[Vision2020] Civil Union, Marriage and Couples

[amy smoucha]

I guess in the upcoming years, we'll see how it can be handled.  You're 
reference to palimony suits is not accurate though.  In a handful of states, 
courts have considered a gay or lesbian relationship one that can seek 
relief under dissolution-type laws, but not even in a majority of states.  
Again, I wish it were that simple.

Amy Smoucha


----Original Message Follows----
From: "LuJane Nisse publisher" <lujane@lataheagle.com>
To: <vision2020@moscow.com>
Subject: RE: [Vision2020] Civil Union, Marriage and Couples
Date: Sat, 7 Feb 2004 10:48:43 -0800

I think it has been proven that couples living together can get their fair
share in property and even get "palimony".  I think the bigger issue is
children, medical care (in the case of one of them getting veryill) as well
as health insurance. I still think it could be handled without "marriage"
per se and calm the waters.


  -----Original Message-----
From: vision2020-admin@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-admin@moscow.com]On
Behalf Of Aldoussoma@aol.com
Sent: Saturday, February 07, 2004 5:10 AM
To: thansen@moscow.com; lujane@lataheagle.com; vision2020@moscow.com
Subject: [Vision2020] Civil Union, Marriage and Couples



   All:

   Vermont passed a civil union law that allows gay couples to have legal
recognition of their relationship and the legal benefits that confers, but
the union is not called "marriage."  Some people want to follow this model
in other states, allowing civil unions but not "marriage" in the full legal
sense for gay couples.  This might keep the people who are uneasy with gay
marriage a bit more calm.  What the exact legal difference is between a
civil union and marriage I am not exactly sure.  We need a lawyer for that
one, with tax, debt, property and asset, child custody and adultery law
involved.  If there was no legal difference except in terminology it seems
rather silly.

   Massachusetts right NOW, due to very recent court rulings, if I 
understand
the court rulings correctly, allows gay marriage in the full legal sense.
Thus President Bush clamoring for a constitutional amendment that would ban
any state from legalizing gay MARRIAGE, being pushed as we speak from one of
Bush's prime political power bases, fundamentalist right wing Christians.
Sound familiar?

   But the laws in some states recognize some legal rights for couples when
two people have lived together for a long time and helped each other in
various ways, even when there has been no marriage or civil union, and I do
not mean common law marriage.  So in some states if John and Larry have
lived together for 5 years acting as though they are just best friends, and
John pays the bills while Larry gets his law degree subsequently buying a
million dollar house with his sign on bonus to Daddy War Bucks Law Firm,
courts will recognize that John should get some goodies back from Larry if
Larry now decides that marrying Jane will look better to his new law firm
partners, leaving John in the gutter.

   Ted Moffett

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