I'M AGAINST MARRIAGE-- EXCEPT FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO GET MARRIED

I thought gays who wanted to enlist in the military were nuts but I certainly supported their right to be as do what they felt they had to do or wanted to do. Same with marriage. I never could quite understand why people desired to go voluntarily into that prison, especially not gays who had such an ironclad excuse. (I can't remember all the time I told guys that I would love to marry them if only... Oh, yeah, if only it was for a week.) But whether someone is straight or gay, it should be their own choice, certainly not the government's. So, as ruinful as this may be to my old conceptions of a gay lifestyle as part of an outlaw, or at least a bohemian, culture, I'm genuinely happy for all the lesbians and delusional gay males-- yes, yes, I apologize-- who want to tie themselves in knots. The California Supreme Court, in a 4-3 ruling by the mostly Republican judges, overturned the ban on gay marriage. The San Francisco Chronicle:

Gays and lesbians have a constitutional right to marry in California, the state Supreme Court said today in a historic ruling that could be repudiated by the voters in November.

In a 4-3 decision, the justices said the state's ban on same-sex marriage violates the "fundamental constitutional right to form a family relationship." The ruling is likely to flood county courthouses with applications from couples newly eligible to marry when the decision takes effect in 30 days.

Republican groups are already hysterical and organizing a referendum that would amend the state's constitution. Twenty-seven states have already passed constitutional amendments to prohibit gay marriage. They'll be disappointed with their governor's statement today. Schwarzenegger: "I respect the Court’s decision and as Governor, I will uphold its ruling.  Also, as I have said in the past, I will not support an amendment to the constitution that would overturn this state Supreme Court ruling.” 

The coming last-ditch battle with wingnuts and hate-obsessed religionist fanatics reminds me of Vito Fossella's sick and miserable existence. The Republican Family Values hypocrite had two families, one on Staten Island and on near the office. While building a shameful and totally cynical political career on his professed devotion to "family values" (and, of course, virulent homophobia), Fossella has been very pointedly trying to destroy the lives of his own gay family. He has a lesbian sister who, with her partner, has adopted twins. Fossella has sought to make adoption by gay couples illegal. More relevant to today's California ruling, in the recent past Fossella has "demanded housing funds be held back from San Francisco unless it repealed its domestic partnership law." I guess this is ratcheted up a bit now-- although he appears to have enough of his own problems now so that he may not be putting too much energy into harassing gay families.


UPDATE: BEST ANALYSIS

Glenn's got a great in-depth look at what the ruling means-- and doesn't mean-- over at Salon... with 5 updates (mostly about the blind anger and ignorance on the far right)!