Wedding Blog
This just came across my RSS feed, and I thought I’d share the happy news. Following in the footsteps of Iowa –on Friday the Iowa Supreme court ruled the ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional –the Vermont Legislature overrode the Governor’s veto of a bill, allowing gay couples to marry, just this morning. This brings the total of states allowing same-sex marriages to four: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa and Vermont. Woot woot!
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Share this post: Marriage Equality for Iowa and Vermont
We’re slowly getting to where we need to be! 
Here’s a woot woot from me as well!!!
Huzzah!!! I just hope voters don’t shoot it down later. But it’s not a time for pessimism, it’s time for optimism, woo hoo!
Doesn’t anyone think that it is wrong that the voters made a decision and the goverment decided that they were wrong and changes it? Since we live in a democracy does that mean the majority vote should win? How would you feel if the goverment decided that Obama could not be the president even though he was elected by the majority of voters and put McCain in the oval office…..
Just a thought!
Woot! Let’s hope this trickles down, across and around the country!
Woohoo for Separation of Church and State (which most voters need to be educated on)!!!!
Let’s hope that continues!! I know it kills my friends to see me planning my wedding to my FH when they can’t do anything to confirm their marriage in the eyes of the government–so wrong!!
AWESOME!! If only CA wasn’t so lame.
@Jenny: I wish voting always worked, but it worked against the minority in CA. I don’t want to get a debate started, but it feels like voting on a right for a minority group is inherently wrong. We should just all have equal rights.
And PS Let’s not forget that Gore did get the majority of votes.
YAYY!!! When I heard about Iowa, I was seriously shocked. It amazed me that a “heartland” state is more progressive than a “progressive” state like California. These two rulings give me hope, though. Our country IS headed in the right direction Thanks for posting, Cookie!
@Jenny: additionally I was referencing other states, Vermont’s elected officials overturned another elected official’s decision. Which is why we have checks and balances.
I read about this on Friday. I am so thrilled! Hurrah Iowa and Vermont! Come on West Coast, what’s taking so long?
Jenny #7,
With all due respect, your logic is flawed. The US government is composed of 3 separate branches to balance out the power of the others. The judiciary itself was created to be countermajoritarian, meaning that some decisions should not be left up to the common vote, and, to the extent that wasn’t made explicit at the Founding, it has been a dead-center aspect of American jurisprudence since Marbury v. Madison. If the Founders had cared so absolutely about the will of the people, they would have required jury trials for civil as well as for criminal trials, or they wouldn’t have even created a judicial branch that could check the legislative branch, an idea that had a lot of currency at the time. In fact, enough of the Founders were so scared of the ‘people’ that originally Senators were not even elected directly by the people; they represented the states and were elected by state legislatures. The Founders understood there needs to be a balance. At one point or another the “will of the people” was for there to be slavery, Jim Crowe, and the Chinese Exclusion laws of California and other states. I would hope that you would agree that these are all laws that were completely wrong at the time and deserved to be abolished. If we relied on the will of the people, then segregation might still be legal!
Bottom line is that if something is unconstitutional, then the will of the people (or a “majority vote” as you called it) will not change that to make it constitutional. You cannot vote to legalize something that is unconstitutional, and prohibiting same-sex marriage is unconstitutional.
Signed
-A lawyer
This makes me proud to live in New England.
I think Sean Penn said it best when he accepted his Oscar for Milk:
“I think that it is a good time for those who voted for the ban on gay marriage to sit reflect and anticipate their great shame, and the shame in their grandchildren’s eyes if they continue that way of support. We’ve got to have equal rights for everyone.”
Fantastic! Sometimes I am so embarrassed that I live in a time where equal rights STILL do not exist. I hope our kids aren’t too embarassed of us. I can’t wait ’til equal marriage for all of us exists across the board.
@Jenny: We live in a republic, not a democracy.
P.S. Hooray for Vermont! I feel so sorry for the people who are on the wrong side of this civil rights issue. A few years from now same sex marriage should hopefully be legal in all 50 states, and how will you be able to tell your future children/grandchildren that you disagreed with that?
Signed
E #15
@Jenny: I think you also have to remember that the people were the ones that selected those officials in government to represent them. The governement are elected REPRESENTATIVES of the people.
This definitely is a hopeful time for our country in regards to taking one more step for equality. Yay!
Why can’t people simply be happy about this without bashing the opposing side?
@Jenny - I do appreciate your dissenting opinion. I may not agree with you, but its always nice to hear what the other side thinks.
Hooray!!
The DC council voted unanimously “to recognize gay marriages performed in other states” (AP)
YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!!! I <3 Marriage!!
The CA supreme court heard the Prop 8 case a few weeks ago. Let’s hope when they finally come to a decision, it will add to this number!
@December: No one is bashing anyone here. So far the conversation has been very rational and has stuck to the issue.
yay yay I second candy corn - its about damn time already!!! I’m with you Snappy, I’m embarassed that we live in a time where people are looked down upon and given unequal rights because they choose to love someone that doesn’t fit the “norm”. Hopefully MD won’t be too far behind and the whole country will follow suit
Jenny, that did happen, remember BUSH/Gore 2000??
Yippeeeee, EQUALITY ROCKS!!!!!!
Oh Cookie - thank you for posting this - its wonderful wonderful wonderful news!
To love eachother, we must be free to love eachother freely.
I just hope CA gets on board already!
I am SO proud to be a Vermonter today. If only the rest of the world could follow!
I’m thrilled to hear the news. I’m also not going to call my parents for the next couple days because they’re just going to gripe about it.
This is great news indeed!
For anyone interested in marriage equality, HR1024, the Uniting American Families Act, is currently being considered in Congress; the measure would allow Americans in same-sex partnerships to sponsor their partners for US permanent residency, a right currently extended to heterosexual couples but explicitly forbidden to same-sex couples. Read more about the measure and the case that inspired it here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/04/02/MNSF16QV9B.DTL
Thank you SOSOSO much for posting this. I was hoping someone would since this blog is all about weddings and the more people who love each other can get married the better!!
We were thinking about driving to Iowa (since they give non-resident licenses) to get our license since everyone can. But I live in DC and we have good news too.
PS Lets have some LGBT bees!!
@lreighard1: I was going to mention this if you didn’t! I can only hope it won’t be too much longer before everyone everywhere can have their love legally recognized!
@Jenny: That actually did happen. It’s called Bush’s first presidency. Technically, the majority voted for Al Gore.
YAYAY! This is great news I only hope we get the same happy news in CA!
This is such awesome news and I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH MISS PEEP TOE AN JDOE! You worded your comment beautifully. I am also here in CA. I feel the same way.
This is great news, and even though im from Canada (and doest apply to me directly) Im doing a little dance for you all.
No matter what, there will always be people on the opposite side… heck when Obama became officially the first black American President, people were against the whole thing… saying he wasn’t 100% black.
Either way, this is a step in the good direction… hurray!!!!!!!!! 
I think this is incredible news and I could not be more thrilled.
@MelissaB: Thanks for posting about this Melissa! I think it’s so important to be happy about the battles win, but we can’t forget the steps we still have to take towards marriage equality. For anyone else interested in the story of Shirley Tan and her deportation because her same-sex partner can’t sponsor her legal immigration. Here’s a great YouTube video of a news interview with them. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFDS0wqhzhc&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Ftwochicksnest.blogspot.com%2F&feature=player_embedded
I never said that I disagreed with Same Sex Marriage. I just wonder why if something is voted in by the majority of people and the goverment can decide they don’t like it and change it. I was just asking everyone to think about it…. and how would you feel if the opposite happened. Is that what we want the goverment to do?????
I’m so proud to be an Iowan! I’m happy that in a country where a very diverse group of people come together we can respect that we will not all be in agreement on issues of morality and lifestyle choices. Just as I don’t find certain lifestyle choices to be moral, others don’t find the homosexual lifestyle to be a moral one, and they have the right to feel that way. However, they don’t have the right to force their moral values upon another human being.
The government shouldn’t be policing morality - it is up to the people to instill their moral values into future generations, not the law. There will always be a minority that will lead a life that the majority will consider immoral/wrong, but as long as these individuals are not directly negatively impacting others (as with stealing, murdering, etc.) we can not legally withhold their right to do what they want.
We cannot make it against the law to have extramarital affairs, get divorced, have threesomes, etc., as much as I believe these things are “wrong.” These are lifestyle choices, and everyone has a right to feel that these are perfectly acceptable lifestyle choices.
In this country, it’s all about majority rule vs. minority rights - http://www.america.gov/st/democracy-english/2008/May/20080609194934eaifas0.5346796.html.
How exciting! We are one small step closer to equal rights for all. Hopefully the rest of the country will follow suit!
@ Jenny - I just saw your second post, and I think you posted a great question for people to discuss. If you look at my above post, you’ll see that while the majority rules for the most part in America - whoever gets the most votes wins on something - the government has to balance what the majority wants with minority rights. Even if the majority of Americans don’t want same-sex marriages, the government needs to recognize that the majority cannot take away the rights of the minority. The minority will never have enough votes to protect themselves, so it is up to the government to protect their rights for them.
Jenny,
I have answered your question above (see #15).
But to recap: Yes, we do want the government to have oversight over the common vote to ensure that the common vote does not vote for something unconstitutional. Yes, we do want to have a government system that is more complex than simply putting up every major decision to a popular vote.
This is a great, positive step towards marriage equality! I hope the rest of the country catches on soon.
I think that same sex marriage falls in the same lines as interracial marriage!! And if we had let the majority vote on THAT in the 50’s we wouldn’t have interracial couples! Sometimes the majority is just WRONG.
I believe we all should have equal rights, most especially those who have chosen to COMMIT to each other!!
That being said, I also think the ACLU is a crock and tries to force the ideals of the minority onto the majority. I agree we should (and DO!) have a system where the majority doesn’t get to tell the minority what they CAN do, but I also think the minority shouldn’t be able to tell the majority what they CAN’T do.
YAY for marriage equality!!! I hope the rest of the country follows suit!
The ACLU is not a crock (I also do not always agree with EVERYTHING they do) but I think they are an asset because they help with checks and balances as well!
This is fantastic! I posted a very similar post — great minds think alike. Thanks for sharing.
I just had to peep in again- Style Me Pretty is showcasing the most beautiful garden wedding today!! Check out Desiree and Ann’s wedding.
http://www.stylemepretty.com/
I’m not interested in people tearing me apart but this is very subjective. Your point of view on political issues is undoubtly related to your religious issues even if you are agnostic. Think about all your values and morals, they are formed by the way you live, people you know, etc. You judging people on what they believe is marriage does not make you a stronger believer in equal rights. It’s great to hear everybody’s feelings, it’s awesome to see people celebrate but seeing people tear apart another WB reader Jenny is not cool.
@L - I think the comments directed to Jenny were pretty respectful? If there are any particular ones you’d like us to take a look at it, please let us know.
In any case, we can agree to disagree on the issue itself. Personally, I am excited to see marriage equality start to spread across the US. I think it’s one of the most important civil rights issues of our time.
@E: Thank you E#15! You put it perfectly.
Yay!! Let’s hope this domino effect continues!
Thank you L. You have a great point.
I just want to say one more time in no way did I say that I was against same sex marriage. I am sorry that each of you who jumped to that conclusion is so judgmental. I just put a thought out there for people to think about.
I am proud to be getting married in Iowa on May 30!!! Equal Protection of the laws is a great thing.
And, by the way, the judicial system is in place to protect the minority because the majority will trump minorities’ rights. The voters should not and were never intended to vote on everything. We are a democracy, but we have systems in check to protect minorities, like the Bill of Rights is countermajoritarian. If left up to pure voting, we would still have segregated schools, criminalized homosexual sodomy, etc.
Thank you judges for standing up for what is just! You make America great.
P.S. I am a lawyer.
I may have missed it but I didn’t see anyone say that Jenny is against same-sex marriage. All the comments I saw addressed her question about popular votes and disagreed….
I don’t think correcting perceptions of the way the government works(republic vs democracy) is tearing her apart/bashing her…
This is such amazing news! This picture is so amazing! We’re giving a donation to a pro-gay marriage organization in our State. I would love to see a lesbian Bee blogger planning her wedding!!
I could’nt be prouder to be a Vermonter!!!!
You guys should read the opinion from the Iowa Supreme Court, it was amazing. Let’s just hope the other states start to see the light. Congrats to Iowa and Vermont!
This news was fantastic! Cannot wait for other states to follow suite!
Yay! I’m glad you posted this! I am hoping that CA will be following suite soon.
That’s fantastic!! As someone who lives in a country where same-sex marriage is legal, it’s hard to imagine what it was like before, and what it must be like for all those couples out there who aren’t allowed to do what straight people in love can do everyday.
How exciting!! Although I live in Canada and we have had same sex marriage rights for a while it is so refreshing to see the US catching up with the changing times and allowing for citizens to have equality What a happy day for Iowa and Vermont!!
As a person born and raised in Iowa, I am so proud of my home state. Although we are in America’s “heartland” we have always been a progressive state ( usually the case for highly academic areas). I am not surprised but extremely happy and hopeful that other states will make the same choice. Go Hawkeyes!!!
It is so refreshing that the country is waking up and letting people love people and committ to each other!
This is GREAT news!! I am getting married in May and my parents have had a blast so far and cannot wait until the big day… My sister is gay and its almost like they are getting it all out b/c they know her chances of getting married are pretty slim. This gives me hope b/c she deserves a “proper” wedding to the one she loves just as much as any of us “straight” folks. It just baffles me to think that a human being would want to take this away from another human being b/c of their own “beliefs.”
Thank you Vermont for giving my sister a chance! YAYYYYYYYY!!
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Mrs. Cookie, Denver
Age and Occupation: 25, Nonprofit Fundraiser/Theatre Designer
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Financial Analyst
Engagement Date: September 2007
Wedding Date: September 2008
Blogging Since: May 8, 2008
Venue: Ten Mile Station
About Me: With a degree in Theatre I never realized that planning a wedding was a lot like Theatre Management, until I started planning my own. I am a coffee addict, especially Starbucks' Grande Mochas, yummy! I love to cook (especially chocolate chip cookies for my honey), travel to exotic places, and be creative. As a couple, Mr. Cookie and I are extremely practical, down to earth, and children at heart. We live in a cozy abode with our adorable Pomeranian, and love to play board games and watch movies into the evening.
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