Are we married?

Today in the news is an article about a bill that passed in Vermont Legalizing gay marriage that will probably be shot down by the Governor and an Iowa supreme court ruling that overturned the definition of marriage as between one man and one woman as unconstitutional.

That got me to thinking once again if Virginia technically consideres J & I married. Here's the letter of the Virginia State Constitution (it's Article I, section 15-A if the link isn't cooperating). I remember when this law was on the ballot a couple of years back. It made me mad on a number of levels and I voted against it. Let's not even get into a discussion about gay Marriage and whether or not gays should be allowed to marry or if it should be called marriage or something else. There are a zillions ways you can argue and discuss the topic. I don't feel like going there. I'll be blunt and say that in my own humble opinion I believe in equal rights and equal treatment for all and leave it at that. As such, regardless of whether you think it's right or wrong, isn't marriage part of the "pursuit of happiness" for some people? How can you exclude that from some when the constitution if the state garauntees the pursuit of happiness? Here's the main thing... if you ARE going to write a law that's designed to exclude a particular group, OR if you're going to vote for a law that excludes a particular group. You sure as hell better write the language properly.

The intention of the amendment was to define marriage as between one man & one woman and then also prohibit recognition of a gay marriage legal status from another state. According to the wording of the section, the VA constitution now fails to recognize any status from another state that is not "marriage" but "intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance, or effects of marriage". Where does that leave heterosexual couples who get a civil union in another state?

It will probably never effect J & I since I don't think anyone will give two shakes about our legal status since we're still "one man, one woman", but they could. We did not get married by a religious official. I don't know if our union, by Pennsylvania definition, was legally a "marriage" or a "civil union" since it was performed by a Justice of the peace. If it's a Civil Union, we should not get the same rights as married people? And people voted for this thing without taking off their gay-blinders and considering how the language COULD effect others not intended as the target. This just illustrates how this whole thing is a load of bull shit and ignorance seems to overpower reason at every turn. I hope it all turns around soon.