Newsflash: "A Separate System is Not an Equal System.”
This just in. New Hampshire governor, John Lynch, has restated for the record that separate does not equal equal. I could quibble about the merits of originality and also mention something along the lines of "duh" if I weren't so busy jumping with joy AND being jealous of all the lucky people who live in New Hampshire. In case you took a vacation under a rock yesterday you're probably aware that yesterday the New Hampshire legislature passed and Lynch signed into law a same sex marriage bill. That makes them number six. I can only wish I lived in as enlightened a state. However, we are making some progress here too. I got an email just this morning from Fair Wisconsin reminding me to contact my state representative about the upcoming budget decision which will affect same sex partners. That is an issue I always have time for and, really, it couldn't be any easier - just fill out a form, add your own personal appeal and click send.
If you are a Wisconsin resident, please follow this link to contact your state assembly person and ask them to support the proposed budget that protects the right of committed partners to visit each other in the hospital and make end-of-life decisions together.
Read about New Hampshire's good news in the New York Times here. Also follow up with Fair Wisconsin and their uphill battle to encourage protection for domestic partnership in Wisconsin, here. You can read more here about our current hate-filled amendment which "prohibits marriage for gay and lesbian couples. It also prohibits civil unions or any "substantially similar" legal status that would grant all of the rights of marriage to gay couples or other unmarried couples. The full scope of the amendment will likely be determined over the course of many years by Wisconsin courts." Fair Wisconsin was formed to fight that amendment and I first heard about them through my sister who worked tirelessly to fight it. In the end the "Fair Wisconsin Votes No" campaign failed but the organization reformed itself into a continuing advocacy group which lobbies for the increased right of all committed partners. They are great! (Also I think they have a very nicely designed website.)
