Linear as bent

Like buses coming in threes

May 6, 2009 at 12:47 pm Leave a comment

Same-sex marriage news updates.

• The Maine House of Representatives has passed a bill allowing same-sex marriages in the state. That, together with it passing Senate, places the bill before Governor Baldacci. He has a few days to make a decision to approve or veto the bill.
  New Hampshire and New York could take up similar SSM bills in their  lower houses as early as next week. [via NT Yimes]

ETA: An hour after the bill was passed, Governor Baldacci signed it into law. He wasn’t entirely happy to do so but he did the right thing. Civil matters belong to the government. The Governor’s statement is here. Maine is the 5th US state to legalise SSMs, and Baldacci the first Governor to legislate it.

• Washington D.C. councillors voted to recognised SSM from other states (half-measure if you ask me). The Mayor apparently supports it, but as Washington D.C is federal territory, this measure will have to be approved by the committees in the US Congress that oversee D.C. If Congress does nothing, after 30 session days, the measure becomes law. [via AAP]

• Finally, a SSM challenge in Greece. A local court has ruled that two homosexual civil weddings performed last year are invalid. “The couples had said they took advantage of a loophole in Greek civil law, which does not specify gender in matrimony…”. An appeal will be lodged with the intent of taking the case up to the European Court of Human Rights if necessary. Interestingly, the lesbian couple have a joint tax file. [via News]

Entry filed under: Advocates, Champions, Equity, Legal, Politiko. Tags: same-sex rights.