Gay Rights
Law and Marriage: a Case Study
Posted by Sheila Kennedy in Gay Rights on February 27th, 2010
Indiana is sometimes called the “buckle on the bible belt;” we are a socially conservative state. Nevertheless, while so many states have amended their constitutions to include prohibitions on same-sex marriage, Indiana has managed to beat back similar efforts. The natural question is: how? What is it about the legislative process and/or the strategies employed [...]
Continue reading...No More Susie Sunshine
Posted by Sheila Kennedy in Gay Rights on February 21st, 2010
Anyone who has read my columns over the years knows I am a resolute optimist. My general theme is something along the lines of “Yes, this bad thing or that has happened, but overall, look at the progress America is making.” And it’s true—over the long haul, we have seen progress in the general culture, [...]
Continue reading...The Marrying Kind
Posted by Sheila Kennedy in Gay Rights on January 13th, 2010
Here’s a quick quiz. Who said this?
“Legalizing same-sex marriage would also be a recognition of basic American principles, and would represent the culmination of our nation’s commitment to equal rights. It is, some have said, the last major civil-rights milestone yet to be surpassed in our two-century struggle to attain the goals we set for [...]
Another New Year
Posted by Sheila Kennedy in Gay Rights on December 20th, 2009
I’m at that time of life when the new years come around a lot more frequently. (As my husband says, “Life is like a roll of toilet paper—the closer you get to the end, the faster it turns.”) But no matter how often we ring out the old and ring in the new, it’s a [...]
Continue reading...Lessons from the Dark Side
Posted by Sheila Kennedy in Gay Rights on November 15th, 2009
The defeat of equal marriage rights in Maine was a gut-wrenching blow to gays and civil libertarians alike. There is something profoundly wrong with having to ask to be treated equally by your government. Equal rights should not be subject to vote—the entire purpose of the Bill of Rights was, in Justice Jackson’s memorable words
“to [...]
Recent Comments