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PrintThe Columbia City Council voted unanimously Monday to establish a domestic partnership registry.
The registry will provide partners with a document they can use for employee and health care benefits. At city-owned recreational and other facilities, those domestic partners on the list will be treated as married couples in regards to access and discounts.
Sixth Ward Councilwoman Barbara Hoppe said the registry does not put employers under any new obligation. It is just a tool that they can choose to use.
Members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community gathered at the meeting to show their support of the ordinance, share personal stories and discuss the benefits of the registry.
On Tuesday, the Vermont Legislature voted to override a veto by Gov. Jim Douglas, making same-sex marriage legal in the state. Vermont becomes the first state to make same-sex marriage legal through legislation rather than a court ruling.
Vermont joins Iowa, Massachusetts and Connecticut as the only states currently allowing same-sex marriage. The Iowa Supreme Court ruled unanimously Friday to uphold a lower-court ruling that a law banning same-sex marriage was unconstitutional.
Despite the ruling, a survey from October 2008 shows that 62 percent of Iowans oppose same-sex marriage, though many of those opposed favor civil unions.
The case originated in 2005, when six same-sex couples filed a lawsuit in Iowa seeking to marry.
On August 3, 2004, Missouri adopted an amendment to its constitution stating "that to be valid and recognized in this state, a marriage shall exist only between a man and a woman."
With victories for proponents of same-sex marriage across the country, should Missouri rethink its amendment?
Comments
Today's Question:
Should gay marriage come to Missouri?
My answer for Today:
No. Gays who want to marry should leave Missouri. In fact, let them all move to France.
How about straight adults who are in a relationship but not married, Ray. Shall we kick them out as well? What message are they sending to the youth of our state by not settling down and doing the (straight) marriage thing? Shall we also kick out divorced individuals since they obviously let the institution of marriage down?
I'm not kicking anybody out. I do not have such great power. I am, however stating my preference. And, IMHO, the message concerned heterosexuals should be sending out to our youth is that heterosexuality is much more preferable to homosexual behavior. (What is your answer to the question of the day?)
As I've said before, I'd like to see our government get out of the marriage business, entirely. This will just make it more difficult to get the government out of this administrative quagmire.
While I acknowledge that the LGBTQ community has a right to advocate for their "gay agenda for America," I would rather see them advocating for our government getting out of this gay/straight marriage thing altogether.
What are your personal "feelings" about homosexual behavior?
ray shapiro great points as we see the Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Boone County spouting off to others on their views on this issue and he keeps demanding smaller government at the same time but he is not advocating for smaller government involvement on this controversial issue now is he?
Me smells a hypocrite or a closet member of the LGBTQ community.
As usual Chuck, you see things that don't exist and don't understanding my reasoning. I agree with Ray that government should get out of the marriage business (marriage licenses came about for the most part to prevent inter-racial marriage in the post-Civil War years). Until Missourians wise up and repeal the constitutional amendment from a few years back, I think Columbia's registry is a suitable band-aid.
Since the post-Civil War years the government has done much more with their power over marriage and the American Citizen. Why allow them to institute another layer? If the gay movement truly cared about America, they'd be advocating to dismantle this "branch of government." Like other "special interest" groups they see it as "what can the government do for me?" (The government will legitimize my behavior and I will reap some kind of benefit from them.) Personally, I see at as collusion, social engineering and a ploy on the general extreme left and those who are unwitting gay sympathizers.
I believe that many members of the LGBTQ community, and their straight friends and family members, are missing out on making a significant contribution to what America can truly become.
People are "fighting" over the wrong thing. We get caught up in the civil/moral battle when it's really an administrative/political/government issue. "Family Value" Religious Rights and Gay Leftists are missing an opportunity.
It would take the LGBTQ community to become enlightened on this "government involvement in their life" issue, however the entrenchment of the movement in the "politics of the secular progressives" makes this a difficult road to hoe. Religious Rights are so caught up in the government administering morality that they don't see the better alternative of having government out of the marriage business.
I hope the partner registry is nothing more than throwing them a bone.
I also hope they figure out that they are being duped by a movement separate and more powerful than LGBTQ.
Wow Chuck, when logic escapes you (as usual), the spittle, venom, and clueless attacks begin. I would really like to see such an explosion in person if you ever dare to come to one of the Beat Board lunch meetings. I don't think you have the guts to say such invective when you're not behind a computer screen in your taxpayer-funded apartment.
And for the record Chuckles, I was against the gay marriage ban in the state constitution a few years back. How does that gibe with your claim that I don't want to fix the problem (never mind you don't state just what the problem is, nor how you would fix it). Typical Chuckles, get all worked up when he has no solutions. You're a joke, Dudley, a sad joke.
Legalize marriage for everyone, but make divorce illegal.
John Schultz chairman of the Libertarian party of Boone County the only joke is you.
Why should I attend any lunch invite with a joke like you around anyway? There is no good reason to at all.
Keep it classy there Mr Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Bone County.
Chuck, once you learn what keeping it classy means and start living it, you can expect the same courtesy from those you spray with your Internet spittle.
Not to break up this lovefest, but I think same-sex marriage (a better term) will not be coming to Missouri anytime soon.
For one, we have a Constitutional Amendment that prevents any court in the state from striking the ban down. This is how all states but Vermont have gained same-sex marriage. Second, for the voters or the legislature to repeal that Amendment would require a pretty significant social upheaval in this state. With our status as a bellwether, look for other states to gain same-sex marriage first, especially in the Midwest.
That being said, I would be the first to support such an institution in Missouri.
John Schultz and what do we call your posts the dribble that spilt onto your keyboard because you forgot to tie your bib on?
a person can rap, kill or steal, go to jail/prison and still be allowed to be married. its crazy to me that you can be allowed to get married behind bars but not allowed to be married because of who u choose to love. loving someone is not a crime. all ppl deserve equal rights including the right to be married in the state that you live in.
so let me put a different spin on this.... if government should stay out of the marriage business..... should those that agree with this file single with zero dependents on their Federal taxes and not receive the benefit of a larger federal tax return..... equality is just that, we as Americans should stand together when there is injustice in our society, we as Americans will go to war to the unjust treatment of those around the world, yet we do not do the same for all people of our own society. While I understand and have served in our nations military, I abhor the double standard that my sacrifice provides the American people