Home Politics & Debate
If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.

Gay marriage in New York

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Guardian news story
Following Friday night's vote in Albany, New York, more than 11% of the US population ? 11.37% ? now lives in an area where same-sex marriage is a right, according to US Census data. New York, with a population of nearly 19.4 million, was a huge victory in the movement toward marriage equality. Take away New York, and the percentage drops to just a shade over 5%.

I'm surprised this hasn't been posted yet. This to me is at least a step in the right direction, it is worth reading the whole thing I have linked to, however there are plenty more news stories about the subject too.

I think that for a country which enshrined the words "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" in its declaration of independence, that change such as gay rights couldn't have come soon enough.

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I guess it hasn't been posted because in the grand scheme of things it's not a big story, given that this is a British website. There's a lot more bigger stories we haven't bothered with...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I don't really think it means anything other than gay marriage is legal in NY, even though people seem to be thinking it means a lot more, so I saw real point in posting. At the end of it, its still only marriage, lot more to fight for in gay equality, marriage isn't a right, out of everything that shouldn't be on the top of the agenda, but this is a step in a right direction.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It is a right, in the sense that it's enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 16).

    What we have in the UK isn't marriage so I do find it interesting when other countries / jurisdictions enshrine marriage rather than partnership.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    piccolo wrote: »
    It is a right, in the sense that it's enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 16).

    What we have in the UK isn't marriage so I do find it interesting when other countries / jurisdictions enshrine marriage rather than partnership.

    In that sense yes, its also the same in article 26 in the United Nations Civil and Political Rights. Accepting it as a human right in those senses, but not in the sense many people actually do - like its some sort of basic human right that is ultimately important. I just think there are more important rights to fight for in human rights (around the world) than marriage. Especially when religion imposes rights. Do you see what I'm trying to say? Its hard to explain it perfectly without opening a huge can of worms.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Open away, we've not had a good can of worms for a while.

    But, I do take your point. Compared to the right not to be tortured by your government I guess it's not right up there...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If we were in a truly free society, I'd say its important to have the right not to be tortured, and the "freedom" for gay marriage. Something like gay marriage shouldn't have to have laws to be passed to allow it. It should be a freedom ie; should be how things are without legal intervention.

    If that makes sense?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yeah it makes sense - everything should be legal unless its activelly illegal. So you should have an automatic freedom to marry who you want, the Government shouldn't have to give you that power. However you shouldn;t be free to torture - Government should have laws to make that illegal,
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Exactly, you just said what I did in a much less verbose way.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    G-Raffe wrote: »
    Exactly, you just said what I did in a much less verbose way.

    I think I said it in an equally verbose way :D
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You are free to have a relationship with whoever you want. The government won't stick its nose in if you want to have gay relationship, a polygamous relationship, or anything else where all parties consent. What you're asking for in marriage, however, is the government to recognise that relationship in some official way. So you're not simply asking the government to not make gay marriage illegal, you're asking them to expand the rules for an act that, by definition, cannot exist without the government to acknowledge it. The government has to grant you the right to marry, because without government acknowledgement, it's just a nice get-together of family and friends, which gay people have always been able to do (well, since it stopped being illegal to be gay, that is).
Sign In or Register to comment.