The plug nasties on both coasts are continuing relentlessly to make sure same-sex couples don't get the benefits that straight ones do. In California, one anti-SSM group sued to make sure a Massachusetts marriage doesn't earn benefits in San Jose. In New York State, four conservatives are trying to make sure New Rochelle strips domestic partners of health benefits.
These Spite and Fright Circuses of lawsuits and anti-gay groups love to claim that homosexuals have a dreadful agenda to destroy the nation. Yet what happens typically as we see here is that they are schadenfreude practitioners, intent on making others suffer or have less than they do. They deserve a special ring in hell.
Out West, the Proposition 22 Legal Defense & Education Fund got a Santa Clara County Superior Court judge to back them. The suit was over a city council vote that expanded benefits comparable to heterosexual married couples to city workers who married legally elsewhere, regardless of sexual orientation.
Judge Mary Jo Levinger wrote in part, "`to recognize all marriages of city employees certified by other jurisdictions is contrary to California law and is therefore pre-empted. Furthermore, only marriages between a man and a woman may be recognized by the City of San Jose." One of the nasties, ex-councilman Larry Pegram, said his group wanted to make sure the city didn't recognize same-sex marriage in any way.
Similarly, the chairman of the New Rochelle Conservative Party, Joseph Rossini, and three other ill-willed souls reveled in the catch-22 situation. One, Peggy Godfrey, said that continuing health benefits to domestic partners was "politically pandering" to gays. "Homosexuals don't have marriage rights," she added. Illogically, Rossini said that "I don't think taxpayers should be paying for people to be living together outside of marriage."
Joe, they are working within the system as best they can. Cut 'em some slack.
Mayor Tim Idoni said the practice was "fair and equitable to all employees of New Rochelle." They have been offered since mid-May. Two employees have requested the benefits, at a cost of about $14,000 to the city.
This should make for good arguments. The policy offers the benefits to any registered domestic partner, not just homosexual ones. The convoluted anti side seems to be stuck with its circular argument.
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