CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
A bill introduced in the Vermont house of representatives would allow gay couples to marry. Partners in a civil union would be able to convert their union to a marriage by filling out a simple application under the provisions of a bill introduced by Rep. David Zuckerman. While the measure has little chance of becoming law, Zuckerman said same-sex partnerships should be afforded the same level of legal recognition as marriage. "There are many instances of separate but not equal in the past," said Zuckerman, who has said Vermont's first-in-the-nation civil unions law doesn't go far enough. "And while I know this issue is going nowhere in either direction, I've never been one to settle for partial accomplishment." In addition to allowing civil union partners the option of marriage, the bill would permit same-sex marriage outright, ending the need for future civil unions. The bill would also require the state to recognize gay marriages and civil unions conducted in other states and countries. The bill is meant to counter a proposed amendment to the state constitution that was introduced earlier this year in the senate, Zuckerman said. The amendment, introduced by Sen. Mark Shepard, would define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Civil unions, which provide same-sex couples state-level rights and benefits of marriage, were mandated by the Vermont supreme court in 1999 and signed into law by former governor Howard Dean in 2000. Since the law's passage, more than 5,800 same-sex couples have entered into the agreements. Vermont's measure was the first in the country to give any marriage benefits to gay and lesbian partnerships. In 2003 a Canadian court ruled that same-sex couples must be allowed to marry, and the Massachusetts supreme judicial court ordered that state's legislature to come up with same-sex marriage provisions within the next couple of months.
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Here Are Our 2024 Election Predictions. Will They Come True?
November 07 2023 1:46 PM
17 Celebs Who Are Out & Proud of Their Trans & Nonbinary Kids
November 30 2023 10:41 AM
Here Are the 15 Most LGBTQ-Friendly Cities in the U.S.
November 01 2023 5:09 PM
Which State Is the Queerest? These Are the States With the Most LGBTQ+ People
December 11 2023 10:00 AM
These 27 Senate Hearing Room Gay Sex Jokes Are Truly Exquisite
December 17 2023 3:33 PM
10 Cheeky and Homoerotic Photos From Bob Mizer's Nude Films
November 18 2023 10:05 PM
30 Steamy Photos of Folsom Street Fair 2023 Debauchery
October 15 2023 11:06 PM
42 Flaming Hot Photos From 2024's Australian Firefighters Calendar
November 10 2023 6:08 PM
These Are the 5 States With the Smallest Percentage of LGBTQ+ People
December 13 2023 9:15 AM
60 Burly Pics from Bearrison Street Fair 2022
October 08 2023 8:30 PM
Watch Now: Advocate Channel
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Latest Stories
Ron DeSantis and Disney reach settlement in suit over governing control
March 27 2024 6:10 PM
LGBTQ+ women face more challenges than men in running for office: report
March 27 2024 5:33 PM
Houthis sentence 9 men to death on dubious 'sodomy' charges in Yemen
March 27 2024 2:39 PM
Pride
Yahoo FeedBreaking boundaries in gender-free fashion with Stuzo Clothing
March 27 2024 2:15 PM
Nex Benedict's autopsy report released
March 27 2024 1:00 PM
Meta is failing its LGBTQ+ users, says new GLAAD report
March 27 2024 12:24 PM
79% of American workers say anti-LGBTQ+ laws impact where they move: report
March 27 2024 11:41 AM
Plus
Yahoo FeedInjectable HIV treatment, prevention: Everything you need to know
March 26 2024 10:45 PM
Ronna McDaniel, tied up by her Trump lies, drowns in an aquarium of her own making
March 26 2024 9:00 PM
The ultimate guide to cannabis in Provincetown
March 26 2024 6:40 PM