Why marriage matters
Andrew Sullivan sums up the importance of marriage equality for gay and lesbian couples today at the Daily Dish.
The Daily Dish: "Brokeback" Today
In Oklahoma, a gay cowboy couple brought up three kids on a ranch. They did fine - "I was raised to be independent. I didn't really care what other people thought," - until one of them died. Now, because there is no legal protection for their relationship, the surviving husband has lost everything.
The Daily Dish: "Brokeback" Today
posted by ACLU of Pennsylvania at 1/19/2006 04:21:00 PM
5 Comments:
Wow, that's a harsh story. What an absolute injustice. What kind of cruel, heartless human being do you have to be to challenge this man's right to inherit what was, for all intents and purposes, joint property assembled over two decades? And the cousins are now suing him for back rent for the years he lived on the ranch!
Evil. Just evil.
I hope Judge Jones gets to hear this case:-)
What is the ACLU position on "civil unions" that are open to any couple? "Civil union" is basically a euphanism, but it covers the economic and legal concerns without stepping on the toes of those who consider hetrosexual unions special.
I just want to slap them and say, "No, that's what happens when close-minded bigots like you enforce your prejudiced views as law!"
And I just want to slap them and say, "I'm tired of idiots." ; )
This one is hardly limited to gay marriage. According to the linked-to article the will was not properly done: it did not have the required number of witnesses. You don't need to be a lawyer to realize that is recipe for disaster. If an estate is worth money and there are relatives who are greedy then this sort of thing can be expected if the will is not perfectly and exactly in order.
As for the sueing for back rent. Robert Jones is right, that is just evil. I don't think that can possibly stand. One can't retroactively charge rent. If one can then we better all fear anyone who used to be our landlord. The dead cowboy clearly allowed the still-living one to live rent free. Now the current owners can charge rent if he is still to live there which he is not. Though Oklahoma law requires at least 30 days notice for any such changes.
Of course regardless of the marriage issue, this is still Oklahoma. All judges face election though for some it is just a yes/no to allow them to stay in office. There is no state that is more affected by fundamentalism than Oklahoma.
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