June 17 is the date

[TotallyOz]

What a wonderful day this will be. As the old saying goes, As California goes, so goes the nation. Well, I hope this works the same way. I for one am very excited to see this happen and if I were the monogamous type, I would be in line for this. Since I am not, I think I'll celebrate it with a few friends in a huge orgy.

Is anyone out there playing on partaking in this day?

Do you think this will once again galvanize voters to turn out this fall? Will it be the same thing all over again or do you think we have grown as a nation?

[Guest epigonos]

YES -- I think it will galvanize voters and NOT just here in California but all over the country. I am sincerely concerned that this issue will bring out, in huge numbers, the vary voters many of us wish would stay at home. This court decision buts Obama in a terrible position. There is going to be all sorts of pressure placed on his to come out against the California anti same sex marriage constitutional amendment. He looses if he opposes it and he looses if he doesn't. The timing is just plain awful!!!

[JKane]

I honestly think we've made progress since 2004 and that the nation has much more important things to worry about than this transparent wedge issue.

Also remember people often had initiatives about gay marriage to vote on last go around (where I agree it did badly hurt the Democrats) and while conservative voters were there they also voted Republican. California's probably the only state with such an initiative this time, and it's not like it is even close to up for grabs. Everywhere else the pitch is "Come in and vote for the same old Republican who ruined the economy and got us in this disastrous war because he opposes gay marriage..." I don't see that working so well.

Lastly, demographics are on our side, with most young people for legalizing--which is not a good sign for the California ballot initiative if Obama does continue to rally the youth vote.

[TampaYankee]

What a wonderful day this will be. As the old saying goes, As California goes, so goes the nation. Well, I hope this works the same way. I for one am very excited to see this happen and if I were the monogamous type, I would be in line for this. Since I am not, I think I'll celebrate it with a few friends in a huge orgy.

Oz, it sounds like you are waiting for Utah to institute gay marriage.

[AdamSmith]

Lastly, demographics are on our side, with most young people for legalizing--which is not a good sign for the California ballot initiative if Obama does continue to rally the youth vote.

Agree. Feels like it is time to drop caution and start rolling the dice on this one. As MLK judged it was time in the early 1960s to roll with civil rights, after a decade of people living with the concept if not much actual implementation of Brown v. Board and of the 1950s civil-rights acts pushed through by LBJ as Senator. Having forced the issue in Massachusetts seems to be working, where 4 years of seeing gay marriage in practice has helped turn majority opinion from opposed to in favor.

[Guest EurythmicThrust]

Only a few days away from the big event, and i can report certain business parts of this town are ceazy-busy preparing for the large amount of weddings to take place here in San Fran. One economic study showed that in 3 years, same-sex weddings, and all the planning that goes into them, will generate over half BILLION dollars to California's ailing economy!

One of our debate point examples for same sex marriage now could be that with the income generated from same sex weddings, there will be more money to fund California's schools for ALL children with the revenue generated! That kind of logic can definitely help sway more supporters to our side.

BTW, I am the "best man" at two weddings in July...

[AdamSmith]

Controversial Court Ruling Upholds Homosexual's Right To Prance Around Demanding Attention And Being A Drama Queen

HARTFORD, CT—The Connecticut Supreme Court on Monday upheld the right of individuals, regardless of sexual orientation, to engage in any number of "grandiose behaviors," including, but not limited to, sashaying across the room "like a hussy, yelling 'Oh my God!' at the top of their lungs while hopping up and down, and generally acting like Miss Thing."

The court ruled 5-2 in favor of the plaintiff in Carmichael v. State of Connecticut, a landmark case overturning a lower court's decision against homosexual Michael Carmichael's right to excessive theatrics. Writing for the majority, Chief Justice Chase T. Rogers argued that "although the loud and emotionally over-the-top behaviors of Mr. Carmichael may be considered annoying by the community standards established by both his heterosexual and homosexual peers, the question of whether or not an individual is acting overly queeny is not a matter for the law to determine."

The ruling, which effectively affirms the right of all attention whores to make a complete spectacle of themselves, is already being contested by conservative groups and is expected to be appealed...

Plaintiff Michael Carmichael gives the judges his whole life story, for crying out loud.

The legal battle for gay rights began in 1972, when a Manhattan court granted homosexual couples the right to stand next to each other in public places "as long as they don't make a big deal about it." In 1981, 1983, and 1986, similar rulings in Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco granted gays the right to attend movies, take walks, and tickle each other while cooking dinner together. Monday's ruling represents the first time that homosexuals' legal right to openly act "as gay as gay can possibly get" has been affirmed by the courts.

"Carmichael's is an extreme case, but the precedent is far-reaching," legal analyst Jameson Drury said. "This decision protects not only full-blown flamers, but all homosexuals, even those swish enough to let their hands flutter occasionally during a season finale of Project Runway." ...

"Plain and simple, the state cannot decide which bombastic, drama-generating behavior is deemed patently offensive," said the American Civil Liberties Union's Tom Gregor, a member of the legal team who represented Carmichael. "Although, to be honest, I am personally going to think twice before taking on any more pro bono cases for someone as high-maintenance as Mr. Carmichael in the future. Talk about your vampy divas. As happy as we are to have won the case, the afterparty was a nightmare."

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/contr..._ruling_upholds

[TotallyOz]

Controversial Court Ruling Upholds Homosexual's Right To Prance Around Demanding Attention And Being A Drama Queen

Absolutely Divine!