Same-Sex Marriage on Honeymoon in NYC – But is The 'Newlywed' Law Doomed for Religious Divorce?
The New York Senate has now approved same-sex marriage - joining New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa and the District of Columbia – two years after a similar bill had been defeated. New York is the largest state to allow couples of the same sex to marry. And although the international gay communities are welcoming the news with open arms, the nation’s mixed reactions - from longstanding supporters and opponents - are begging for questions during a strong socio-political debate, while building up talks of a challenging court appeal.
And what is Obama’s position? "The President has long believed that gay and lesbian couples deserve the same rights and legal protections as straight couples," White House spokesman Shin Inouye said, according to ABC News. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a strong advocate of gay marriage, made great efforts to support the bill. Last week, The New York Times reported that he met with Senate Republicans in an effort to persuade them to open up the bill to a vote; and exemptions were key to the process. Donna Lieberman, the New York Civil Liberties Union’s executive director said the new legislation “respects the right of clergy, churches and religious organizations to decide for themselves which marriages they will or will not solemnize or celebrate in keeping with our country’s principles of religious freedom.”
Still, I have to wonder whether the new law could have an impact on real estate, wedding planning services and even the tourism industry; what possible implications could there be on U.S. immigration policies, or whether this could affect Obama’s 2012 presidential campaign - as confused voters now try to make up their minds between Democrats and Republicans. But while some might have ordered their wedding invitations already, I guess for now, we will just have to wait and see.
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