Oregon officially in the club

[Cole Parker]

http://news.yahoo.com/judge-strikes-down-oregon-gay-marriage-ban-191151667.html

[Graeme]

I knew this was coming, but I didn't know when it would happen.

What's different about this one is that it's unclear if anyone has the right to appeal the decision. The state officials have refused to defend the ban and hence won't appear, and the judge ruled that the National Organization for Marriage doesn't have standing and hence can't appeal, either. If so, then this is the final decision and Oregon is now another state where same-sex marriage is legal.

[The Pecman]

I would never join a club that would have somebody like me for a member!

[DesDownunder]

Groucho? Is that you?

[Cole Parker]

I would never join a club that would have somebody like me for a member!

Careful. The club might feel the same way about you!

C

[Lugnutz]

Hair club for men?

[TalonRider]

Pennsylvania is now the 19th member of the club.

[Chris James]

The addition of Pennsylvania is important, not just for the acceptance of gay marriages but because of the comments made by the Governor:

http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2014/05/pa-governor-announces-he-will-not-appeal-same-sex-marriage-ruling/

By allowing his religious beliefs as a Roman Catholic to stand apart from his position as Governor, Tom Corbett has set a very positive example for others in his position. I don't think many of us care if the Catholic Church objects to gay marriage or any other aspect of the gay community, most of us don't like them either. By law they are entitled to their beliefs just as by law we are entitled to the Constitutional rights granted everyone else.

It is when religion tampers with the legal rights of others that we have a conflict. The Church is an archaic aberration in our midst that pontificates their moral views on everyone else. Celibate priests lashing out about marriage does seem absurd in the highest degree, or perhaps they are just frustrated. But the Church still maintains the dogma cast over them in the Dark Ages and I often wonder at the sanity of human beings that participate in such folly.

But they are free to drink blood and eat flesh in their ceremonial masses, because that is what they claim to do. To me it has always been bad theater, but then I am not afraid of the wrath of their god. Marriage is a civil right and as such all persons should be allowed to participate. One by one the states are facing that reality as courts see the hypocrisy behind the objections.

Thinking today about that idiot state legislator Van Zant from Florida who cannot separate his Baptist beliefs from the real world. He spent years in school to get his theology doctorate, or five minutes online I imagine, just to decide that gay people are using the state school system to recruit children into becoming gay. This is the brand of insanity we in the gay community are used to seeing, and Tom Corbett is a refreshing change and a bow to sane thinking.

It is time for the Supreme Court of the land to put an end to this nonsense, otherwise they need to retire and take their outlandish government pension with them. Change is coming, just not soon enough for most of us.

[DesDownunder]

Well said, Chris.

[TalonRider]

Here in Montgomery County Pa, we're waiting for the state to lift the paper work preventing the County from issuing marriage licenses. When it first became law, the County issued 100 licenses before being stopped by the State.

[TalonRider]

Montgomery County will begin issuing marriage licenses today, 5/28/14.

The reason for the ban to begin with was the County Clerk started issuing the licenses before it was legal to.