On Thursday, the California Supreme Court has struck down that state’s ban on same-sex marriage.  In its 4-3 120-page ruling issue, the justices wrote that “responsibly to care for and raise children does not depend upon the individual’s sexual orientation.”

Despite California’s reputation as a “liberal” state, the ruling surprised legal experts because the court has a reputation for being conservative. Indeed, it is worth noting that six of its seven justices are Republican appointees.

The genesis of this opinion is four years ago when San Francisco’s mayor performed wedding ceremonies for same-sex couples.  Those marriages were challenged by the State of California.

A director of Concerned Women for America deplored the decision:  ”So-called ’same-sex’ marriage is counterfeit marriage. Marriage is, and has always been, between a man and a woman. We know that it’s in the best interest of children to be raised with a mother and a father. To use children as guinea pigs in radical San Francisco-style social experimentation is deplorable.”

The opinion can be viewed in its entirety at http://www.latimes.com/media/acrobat/2008-05/38894545.PDF.

After waking in the middle of the night unable to breathe, 55-year old Steve Wilder thought he was dying when the air wouldn’t go into his lungs, and he didn’t think emergency services would come quickly enough. So he went to his kitchen, grabbed a knife and made a small hole in his throat, saving his own life.

The Omaha man’s breathing had stopped because of a pre-existing condition that caused his air passages to swell up, not allowing any air through. Once his throat heals, doctors expect him to make a full recovery.

Crazy…& cool.

One of my all-time favorite movies from my childhood is “A Christmas Story.”   Though he really hasn’t been on the screen much since then, apparently Peter Billingsley is still active in Hollywood.

Peter:  then.

Peter: now.

I saw these posts and it brought me back.

Why are gas prices so high?

Three residents of the Greek island of Lesbos have filed a lawsuit against a gay rights group to court for using the word “lesbian” in its name.

One of the plaintiffs said Wednesday that the name of the association, Homosexual and Lesbian Community of Greece, “insults the identity” of the people of Lesbos, who are also known as Lesbians.

“My sister can’t say she is a Lesbian,” said Dimitris Lambrou. “Our geographical designation has been usurped by certain ladies who have no connection whatsoever with Lesbos,” he said.

In their lawsuit filed on 10 April, the lesbians are seeking to have the group remove the word “lesbian” from the name of their organization.

A spokeswoman for the Homosexual and Lesbian Community of Greece said the action was “a joke in bad taste that borders on discrimination.”

“I don’t see how the word can be an insult,” Evangelia Vlami said. “We don’t think doubt can be cast on dictionaries … even the United Nations refer to us as Lesbians.”

This story is absolutely horrifying.

Maybe.

Although I am behind on this, too, I am very happy to see that Denise has begun blogging at Musing on Life, Law & Gender, again.

Welcome back, Denise.  You were missed.

So I am ashamedly behind with this news story.  On February 1, 2008, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York determined that a marriage between two (2) women in Ontario, Canada must be recognized in the State of New York, even if New York would not perform such a ceremony.

It wrote:  ”[t]hus, we conclude that plaintiff’s marriage to Golden, valid in the Province of Ontario, Canada, is entitled to recognition in New York in the absence of express legislation to the contrary.”

One assumes New York would also recognize similar marriages performed in Massachusetts.

You can read the entire opinion here.

Go, New York!