A report om Human Rights Watch lls on the ernment of St. Vcent to overturn lonial-era anti-gay laws that have led to a recent wave of vlence and genr discrimatn on the small Caribbean island.
Contents:
- WILL CALIFORNIA PROTECT GAY MARRIAGE S NSTUTN?
- THE GAY-MARRIAGE AMENDMENT: A DANGER TO THE CONSTUTN
- HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: ANTI-GAY LAWS PROMOTE VLENCE, DISCRIMATN ST. VCENT
- THE GAY EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT.
- BH BACKS BAN CONSTUTN ON GAY MARRIAGE
WILL CALIFORNIA PROTECT GAY MARRIAGE S NSTUTN?
Two lawmakers want voters to amend the California nstutn to protect gay marriage rights om the U.S. Supreme Court. * gay rights constitutional amendment *
Evans, 1 the Supreme Court stck down a state nstutnal amendment that both overturned lol ordanc prohibg discrimatn agast homosexuals, lbians, or bisexuals, and prohibed any state or lol ernmental actn to eher remedy discrimatn or to grant preferenc based on sexual orientatn.
The Court cled to adopt the analysis of the Supreme Court of Colorado, which had held that the amendment ged on gays’ and lbians’ fundamental right to participate the polil procs. 18 In reachg that ncln, the Court noted that, jt as evolvg societal norms rm the liberty rights of same-sex upl, so too do “new sights and societal unrstandgs” about homosexualy reveal “unjtified equaly” wh rpect to tradnal ncepts of the stutn of marriage. Texas: “The Texas statute mak homosexuals unequal the ey of the law by makg particular nduct—and only that nduct—subject to crimal sanctn...
THE GAY-MARRIAGE AMENDMENT: A DANGER TO THE CONSTUTN
Current vol advot of a nstutnal amendment banng gay marriage ought to nsir the old Che adage, “Be reful what you wish for, bee you may get .” A gay marriage amendment, if adopted, uld produce untend and fateful nsequenc for the U.S. Constutn. Some of the possible rults are certa to prove distasteful to the proposal’s supporters, not to mentn damagg to nfince our nstutnal system. * gay rights constitutional amendment *
There’s no ditn, however, that the majory of jtic have much appete to do the same on gay marriage. In January, the Public Policy Instute of California found that a whoppg 75% of likely voters support a policy allowg gay and lbians upl to marry. Current vol advot of a nstutnal amendment banng gay marriage ought to nsir the old Che adage, “Be reful what you wish for, bee you may get .
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: ANTI-GAY LAWS PROMOTE VLENCE, DISCRIMATN ST. VCENT
* gay rights constitutional amendment *
A gay marriage amendment, if adopted, uld produce untend and fateful nsequenc for the U. The amendment failed spectacular fashn to achieve the temperance movement’s sired rult, as is also likely to happen wh a gay marriage amendment. An anti-gay marriage amendment is likely to generate many untend nsequenc.
THE GAY EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT.
Refg gay unns legal sanctn will certaly not prevent the formatn of lovg and endurg gay and lbian relatnships.
Marriage self uld also be an unexpected victim of the anti-gay amendment.
BH BACKS BAN CONSTUTN ON GAY MARRIAGE
The First Amendment and LGBT Equaly tells another story, about the First Amendment’s ccial yet largely fotten role the first few s of the gay rights movement. Between the 1950s and 1980s, when many urts were still openly hostile to sexual mori, they nohels regnized the eedom of gay and lbian people to exprs themselv and associate wh one another. Will Rolls, the gay Democrat vyg for a send chance to unseat Republin U.
In practice, Democrats on the Commtee argued, this uld provi a pathway for someone who is rponsible for the disbursement of survivor benefs to ny them to gay and lbian beneficiari. “Study after study has shown that where you discrimate agast the LGBTQ muny, whether ’s anti-gay laws Geia or anti-LGBT l overseas, enomic output creas, ” stuntg small bs growth and prsg wag, he said.