Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Freedom Overspill

I don't begrudge Rhode Island, Delaware and Minnesota these last few weeks.  More power to them.

After Delaware succeeded in their passage of same sex marriage, 710 and I had a brief discussion over the morning paper.

The dominoes are falling, but mainly in the east. Washington, Iowa and as of yesterday, Minnesota are the only states west of Pennsylvania who allow guy-on-guy action, at the altar that is.  I mean, unless you're a priest, but that's usually behind the altar..........I'm guessing.

But our conversation touched on how long it would be for Ohio to come into this discussion. I mean, truly come into it.

Goooooogle 'same sex marriage ohio' and all you get are Rob Portman references.  Trust me, that is not going to do it for the Buckeye state.  I'm not even sure I want him attached to it, truth be told.  I know people will take their victories where they can, but the man oozes slime to me, and like Roy Cohn or Ken Mehlman, I'd rather any of them have any association with gay life.

My fear is Ohio to gay marriage will be the Alabama of desegregation.  We'll go kicking and screaming, stopping short of the National Guard allowing two guys (or gals) walking down the aisle together.  ....and the only reason we'd stop short at the Guard is that Kent State is still all too real for us.

There are a number of reasons that the Freedom to Marry folks aren't going to get as far as they think. One is that the organization itself put out a press release the day after Delaware saying "let Ohio be the 12th state to welcome same sex marriage".

Ummm.....we have a state-wide ban that hasn't even been up for repeal. let alone a measure to allow same sex marriage.  Those are two different initiatives.  And they had to know that Minnesota was closer to being 12.  Hell, so is New Jersey, Nevada and Illinois.

At the earliest, we can't get repeal of the ban (not actually approving same sex marriage) until November 2013....though I have yet to see anyone with a petition to get it on the ballot.

FtM can't even set realistic expectations with the petition signers, let alone themselves. Don't try to sell me a bill of goods.

We also have a very republican controlled state congress.

Oh - and we have a governor who says he will veto any legislation trying to pass such a measure. There are erroneous reports that he is for same sex unions.  He is not.  Right after Portman came out for same sex marriage, John Kasich seemingly agreed, then then the next day took it all back.

Maybe Kasich will "evolve".  Probably not.  He is the kind to believe in evolution of any sort.  And if he wins another term, we might not see the approval of same sex marriages until 2019.  That is assuming congress can pass the measure to even make it to the governor's desk.

The U.S. Supreme Court might move things along for us faster, even if Kasich retains office, but again,  there are those images of German Shepards, fire hoses and armed guards violently holding back anything a federal law might say.

Ohio is on the wrong side of right and I don't see that changing anytime soon.  Certainly not as fast as Freedom to Marry suggests.

No, I don't begrudge the other states. I welcome them and applaud what they're doing.  Even if Ohio passed it, 710 and I are already married.  There'd be no second ceremony, just being able to snag his social security if he should take the big dirt nap before I did.

I kid....I kid.  You know the plan:  I go first.



Song by: Steve Winwood

4 comments:

don said...

what is the name of your state wide band?

Blobby said...

thanks don. fixed. (btw, shoot me an email if you can)

BosGuy said...

Hey Blobby,

You'll always be welcome here in Massachusetts where same sex marriage has been legal for nearly a decade, but we're cheering for Ohio to come and join us in the 21st Century.

BosGuy

Ur-spo said...

i will bet you a 3 dollar bill Ohio gets the OK before arizona