Canada, the European Union and the small state of Vermont have all introduced laws that seek to rewrite social mores and customs about marriage. Some believe the proposed revisions correct wrongs and promote justice; but, to the contrary, they will engender controversy without end.
by Cecil E. Maranville
What image does Vermont bring
to mind? Maple syrup, spectacular fall scenes and skiing in the Green
Mountains are typically associated with this small New England state-the
state where I was born and raised. It was at that time noted for its conservatism,
and its citizens were known for family values.
Within the last several months, Vermont has
made legal and social news in the United States, first with a Supreme
Court ruling in December, followed by legislation introduced in and passed
by the Vermont House in March.
The Vermont Supreme Court ruled that gay and
lesbian couples were being discriminated against in the state, because
they were denied the benefits provided to heterosexual married couples.
The state legislature subsequently acted in a groundbreaking manner, choosing
a course not taken by any other U.S. state, and created a "civil union" for
same-sex couples.
The bill, which is expected to pass the Vermont
Senate in April, was aptly dubbed "by far the most sweeping measure
of its kind in U.S. history" by a supportive editorial in the Harvard
Crimson, a Harvard University newspaper ("Vermont Decision Spurs Debate
About Gay Marriage," U-Wire, March 20, 2000, p. 1, emphasis added throughout).
Exactly what this legislation has accomplished,
and whether it is good or bad promises to be the subject of debates in
and out of the courts and legislatures of the land for years to come.
Peg Byron, education director for Lambda Legal
Defense and Education Fund (a gay advocacy group) heralded the legislation
as "groundbreaking." She added, "I think it really sets a moral as well
as a legislative example for the rest of the country" ("VT House OKs Civil
Unions for Gays," AP Online via COMTEX, March 17, 2000).
