Update on Gay Marriage Laws

This is the second archived article to be moved to the new blog - it is an update of the first article about Gay Marriage Facts written in May 2008.

One of the most popular articles on this website is The Facts About Gay Marriage. It was written in June of 2005, and since then, there have been some changes.

At that time, only Massachusetts allowed gay marriage. In an effort to make it more difficult, the then governor dredged up an 1912 law banning marriages of non-residents if their marriage would be prohibited in their home state. This effectively made gay marriages impossible unless they were residents of Massachusetts, agreed to move there after the marriage, or were residents of New Mexico, or Rhode Island.

The California Supreme Court has struck down the ban on gay marriage. As of June of this year, California will begin to issue licenses for gay marriages.

Gov. David Paterson of New York has recently told state agencies they must recognize gay marriages if they were performed in states and countries where they are legal, in accordance with the New York State's human rights law.

On July 20th, 2005 (shortly after my first article was written) Canada legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.

The reality is that same-sex couples exist, and often have relationships well outlasting the average "normal" marriage in this country. They are simply asking for legal recognition and the same rights that a legally married couple would enjoy.

Where is the sense in punishing love?

Summer Fey Foovay

Originally Posted: Thursday 29th May 2008, 9:16 AM

What are the facts about Gay Marriage?

This is the first of our archived articles to be moved to the new blog - and is the number one most searched for and referenced article ever in Ask Me Anything blog. It was originally written in June of 2005. An update was written in May of 2008 and is the following blog entry in this blog.

Different states, in the U.S., are considering and adopting different legal recognitions of gay couples in committed relationships. None of these definitions gives gay couples all of the over 1000 benefits the U.S. government grants to married heterosexual couples.

The main definitions being considered are:

Civil Unions

At this time only the state of Virginia is recognizing civil unions for same sex couples. Their law grants the same rights and recognitions to gay couples as would normally be granted to married heterosexual couples. This would allow the couple to enjoy normal spousal rights in regards to hospital visitation, medical information and decisions, inheritance, property ownership, various insurance and government benefits, adoptions, tax laws, and more.

Domestic Partnership

California, New Jersey, District of Columbia, Hawaii, and Maine, allows domestic partnership status to same sex couples. The laws vary from state to state but most require that some simple rules be met such as the partners must be over 18 and share a residence. The benefits range from California’s, which offers almost all of the benefits of marriage, to Maine, where the benefits extend ONLY to health insurance!

Same Sex Marriage

Same sex marriage is legal in the U.S. only in the state of Massachusetts. Same sex marriage allows lesbian and gay couples the full legal benefits of heterosexual marriage.

What are the legal reasons gay couples want to have fully recognized marriages?

There are many. From receiving the same tax breaks as married couples, to having the right to make decisions for their partner in the event of catastrophic illness or death. Rights that heterosexual people take completely for granted, such as being able to add your spouse to your health insurance policy, or to visit them in the hospital, as well as rights that most people never use, such as being able to sue for wrongful death, or to collect spousal benefits from Social Security or Workman’s Compensation. Rights to inheritance, adoptions, death benefits, and shared property.

Regardless of whether you believe the homosexual lifestyle is acceptable or not morally, the real question of gay marriage boils down to whether same sex couples deserve the same legal rights as heterosexual couples. This makes it less a moral question than a legal one. Remove the emotion from the picture and it is simple to see that any couple who has lived together, depended on each other, shared income, property, the everyday ups and downs of life together deserves these rights, regardless of their sexuality or whether or not you like their lifestyle.

Gay Marriage Worldwide

Canada and Spain are considering laws legalizing same sex marriage. Australia is attempting to follow the U.S.A.’s lead in creating a nationwide ban on same sex marriage.

Same sex marriage is legal in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark. France, Britian, and Germany recognize civil unions. Altogether about 10 member countries of the EU recognize some sort of same sex marriage or civil union. In Portugal and parts of Spain same sex couples who have lived together long enough receive the same benefits as common law marriages of heterosexual couples.


Originally Posted: Wednesday 1st June 2005, 11:19 PM

Pitbull pattern at Carvebuddy

Michael Tyler over at Carvebuddy is busy adding new patterns from the drawings at Color-Your-Own.com. His latest addition is the pit bull terrier. If you haven't headed over there yet and checked out the many patterns they have and the really neat system for the carving machines, you've got to check it out. If you're trying to figure out something to buy your crafter buddy, or woodworking friend, who has everything for a Christmas gift, one of these machines and a handful of patterns would keep them busy for the a good year or more!

Summer Fey Foovay

Friday update

The business reorganization and move is progressing. I have found good new hosting for my Color-Your-Own.com coloring pages site and gotten it moved over. There are some tiny details to fix, but the main things all work properly. I hope to begin adding new coloring pages on a regular basis on Monday, October 20, 2008. Of course, you'll find the new coloring pages blog here on Blogger.

I also will begin on Monday to answer new questions here on Ask Me Anything, as well as to start posting some of the most popular articles from the archives. Feel free to start sending new questions.

At this point in time I don't have a personal main blog working. The best way to keep an eye on all of my activities would be at my MySpace page, which I finally updated, but still have to do some work on. My Squidoo lensography has a bit about me and links to my articles on Squidoo.

You can find my artwork, ACEOs, prints, and art on products such as greeting cards, postage, coffee mugs and mousepads in these places:

my Deviant Art page
My eBay About Me page (with my current art at auction)
My Zazzle store
My (empty at the moment!) Etsy Shop


Thanks for your patience during this rough time. I'm looking forward to getting back to answering your questions soon!

Summer Fey Foovay

Hoping to pick up BlogLog

Just hoping to get BlogLog to pick up the new location.

Welcome to Ask Me Anything blog - about us - asking your questions

Ask Me Anything blog has been in around since March of 2005. Due to some problems Dreamhost is having and doesn't seem able to resolve - we are moving to a new home here at Blogger.

Here it is easy to click on my profile and read more about who I am (Summer Fey Foovay) or you can visit my lensography on Squidoo. I have a few friends who help me out with questions from time to time, and I'll let them introduce themselves (if they wish) as we go along.

Back when I first began this blog my husband told me I was just asking for ridiculous questions with the name. I do get some, but I also get some very interesting, intriguing and sometimes important questions.

Often I am asked why I do this. I am the ultimate in nerd - I think doing research is FUN. However, I admit it isn't entirely altruistic. You see those ads on the sides, top and bottom of the posts here? If you click on those I earn a few pennies. Before moving to this new home, Ask Me Anything earned about $10 to $20 a month. Moving will certainly affect that, especially as I will be losing all of the old posts made over the last three and a half years, but I am hoping that people will keep right on sending in questions and as I go right on answering them, we will build a new information archive together.

When you send your questions - be sure and give me enough details so that I can tell what you are talking about, and give a reasonable and clear answer. Legal questions will often vary depending on your location. You don't have to give me your street address - but I will probably at least need to know what country, state and possibly city or town you live in to give you an accurate answer.

I will not find someone for you, or find out information on a specific person such as their credit situation or criminal record. Most of this sort of information is public information you can find yourself. That which is not, you can pay a private detective or certain online services to find out for you.

When you write me with a question, please put "ask me anything" in the subject line, so it doesn't accidentally get tossed or wind up in the junk mail folder.

I guess that's it - start asking!

Summer Fey Foovay