"A little more than a month ago, I took the oath of office here at City Hall and swore to uphold California's Constitution, which clearly outlaws all forms of discrimination," Gavin Newsom said. "Denying basic rights to members of our community will not be tolerated."
As today's S.F. Chronicle recounts, "San Francisco was the first city in the nation to pass a law requiring city contractors to provide the same benefits to their employees in domestic partnerships as married workers receive." In addition, "the city assessor also has awarded the rights when it comes to property transfers."
On the national level, President Bush plans to endorse the following language introduced by Representative Marilyn Musgrave, R-Colorado, for a constitutional amendment: "Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution or the constitution of any state, nor state or federal law, shall be construed to require that marital status or the legal incidents thereof conferred upon unmarried couples or groups."
For his part, Senator John Kerry, Democratic front-runner, opposses gay marriage but does not support a constitutional amendment, according to his campaign.
My great uncle was a Jesuit priest at USF. Another great uncle was a Jesuit missionary in China. My great aunt was a nun in Los Angeles. My grandfather attended the seminary before marrying my grandmother. While I love and respect the passion of my deceased relatives, I believe they'll be squirming in heaven today when I provide my full support for Gavin Newson's decision to support same sex marriages. Why? People are people, beliefs are beliefs, and we our country is based on the premise of liberty and justice for all.