The LGBTQ Thread

[Pearl]

I live in a largish, tolerant city now (Baltimore), but for a number of reasons I haven't had much opportunity to meet other gay people (outside of my boyfriend). Or, more accurately, I haven't met many gay people who I have much in common with other than being gay. I also don't have many gay friends from college, mostly because I went to a tiny school in the middle of nowhere. So, while I'm not exactly going to law school in a gay mecca, it won't take much for me to feel like my social options have improved. Most of my current friends are straight, a bit older than me, and married or engaged, and occasionally it's frustrating not to have friends who can relate to my own experiences a little better. It was a real pleasure just to have some intelligent conversations with other gay people I met at the ASWs I attended, and to be honest that's a non-trivial part of my overall excitement for law school.

So many gays just graduated and a bunch are spending the semester abroad in the fall.  We're going to need you to liven this place up...

A bunch? like 2?

Bouzie we are more than capable of livening it up. Esp if I don't make law review - then I will have the time to make livening up Ann Arbor my new hobby.

[Ulfrekr]

I live in a largish, tolerant city now (Baltimore), but for a number of reasons I haven't had much opportunity to meet other gay people (outside of my boyfriend). Or, more accurately, I haven't met many gay people who I have much in common with other than being gay. I also don't have many gay friends from college, mostly because I went to a tiny school in the middle of nowhere. So, while I'm not exactly going to law school in a gay mecca, it won't take much for me to feel like my social options have improved. Most of my current friends are straight, a bit older than me, and married or engaged, and occasionally it's frustrating not to have friends who can relate to my own experiences a little better. It was a real pleasure just to have some intelligent conversations with other gay people I met at the ASWs I attended, and to be honest that's a non-trivial part of my overall excitement for law school.

So many gays just graduated and a bunch are spending the semester abroad in the fall.  We're going to need you to liven this place up...

A bunch? like 2?

Bouzie we are more than capable of livening it up. Esp if I don't make law review - then I will have the time to make livening up Ann Arbor my new hobby.

Oh thank god, I was already cracking under the pressure...

[Bouzie]

I live in a largish, tolerant city now (Baltimore), but for a number of reasons I haven't had much opportunity to meet other gay people (outside of my boyfriend). Or, more accurately, I haven't met many gay people who I have much in common with other than being gay. I also don't have many gay friends from college, mostly because I went to a tiny school in the middle of nowhere. So, while I'm not exactly going to law school in a gay mecca, it won't take much for me to feel like my social options have improved. Most of my current friends are straight, a bit older than me, and married or engaged, and occasionally it's frustrating not to have friends who can relate to my own experiences a little better. It was a real pleasure just to have some intelligent conversations with other gay people I met at the ASWs I attended, and to be honest that's a non-trivial part of my overall excitement for law school.

So many gays just graduated and a bunch are spending the semester abroad in the fall.  We're going to need you to liven this place up...

A bunch? like 2?

Bouzie we are more than capable of livening it up. Esp if I don't make law review - then I will have the time to make livening up Ann Arbor my new hobby.

OK Pearl, your girlfriend isn't the only one who counts, and she doesn't count for double!

[whowantslogic]

CA legalizes same-sex marriage:  www.eqca.org
SAN FRANCISCO: In an historic decision today, the California Supreme Court ruled that same-gender couples deserve the freedom to marry under California law. The landmark ruling makes California the first state in the nation to give lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people full equality.

In a word, YAY!

[Bouzie]

Here's a link to the opinion
http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/documents/S147999.PDF?tsp=1


SUCH a good opinion for us.  They applied strict scrutiny. WOW.

[LHL]

Here's a link to the opinion
http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/documents/S147999.PDF?tsp=1


SUCH a good opinion for us.  They applied strict scrutiny. WOW.

I don't really know how I feel about this.  I'm completely happy that the ruling was a favorable one but I'm afraid the republicans might decide to use this to start pushing their federal marriage amendment again especially since it's campaign season.

[Outlaw22]

They aren't going to pull the FMA BS again. Republicans saw right through it last time. And McCain is against it.

The CA ballot initiative is something to be concerned about...


And yes the strict scrutiny was HUGE  It's about time.

[Matthew]

But I think the fact that they based the opinion on the fact that California has a marriage equivalent could provide severe backlash in other states considering civil unions or something similar.

[Bouzie]

There's never politically going to be a good time for these types of decisions.  And,seriously, @#!* 'backlash' we can't plan our lives around the republican agenda.  If we did that, we'd be heterosexuals with penchants for bathroom stalls and 16 year old pages. We'd also have 'leave it to beaver' haircuts.

[Outlaw22]

But I think the fact that they based the opinion on the fact that California has a marriage equivalent could provide severe backlash in other states considering civil unions or something similar.

If you think about it - the states that would backlash already have constitutional amendments implemented. This decision is going to set the stage for VT/CT/NJ to move from civil unions to marriage and other states toying with it in the legislature like MD/NY to say 'marriage' instead of 'the equivalent' if passed. McCain doesn't support FMA so he's not going to pull that card to get the fundamentalists out in droves. If he does he's a hypocrit and w/ Arnold supporting the CA decision he's walking a fine line getting involved at all with CA. There are only 3 states (possibly less if signitures don't check out) with amendment propositions pending in Nov so those really are the only three who will see backlash, if at all. CA is one of them and if Arizona can defeat one of these things CA certainly can. It is scary though. I really hope the court doesn't stay the decision. Once people start getting married, the voters who are indifferent when it comes to the issue will know that gay couples have been getting married for months come Nove and they'll hopefully be tired of the issue and vote 'no' to an amendment.