Thursday, December 09, 2004

Not Just Raining: Pouring!

Israel provides legal recognition to same-sex couples
New Zealand adopts civil unions for all couples
Canada's high court clears way for gay marriage

All of these headlines are from today. Legal recognition of gay couples is also national policy in all of Scandanavia, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. It will be the national policy of Britain and Spain very soon. As Andrew Sullivan said today, "Soon, it will become, I think, a defining characteristic of modern, democratic states that they acknowledge equal rights for gay citizens. Except, alas, in America?" We're looking less and less like the model for the rest of the world every day. And if this country doesn't stop being so backward, there are more and more options opening. Migrate to the Great North, anyone? The Holy Land? Middle Earth?

1 comment:

Richard said...

Good point, Mark. As guests on Real Time with Bill Maher are fond of pointing out, our democracy is also unique in the propensity of our candidates and leaders to talk about religion. Of course, doing so appeals mostly to the same voters who want to buy guns at Wal-Mart and fry criminals in electric chairs...