TIDE TURNING FOR GAY MARRIAGE WISCONSIN EQUALITY UPDATE Four Down, 46 To Go As New York Begins Marriage Debate DP Benefits “Certain To Pass,” 60% of Voters Approve, One by one, the obstacles to same-gender mar - same-sex couples. Abrahamson Re-Elected As riage in the United States keep falling. On April 16, New York Governor. David Paterson in - This April has seen more groundbreaking moves as troduced a bill to allow gay marriage in the state, Marriage Ban Case Heads To the number of states allowing same-sex marriage likening the effort to civil rights struggles and brush - Supreme Court doubled, from two to four. Iowa and Vermont joined ing aside objections from religious leaders. Madison - Wisconsin may be taking a back seat to Massachusetts and Connecticut in allowing gay and “Anyone that has ever experienced degradation or Iowa and possibly Minnesota on the marriage equal - lesbian couples to legally wed. Another eight states intolerance would understand the solemn duty and ity front, but LGBT activists had plenty to cheer about are set to vote on similar moves later this year, in - how important it actually is,” Paterson, the state’s over the last two weeks. Domestic partner protec - cluding New Hampshire, New York and New Jersey. first black governor, told a news conference in Man - tions now seem like a lock with both the political will Gay marriage had been legal in California for five hattan. “This is a civil rights issue. Civil rights don’t and public support behind them. A case that might months last year, until voters rolled back the right at wait for the right time,” he said. Paterson was ac - just overturn the constitutional gay marriage ban is the ballot box. However the debate there is far from companied by city and state leaders, including New headed to the state’s high court. And Chief Justice over. Activists on both sides of the issue are awaiting York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Shirley Abrahamson was re-elected by the same 59- an expected June 4 Supreme Court ruling on last No - Gay marriage has broad support in the Democratic- 41% voter majority that anti-gay forces like to point vember’s Proposition 8 referendum before taking their controlled New York lower house, the Assembly, out enacted the ban in 2006. next steps. where it passed in a 85 to 61 vote in 2007. It was The Joint Finance Committee of the Wisconsin Leg - In Iowa, the state supreme court’s decision on April not put to a vote in the state Senate, which is ex - islature began formal work on the 2009-10 biennial 3 to allow such marriages has been seen as ground - pected to put up a fight against Paterson’s bill. budget here last week. Though some of the the 85 breaking because it is the first state in the socially In neighboring New Jersey, Governor Jon Corzine non-fiscal items identified by the Legislative Research conservative American heartland to allow same-sex has indicated that he would sign a gay marriage bill Bureau have been removed from the proposal offered couples to exchange vows. if sent to him by the state’s legislature. Lawmakers by Governor Jim Doyle, two of the most controversial On April 7, legislators in Vermont voted to override appear on the verge of taking up legislation with re - remain: a statewide smoking ban and domestic part - Governor Jim Douglas’s veto of a bill that will allow cent polls showing the state’s electorate supporting ner protections for gay and lesbian couples. gay and lesbian couples to wed beginning Septem - by a 48-43% margin. Both are likely to remain in the budget bill, with the ber 1. The move was significant because legal mar - The recent back-to-back victories have also begun to latter “certain to pass,” according to Milwaukee Jour - riages for same sex couples in the three other states energize gay marriage opponents. On April 14, a nal Sentinel Capitol correspondent Steven Walters. came in response to court rulings. right-wing group calling itself the National Organi - “Lawmakers must decide not only whether state gov - On the federal front, a move by city council in Wash - zation For Marriage (NOM) unveiled a $1.5 million ad ernment should offer health insurance to same-sex ington D.C. may propel the issue all they way into campaign featuring a slickly-produced 60-second partners of state workers,” Walters wrote in an April the U.S. Congress. On April 7, city council represen - spot featuring professional actors claiming to be or - 13 column on the prospects for ten “hot button” is - tatives voted 12-0 in favor of allowing same-sex mar - dinary citizens being forced to accept gay marriage sues, “but also whether to let those couples register riages performed in other states to be recognized in and the “gay lifestyle.” The Human Rights Campaign with county clerks to get dozens of legal benefits that the U.S. capital. A final vote is set for May. If that responded with a website called “End the Lies” that state law now reserves for heterosexual couples.” passes - because Washington is a federally-adminis - exposed the “deception and fear” being used in the The DP benefits proposal was the only one Walters tered district - the bill would be sent to Congress for battle against gay equality, using at one point audi - felt was “certain.” Also likely to pass, according to legislative review and vote. tion tapes of the actors featured in the commercial. Walters, were the smoking ban, tax increases for the In New Hampshire, the House has approved a same- Within days viral video responses to the NOM ad - state’s richest taxpayers, early release of prison in - sex marriage bill that is now in the hands of state sen - some serious, others hilariously funny - cluttered mates convicted on non-violent crimes and tougher ators. Hearings held on April 15 gathered national YouTube and other video blogs. seat belt laws. media attention, though the fate of the bill is uncertain. With four out of 46 states down, it will be a long However, Walters did not have the benefit of the St. Democrats control the 24-member New Hampshire way until the United States will be able to join the Norbert poll released April 17 in making his DP ben - efits call. That poll showed the Domestic partner pro - Senate, but many have not disclosed how they will other seven countries that allow full marriage equal - tections package was even more popular than the vote on the bill, which would take effect in January ity. The Netherlands was the first country to legalize governor who proposed them. 60% of respondents 2010. None of the nine Republicans in the Senate are gay marriage, in 2001. It’s also allowed in Belgium, supported extending legal protections to same-sex expected to support it. Democrat Governor John Canada,Spain, South Africa, Norway and Sweden. couples, while only 54% approved of Doyle’s job per - Lynch is on record opposing same-sex marriage, but More than a dozen other countries recognize gay civil formance - his lowest approval rating since taking of - he has not said whether he would veto the bill. He unions and registered partnerships. fice. On other issues, the poll found 67% approved of signed a law in 2007 allowing civil unions between the high bracket income tax increase, 66% supported sons may have voted yes to a ban on same-sex mar - WISCONSIN AIDS RIDE the smoking ban and 53% supported the early re - riage, but no to a ban on extending similar rights to SEEKS INTERNS lease proposal. The survey was conducted between unmarried couples. We see little guidance in the case Madison - AIDS Network is looking for Interns to April 1 and April 9 for Wisconsin Public Radio and law as to the standing requirements to challenge a assist with the 7th annual Wisconsin AIDS Ride. has a 5-point margin of error. constitutional amendment on the grounds of an al - Under the supervision of the Wisconsin AIDS Ride The same day St. Norbert pollsters finished their leged violation of the single-subject rule. Accord - Coordinator, the intern will be responsible for assist - calls, the Fourth District Wisconsin Court of Appeals ingly, we conclude it is also appropriate to certify this ing the development staff in various phases of pro - in Madison asked the state Supreme Court to review case to the Wisconsin Supreme Court for clarifica - duction of the ACT 7 Wisconsin AIDS Ride, being the case of University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh pro - tion of the standing issue.” held August 6-9, 2009. fessor William McConkey as to the legality of the The appeals court ruling came just two days after The internship is designed to provide opportunities for 2006 referendum of the so-called “Marriage Protec - Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson was reelected in a students to learn about all phases of event production tion” amendment to the state’s constitution. Mc - landslide. Abrahamson defeated Jefferson County included but not limited to: developing event plans and Conkey argued that the two questions in the Circuit Court Judge Randy Koschnick for her fourth timelines, day to day logistical planning, communica - referendum should have been voted on separately. term on the state Supreme Court, making her one of tion with participants, volunteers, staff and sponsors; An earlier ruling by Dane County Circuit Court Judge the court’s longest-serving members. 59% of voters and event management, evaluation and follow up. Richard Niess said that the two clauses in the refer - picked Abrahamson, who is also the court’s first fe - The intern will work closely with ride participants, vol - endum question were “two sides of the same coin” male justice, while 41% voted for Koschnick, who unteers, sponsors, steering committee members and and properly decided with one vote.