In a momentous ruling, the California supreme court upheld the right of same sex couples to marry, ending their second-class standing under law. The decision was a victory for equality and justice, and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said he would "accept the court's ruling" and not support a constitutional amendment to overturn it. The court cited previous decisions concerning interracial marriage as a foundation for its decision.
“An individual’s sexual orientation — like a person’s race or gender — does not constitute a legitimate basis upon which to deny or withhold rights,” wrote Chief Justice Ronald George, first appointed to the bench by Gov. Ronald Reagan.
The news from California rippled through the international media. In Germany, it made some reflect on the second-class status of gay couples in the Federal Republic. The TV network ZDF had a program on "Rainbow Families" - same-sex couples with with children - "Immer noch Familien zweiter Klasse" ( Still Second Class Families) and found that full equality is still a dream in Germany:
Homosexuelle Partnerschaften müssen endlich die gleichen Rechte erhalten wie heterosexuelle Paare. Selbst das erzkatholische Spanien ist in dieser Hinsicht weit fortschrittlicher als Deutschland. (Homosexual partner relationships should receive the same legal rights as heterosexual couples. Even arch-Catholic Spain is far more progressive in this respect than Germany.)
In Berlin the Green Party seized on the California ruling to launch an effort to push through the legalization of gay marriage this year.
«Es ist an der Zeit: Die Ehe muss in Deutschland für gleichgeschlechtliche Paare geöffnet werden», erklärte Grünen-Fraktionsgeschäftsführer Volker Beck am Freitag in Berlin. «Es ist Zeit für gleiche Rechte ohne Wenn und Aber.» Er kündigte eine entsprechende Initiative im Bundestag an. Anlass für seine Forderung war die Entscheidung des Obersten Gerichts in Kalifornien, das Verbot gleichgeschlechtlicher Ehen in dem US-Staat zu kippen. Beck meinte, das Urteil zeige einen Wandel des Begriffs der Ehe. «Der Geschlechterverschiedenheit der Ehe kommt keine prägende Wirkung mehr zu», erklärte der Grünen-Politiker. «Die Begründung des kalifornischen Urteils ist ein Meilenstein in der Rechtsgeschichte.Die Ehe sei bereits in den Niederlanden, Belgien, Spanien, Kanada, Südafrika und dem US-Staat Massachusetts für gleichgeschlechtliche Paare geöffnet. Umfragen zufolge befürworte auch eine Mehrheit der Deutschen Eheschließungen zwischen Homosexuellen, erklärte Beck weiter. ("It is time. Marriage in Germany must be opened to same-sex couples," said Volker Beck, the leader of the Green Party faction Friday in Berlin. "It is time for equal rights - no ifs, ands, or buts." He announced a new initiative to push this through in the Bundestag. Beck's demand was precipitated by the ruling of the California supreme court overturning the ban on same-sex marriage in that state. Beck believes the decision marks a change in the concept of marriage. "Gender differences no longer carry the same weight," said the Green politician. "The decision in California is a milestone in legal history. Marriage is already open to same-sex couples in the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, South Africa and in the state of Massachusetts. Every poll shows that a majority of Germans approve of marriage for homosexuals.")
I'm sure that Beck can count on support from the Liberals (FDP) in this initiative. Not sure about the where the Social Democrats stand; the Queer faction of the LEFT party (Die LINKE) has not updated its Web site in months.
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