Are You Ready For The Fight For Gay Marriage In PA?
When historians look back, years from now, at our state history, they are bound to see a Pennsylvania that is literally schizophrenic. Torn apart by the culture wars, bitterly divided between the old American Way that has left so many of us screwed and a new American Way whose major roadblocks are xenophobia and simply waiting for old crusty types to die. In that chapter of whatever Kindle history book we’re talking about here, all of this will be borne out by an explanation of the coming fight between Sen. Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery) and Sen. John Eichelberger (R-Blair), both of whom are preparing bills for and against, respectively, gay marriage in PA. Which means that the fight that has all but completely overtaken the Californian imagination — and already been won in an increasing number of U.S. states — is coming here. And it’s gonna be a mess.
May 29th, 2009 at 11:23 am
I’ve said it before: Legalize Same-Sex Marriage in Philadelphia. There’s money that could be made without raising the Sales Tax!
http://markskull.blogspot.com/2009/04/legalizing-same-sex-marriage-in.html
May 29th, 2009 at 11:38 am
I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t see much chance of gay marriage happening in PA in the short term. Has anyone seen the makeup of the PA Senate?
Legalizing marriage in Philadelphia is clearly illegal (PA being a commonwealth has nothing to do with it) and would be a piece of instantly-reversed political grandstanding. It’ll be a long slog in Pennsylvania, and non-ground laying provocation will do nothing but provoke kneejerk reactionaryism. And I don’t even want to think what that’d do to our brittle relationship with Harrisburg.
May 29th, 2009 at 11:46 am
Unfortunately, tsarstruck is right. Philly can’t unilaterally legalize gay marriage, we’ve gotta get Pennsyltucky on board. As a native of the Pennsyltucky/Philly burbs nexus region, I can honestly say I have no idea how that’s gonna happen.
May 29th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Fully-aware we’re stuck with having to have the state on board to really get this done.
But I think it would be awesome to just go ahead, give it a shot, and see what happens when the state cracks down. If they don’t want to give the city funding or respect our rights, why not?
Its a little tongue-in-cheek, but in the end, I’d rather see this happen sooner rather than later. It just doesn’t make economic sense (which, sadly, is all most people understand) to ban it when this state, especially this city, really, REALLY needs the income it would raise.
May 29th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
its always been my position on minority-rights legal fights that people who say “it’s not the right time yet!” are fucking pussies. any action whatsoever, even rabblerousing antagonism, are better than doing nothing at all. at some point you have to stop letting the aggressors kick you while your are down and start taking the fight to them, even if it is likely you will lose it. at the very least if you are getting your ass kicked, make sure you get a few punches in back, ya know?
May 29th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
that being said, honestly, fuck gay marriage. fuck straight marriage. the government has no business in anyone’s relationships, and the concept of state sponsored marriage and all its attendant tax benefits etc is bullshit and totally discriminatory towards single people.
May 29th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
@dx…you are as right on as right on gets! Also, we all need to contact Sen. Daylin Leach’s office and let him know we are behind him on this thing.
May 29th, 2009 at 6:25 pm
Can’t Philly and its 4 suburban PA counties become 1 state already?!? 40% of PA’s population is right here so we might as well leave those 60 some odd counties so they can get to starting their own state of intolerance.