In a historic decision for homosexual couples, San Francisco authorities openly challenged California law Thursday by issuing marriage licenses to 95 same-sex couples. This measure comes as Massachusetts plans to be the first state to legally recognize same-sex weddings under a ruling by the state's High Court.
Yesterday, as the Assembly addressed same-sex marriages, Madison community members and city officials held events to draw public support for gay rights.
A proposed amendment to Wisconsin's constitution sparked impassioned testimony Thursday at a public hearing for the proposal at the state Capitol.
Rep. Mark Gundrum, R-New Berlin, the proposal's sponsor, said the Massachusetts Supreme Court decision proved an amendment is necessary.
Rep. Tom Hebl, D-Sun Prairie, disagreed that the issue was one on which the Legislature should focus.
\You've been dealing with gays and God and guns time after time,"" he said. ""To me this legislation is mean-spirited. ... We'll have more Bibles in this room than any other room in the building. And we'll have more hatred in this room than any other room in the building.""
People both for and against the resolution highlighted potential effects on families by bringing their children to the hearing.
""Why limit [marriage] to certain people, especially given the divorce rate is 50 percent? Maybe some of us can show you how to do it right,"" said state Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, who introduced a resolution to counter that of the Republicans.
Dane County Clerk Joe Parisi, who issues the county's marriage licenses, said he wished he could issue them to same-sex couples.
A recent Badger Poll showed 64 percent of state residents favor an amendment against same-sex marriage. Several supporters made analogies between legalized same-sex marriage and legalized polygamy and cited traditions of marriage.
""Society should not recognize so-called marriages that are by design motherless or fatherless,"" said Julaine Appling, executive director of the Family Research Institute. She said the issue is more about adult desires than the welfare of children.
Matthew Bohm, a UW-Madison graduate student, waited seven-and-a-half hours for his turn to speak. Bohm favors the amendment because of his faith and a concern for effects on children.
""Now that [marriage] has become a state issue, I think we should put it in the right direction,"" he said.
Madisonians Mark Leddy and David Cohen met 18 years ago. They do not have equal medical decision-making rights, rights of inheritance or rights to access information on one of their partners' deaths in the event of an accident.
Because of this, they applied for a marriage license at the county clerk's office yesterday. Yet, because marriage in Wisconsin is defined as between ""husband and wife,"" Parisi was unable to grant them a license.
Leddy said the two biggest obstacles to gay marriage are the state Republicans' proposal and President Bush's opposition at the federal level.
Action Wisconsin, a homosexual rights group, held a meeting on marriage equality at the Orpheum Theatre, 216 State St., Thursday.
The meeting featured stories from same-sex couples, talks about legislation opposing same-sex marriages and current efforts aimed at legalizing same-sex marriages.
""Some say that words like 'civil union' and 'marriage' are the same thing. I'm here to tell you that words matter ... that 'civil unions' create second-class citizens who don't share the same 1,049 benefits and rights that married couples share,"" said Christopher Ott, head of Action Wisconsin.
Also addressed at the meeting were the legal successes and challenges involving same-sex couples.
""Only one year ago, 13 states that had criminalized same-sex relations overturned these decisions. Yet, people who are now getting marriage licenses in Canada cannot get the rights of a married couple transferred over to the United States,"" said Camilla Taylor, a lawyer who advocates gay rights.
Taylor addressed the San Francisco event and current legislation aimed at ""defending marriage"" by saying, ""We hope people will soon realize that the sky will not fall, and the Earth will not crumble if same-sex marriages are legalized.""
