to recognize same-sex marriages legally performed elsewhere. Although same-sex marriages cannot be performed legally in New York, Paterson said the state must recognize as valid such marriages from places where they are allowed, such as Massachusetts and Canada, if those couples come to the state, The New York Times reported. A trial court judge in New York City upheld his view. Justice Lucy Billings dismissed a lawsuit brought by dissident state legislators and anti-same-sex marriage activists, stating Paterson’s move was consistent with state law that generally recognizes marriages from other jurisdictions. The law, however, is silent on same-sex marriages, according to the newspaper. Paterson praised Billings’s ruling, remarking it was “a wise and fair determination of the policy that holds valid same-sex marriages legally performed in other states.” Jim Campbell, a spokesman for the plaintiffs, told the Times his group would appeal the ruling.
Study: Gay Civil Unions May Last Longer
Five years after Vermont approved gay civil unions, a study indicates legalized same-sex couples may be longer-lasting than those without legal status. Kimberly F. Balsam and Theodore P. Beauchaine of the University of Washington, Esther D. Rothblum of San Diego State University, and Sondra E. Solomon of the University of Vermont followed up on a 2002 project that focused on legalized relationships of same-sex couples subsequent to civil unions in 2000. The couples, 65 male and 138 female, who entered into civil unions during the first year, and were available, were asked to provide information. They were compared to 23 male and 61 female couples not in civil unions, and 55 heterosexual married couples related to the same-sex couples in civil unions. The study, published in Developmental Psychology, found same-sex couples not in civil unions were more likely to have ended their relationship than same-sex couples in civil unions or heterosexual married couples in the study. “Legal couple status may support a relationship—more family understanding, acceptance by friends and coworkers, greater commitment from a public declaration, and enhanced legal protections like health care benefits and community property,” Robert-Jay Green of Alliant International University in San Francisco said in a statement.
Ban on Gay Marriage Struggling
A proposed ban on gay marriage in California is struggling to find support, according to poll results. The Los Angeles Times said the Public Policy Institute of California poll results released showed that 40 percent of poll respondents supported Proposition 8, which would outlaw the recently legalized practice of gay marriage statewide. The proposition is on the November 4 ballot. The poll, conducted August 12-19, which had a margin of error of 3 percentage points, found that of the 1,047 state residents questioned, 54 percent opposed the proposed ban. Yet, when directly asked whether they support or oppose gay marriage, respondents were even, with 47 percent choosing each response, the Times reported. It stated that the poll’s results indicated support for the proposition may be slipping in California, as a July poll found 42 percent of respondents supported the measure, and 51 percent opposed it.
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