Short Marriage Update

First, a pathetic video from NOM celebrating the "victories for marriage" in 2012:

The comments at YouTube are scathing. And here's a run-down from Laurel Ramseyer at Pam's House Blend on just what those "victories" were.

Courtesy of Rex Wocker, here's a list of where same-sex marriage is legal. Short form: Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Iceland, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Saba, South Africa, Spain, and Sweden. It's recognized nationally in Mexico, but couples must be married in the Federal District or the states of Oaxaca and Qintana Roo. Similarly, in Brazil marriages can be performed in the states of Alagoas, Bahia, and São Paulo, and elsewhere in Brazil couples can enter into a "stable union" and have it converted to full marriage by appearing before a judge. And in the US:

In the United States, same-sex marriage is legal in Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont and Washington -- and in Washington, D.C. It also is legal within the Suquamish Indian tribe in Washington state and within the Coquille Indian tribe in Oregon.

And for next year? France looks possible, as do England and Scotland. Uruguay is considering a marriage bill, and the Constitutional Court of Colombia has instructed the congress to pass legislation post-haste; failing that, same-sex couples will have full marriage rights in June, 2013 (the bill has passed the first vote). New Zealand is in the process of amending its marriage law to permit SSM. Nepal, as far as I can determine, is still debating its new constitution, which will legalize SSM. (Although apparently a separate bill has been introduced.) Finland is working on it. And Taiwan may have legal SSM early next year. Vietnam is in the first stages of considering the issue. Japan, although it recognizes marriages of its citizens performed in other jurisdictions, domestically seems to wish the whole thing would just go away.

What about the U.S.? Just off the top of my head, likely candidates are Illinois, Rhode Island, Oregon, and Hawai'i. A group in Minnesota is pushing for legislation to legalize SSM, after the defeat of NOM's anti-marriage amendment, and with a heavily Democratic legislature. Offhand, I can't think of any others that look likely (and I don't consider the effort in Minnesota likely, but you have to start somewhere). California depends on the Supreme Court at this point, but my guess it they'll uphold the 9th Circuit if they get past the standing issue.

OK -- this turned out to be not so short -- there's a lot going on with marriage these days.