tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510198324204233853.post3994400516712271363..comments2023-10-24T09:05:07.260-04:00Comments on Beyond (Straight and Gay) Marriage: DC City Council votes 12-1 to recognize same-sex marriages from elsewhereNancy Polikoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09582456539859673052noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510198324204233853.post-42567604843321209622009-05-14T22:17:00.000-04:002009-05-14T22:17:00.000-04:00Sorry for the delay in responding, Fiyu Pikni. I ...Sorry for the delay in responding, Fiyu Pikni. I think it makes sense for there to be an easy to select a default person for various legal rights, and civil unions (I prefer civil partnership as a term) work for that. I would also want a status for non-intimate partners, and that's why I love the new Colorado designated beneficiary law. (see my blog post on that). But even with all that in place, I would want law reform that did not require any kind of registration for those laws that are about, for example, compensating someone for the loss of an economic provider. That compensation should go to those economically interdependent with a person who dies. It has nothing to do with marriage or partnership registration. It's easy enough to prove who was dependent/interdependent, and those are the people who should recover for wrongful death or get workers comp survivors' benefits if someone dies on the job. Thanks for writing!Nancy Polikoffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09582456539859673052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510198324204233853.post-29215011228678603632009-05-08T10:26:00.000-04:002009-05-08T10:26:00.000-04:00Mr. Catania is under a misconception. Even if one...Mr. Catania is under a misconception. Even if one is in a marriage recognized by all 50 states, a spouse has no authority to sign a deed, tax return or other legal documents without a power of attorney.<br /><br />In addition, if a spouse wants to leave her estate to her spouse, if there are children only a under a will can that bequest be accomplished. <br /><br />As an attorney who represents gay and non-gay couples, I prepare the same life and estate planning documents for both. There are many advatanges to having a relationship recognized by the government, but it does not displace the need for a will and other planning documents,Bill Singerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13810157045297537257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510198324204233853.post-38295887256102752162009-05-06T21:30:00.000-04:002009-05-06T21:30:00.000-04:00Nancy I love your blog. I listened to you speak a ...Nancy I love your blog. I listened to you speak a few weeks back and was absolutely convinced by your views on marriage equality. <br /><br />It seems people have forgotten why we are in this struggle in the first place. The marriage equality movement has taken some interesting turns, and it seems as though people are more interested in the sentimental value we attach to marriages, as opposed to the need to have legal protections extended to people regardless of the sexual orientation or gender. <br /><br />The case you outlines here is exemplary of this. After sharing your views with some of my friends last week, they asked me a question: So if people were able to have civil unions, which guaranteed all the rights that marriages do, would she object? I couldn't speak for you, but I explained that I would object because if both institutions guarantee the same rights there is no need for both... and secondly, I would rather do away with marriage, because of the historical baggage it carries as an exclusive institution. <br /><br />So, I agree with you, people really need to stop harping on the name. I like what you said about the parameters of the argument for equality being defined by the religious right. We don't want marriage because it is the building block of society, and in fact, we don't need marriage at all. What we need is a legal system which is non-discriminatory. <br /><br />Now how do we re-educate our fellow equality fighters, and redefine this movement, whose success means so much to us?Fiyu Piknihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02436637433989843647noreply@blogger.com