AP: Michigan Ruling Alarms Gay Rights Advocates

[Hissyspit]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SAME_SEX_BENEFITS?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US

Feb 8, 3:49 AM
Mich. Ruling Alarms Gay Rights Advocates

By DAVID EGGERT
Associated Press Writer

LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- A Michigan appeals court ruling that bans public universities and state and local governments from providing health insurance to partners of gay employees has alarmed gay rights advocates nationwide.

They fear the decision could encourage similar rulings in 17 other states whose bans on gay marriage could be interpreted to prohibit domestic partner benefits for same-sex couples.

Michigan last week became the first state to rule that public employers cannot offer health benefits if the benefits are based on treating same-sex relationships similar to marriage.

"It really is just a matter of time before we start seeing wholesale litigation in this area," said Carrie Evans, state legislative director for the Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights group in Washington.

- snip -

Dennis Patrick, a professor at Eastern Michigan University, worries that Michigan's ruling will strip his partner's health insurance.

MORE

[Catfight]

1. This will be a nasty time for gays in history. Just as bad as segregation. nt

[salin]

2. govt restricting the 'free market' of employment....

preventing institutions from competing fairly for the best employees by offering better benefits... huh. The social conservatives *never* seem to recognize when they violate tenets of the free-market so blindly adored by the Freidman conservatives.

The assualt by the talibornagain continues. :-(

[BOSSHOG]

3. Such rulings bring joy to "christians"

they just love it when people they hate are denied health insurance. It makes them feel so good about themselves; as they head to divorce court, then to the insurance company to change their beneficiaries like others change underwear.

[ThomCat]

14. You're very right. It's amazing how many christians take joy in hatred.

x(

It's going to get worse before enough straight people care enough to help us push this back. :(

[undergroundpanther]

23. Wish we could ban christians from receiving health care,jobs housing..

I wish WE could discriminate right back. A survey I read a few years ago rated fanatic christofascists as less desirable than an ex- serial killer as a neighbor. Why can't we BAN them,Keep them OUT of the pride parades, force them to shut their traps when they preach on the street with a bullhorn because they disturb the peace?Take their handouts and use them as toilet paper in spot-a pots..I wish we could chase these dregs all away from all decent human beings Than lock them into their churches and leave them there where they can pray all day While I wait for them to die off from thirst hunger and paranoia fueled circular firing squads,..

I am really pissed right now.They want apocalypse and culture war, I wish it was open season on the chisto-fascist dregs like billionaire dick head Prince, bully boy Dobson,ass hat Falwell and the vomitile phelps clan.All those psychopath pigs will never change,christo-fascist scum do not offer ANYTHING good to humanity.And the blind fleeced scared sheep hypocrites that support these scum are too fucking deluded to be ashamed I consider them accomplices,Yes I hate them all.I despise them.For they pray for me and the entire GBLT population to suffer until we become as fucking cruel, blindly obedient,greedy,clannish, selfish and fascist as THEY are.

http://www.pinkpistols.org/
http://www.pinkpanthersblog.com/

[Kagemusha]

4. I guess the court rules this way because the law's written that way?

That'd be the state government's fault more than the courts. Still not a good thing, IMHO.

[ThomCat]

15. That would be the fault of the entire anti-gay christian right

that pushed for that law and put their bigoted friends in public offices.
x(

[noonwitch]

5. It was a voter initiative, there's not much that can be done to overturn it

I don't like it, either, but short of another voter's initiative to overturn or clarify it, there's no legal remedy.

[JerseygirlCT]

25. Except that what the voters initiated ought to be off-limits

as a civil right, it shouldn't be something up for "marjority rules" decisions.

And I think, eventually, all these nasty DOMAs and other bigoted laws will be overthrown at the SC level as violations of civil rights.

[rodeodance]

6. some days the world just seems upside down----and cruel.

[Duncan Grant]

7. You should be outraged: decision based upon legislation created by Christian extremists at the AFA.

What you are seeing is the Christian right flexing their substantial political muscle.

"Since two-thirds of all the marriage amendments are more similar to Michigan's language, who's to say that the Michigan decision won't be the prevailing precedent in the future?" said Gary Glenn, the president of the American Family Association of Michigan who helped write that state's measure.

Is it possible there are still people who don't know about the American Family Association? If so, you owe it to yourself to do the research. May I suggest Theocracy Watch as a perfect place to start?

If you don't believe gay rights are an important civil issue, I would encourage you to wake up and smell the coffee. These Christian zealots (heretics) have successfully legislated anti-gay laws which directly affect the quality of GLBT lives everywhere. If you don't think they're coming for you or someone you know, then you're terribly mistaken. That's not hyperbole.

Please kick and recommend this thread. It's that important.

[ScreamingMeemie]

9. I am outraged and I am hoping this is addressed and am trying to

find the right avenues to get it addressed at this weekend's Dem convention.

[Duncan Grant]

12. Thank you for all you do, MrsG.

Your leadership on GLBT issues, particularly here at DU, is an inspiration. You're a wonderful ally and advocate! :thumbsup:

[ThomCat]

16. Everyone should read that OP, and your post too!

:applause:

[FredScuttle]

8. I would have called this Trojan Horse legislation

but that would be calling the initial legislation seemingly innocuous, which it certainly wasn't.

I wouldn't blame any GLBT citizen in this country moving somewhere else, like Canada. Their own country has declared war on them. It's a fucking disgrace.

[cboy4]

10. And people wonder why there's such a push for

equal marriage rights.

Case in point.

[cboy4]

27. kick

:kick:

[qwlauren35]

11. Michigan has issues.

I've noticed that they are vehemently overturning a lot of other initiatives, such as Affirmative Action.

I wonder if this is a state-wide backlash against some things going on in Detroit that the rest of the state doesn't approve of. Settling of Michigan is extremely ethnic: Polish, German in early years with a very active Underground Railroad, and now a large Asian and Hispanic influx. Frankly, I sense that Michigan is probably a relatively politically conservative state, and its diversity tends to make many of its citizens hostile toward preferential treatment toward one or two groups.

[Strathos]

13. TAKE IT TO SCOTUS!!!!

It's time to start the lawsuits.

Gays in Michigan should start the lawsuits.

This is unfair and completely prejudiced.

I disagree with the poster who said since it's a "voter's initiative" there's no much that can be done.

Take it to the courts.

[Midlodemocrat]

17. My company provides benefits extending to same sex partners

and we're a helluva smaller than the state of Michigan. This is sickening, just sickening. :(

[Hissyspit]

18. .

[Exiled in America]

19. It's not about being "like marriage" - its about EQUAL TREAMENT BY THE STATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You can't offer one group of people x benefits and then DENY those benefits to another group of people in the same situation simply because the STATE doesn't like something about their private lives???

[Kurovski]

20. K&R.(nt)

[xchrom]

21. fucking tapeworms.

[meldroc]

22. What happened to the Fourteenth Amendment?

What part of "equal protection under the law" don't those fundy primates understand? Why couldn't the court say that these anti-gay amendments and legislation are illegal because of the Fourteenth?

IIRC, Colorado's Amendment Two got shot down by the SCOTUS because of the Fourteenth.

[undergroundpanther]

24. Well we still got the second..

If they won't respect the fourteenth.
http://www.pinkpistols.org/

[BlueIris]

26. Disgusting.

I always wanted to try life in Michigan...now, not so much.

[Zhade]

28. EQUAL rights, not "gay" rights, asshole.

NT!