I don't get why those sodomy laws didn't get automatically taken off the books when ruled unconstitutional by the supreme court..... fucking legal system!
@Ken: Ms. Thatcher may have been ahead of her constitutents and society at the time; our legislature is definitely behind its constituents & society (and state Supreme Court, which judicially decriminalized homosexual sex in 1997).
@2: Let's not attack Montana on this. They did the right thing even if they were dragging their feet. They just took a tiny step forward, even though it was entirely symbolic (since the law was invalidated by the State's supreme court as well as the US Supreme Court).
@5 it would only be struck down if someone tried to enforce it, though I seriously doubt it would have been possible in the first place. A number of years ago I took a look at New York's now defunct anti-sodomy law, and what interested me was that it didnt give a specific definition of sodomy and prescribed no way of actually enforcing it. I feel like all these laws were just fodder in the first place.
Not that it is not also Totally Awesome for Uruguay to legalize gay marriage. Just it would be mindblowingly fantastic for Uganda to do such a complete 180...
I so hope France will be next ! I hope our politicians will be brave enough to do the right thng !
If gay marriage wins in France, that will be something to party over ! Many fellow heterosexuals feel the exact same way (except my catholic mum, bummer).
Isn't sodomy a religious-based term? Not sure how the laws were originally written, but anything talking about "sodomy" should be insta-banned due to that pesky separation of state and religion.
@19 - it sure is! Of course, in a way, they have indeed been 'insta-banned' - by Lawrence v. Texas in 2003. But it should have happened way earlier, and for among other things) exactly the reason you describe. I'm just glad that "Gomorration" never caught on, or we'd have even more old Bible-based relics to pry out of our penal codes.
Yes, we have huge problems. The environment? Could be better. Wars, hunger, and poverty? Still got those. Demographic problems? Looming like heckall.
But more of our hungry are fed, more of our sick get medicine, more of the oppressed have people giving a darn about them and more people who used to be treated like crud are getting their legal due.
Hence all the not thinking we're doomed. We're getting better at this humanity thing.
34 Republicans voted against the repeal. The next time a Republican tells you "we Republicans don't care what people do in private; we just want to protect marriage", remind him of this vote which happened in 2013, not back in "the "bad old days."
Since someone brought up Maggie Thatcher.... She was an evil bitch who deserves to spend eternity being chewed on by zombie Nancy Reagan while demons cram giant pineapples up her nasty cunt and her well-kissed arse simultaneously and unendingly. Ireland for the Irish and the Malvinas for the Argentines.
@10 it is unfortunately not mere foot-dragging. I was born in France and am taken aback by the strength of popular opposition to the law project. The rise of homophobia is simply appalling. I wish Dan could mention the crisis taking place in France right now, because the opponents probably don't realize that they are making our country the laughing stock of the world. The French LGBT community and straight allies could make use of some foreign support.
If gay marriage wins in France, that will be something to party over ! Many fellow heterosexuals feel the exact same way (except my catholic mum, bummer).
But more of our hungry are fed, more of our sick get medicine, more of the oppressed have people giving a darn about them and more people who used to be treated like crud are getting their legal due.
Hence all the not thinking we're doomed. We're getting better at this humanity thing.
Even if she was right about the Falklands, she was wrong about everything else.