Gay marriage bans upheld in New York, Georgia high courts

[Regis Philbin]

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/state/ny-stgay0707,0,5118918,print.story?coll=ny-top-headlines

NY court rules against gay marriage

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

July 6, 2006, 11:42 AM EDT

ALBANY -- New York's highest court ruled Thursday that gay marriage is not allowed under state law, rejecting arguments by same-sex couples who said the law violates their constitutional rights.

The Court of Appeals in a 4-2 decision said New York's marriage law is constitutional and clearly limits marriage to between a man and a woman. Any change in the law should come from the state Legislature, Judge Robert Smith wrote.

"We do not predict what people will think generations from now, but we believe the present generation should have a chance to decide the issue through its elected representatives," Smith wrote.

The New York ruling is part of an evolving mosaic on the volatile issue nationwide.

Georgia's top court reinstated that state's constitutional ban on gay marriage Thursday and high courts in Washington state and New Jersey are deliberating cases in which same-sex couples argue they have the right to marry. A handful of other states have cases moving through lower courts.

But 45 states have specifically barred same-sex marriage through statutes or constitutional amendments. Massachusetts is the only state that allows gay marriage, although Vermont and Connecticut allow same-sex civil unions that confer the same legal rights as heterosexual married couples.

[Regis Philbin]

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/07/06/D8IMII100.html

Ga. Top Court Reinstates Gay Marriage Ban

Jul 06 11:14 AM US/Eastern


By SHANNON McCAFFREY
Associated Press Writer

ATLANTA

The state Supreme Court reinstated Georgia's constitutional ban on gay marriage Thursday, just hours after New York's highest court upheld that state's gay-marriage ban.

The Georgia Supreme Court, reversing a lower court judge's ruling, decided unanimously that the ban did not violate the state's single- subject rule for ballot measures. Superior Court Judge Constance Russell of Fulton County had ruled that it did.

Seventy-six percent of Georgia voters approved the ban when it was on the ballot in 2004.

[shining star]

If they want to protect marriage, they should ban divorce unless it's for valid Biblical reasons. After all, this is a Christian Nation. :rolleyes:

[pinky]

Slavery was once legal, too. Being law doesn't make something right.

[DoubleEdgeSword]

Okay, well this should bring the divorce rates, domestic abuse rates and adultry rates waaaay down in New York and Georgia. Yep, the sanctity of marriage is now protected.

And while governments and courts try to write discrimination into the law, more and more businesses are granting full benefits to domestic partners. Go figure.

[pinky]

Isn't that inconsistency interesting? I think the issue lies as much in terminology as anything. Too many people have become convinced that "marriage" is an institution ordered by God, who obviously hates gays, according to some fundamentalists. According to that thought pattern, gays can't be allowed to marry.

Strip away the religious aspects, and concede that "marriage" is a legal institution that grants both rights and responsibilities, and there's really much less of a problem, except for those homophobes who are afraid of gays for all the wrong reasons.

[JoviFan]

Is it going to hurt anyone if gays get married NO there are so many older people making these ruling and thats the problem i'm not pin pointing anyone out but i think the older people are set in there ways and think that the church is the end of a means and believe everything that they preach. We should never tell anyone who they love or what to do with body or what they can and cannot do. It's wrong.

[lost_n_justin's_smile]

This makes me sick. The United States has no business legislating love. It's disgusting.

[daddyslittlegirl]

I can't believe this :rolleyes: :mad: People should learn to mind their own business. Instead of worrying about 2 people marrying, maybe they should be worried about the war in Iraq :blueeek: There's a thought.

[JoviFan]

Just remember who voted for this man and I was not one of them. Thank God.

[Venisenvy]

This makes me sick. The United States has no business legislating love. It's disgusting.

I disagree that they are legislating love, they are lesgislating a legal union between two people. If the made it illegal for 2 people of the same sex to be together then that would be legislating love and wrong. They are well within their rights to do what they are doing right now. Most of these laws were passed by the people, the masses voted for them in referedums. I am personally ok with Gay marriage aslong as it goes through the proper legal process.

[JoviFan]

And that's the point its not hurting anyone so why not people need to quit with this. Just because they don't condone it doesn't mean it's not wrong. I don't condone it however i would never tell anyone what to do. It's their life not mine.

[Venisenvy]

There are a lot of things that might not possible hurt anyone that we legislate that does not mean we should make it legal, that also doesnt mean it should be illegal. What it does mean that as a society we have to make the choice. The truth is that as of now society as a whole has decided that it is best not to allow gay marriage. It does seem that the progression of the times will in the future allow it only time will tell.