And now for something not really very different

[morgan_dhu]

... there's not a lot of good news among the various local ballot measures that I was able to easily find information on. I don't know if these are just the high-profile measures, or how many others there might have been.

In Arizona, a ban on same-sex marriage passed.

In Arkansas, a ban on adoption by same-sex couples passed.

In California, Proposition 8 passed, taking away the right of same-sex couples to marry, a right declared constitutional by the state supreme court.

In California, a law requiring a physician to inform the parents or guardian of a minor 48 hours before performing an abortion also passed.

In Colorado, a law defining human life as beginning at conception (thus effectively banning abortion) passed.

In Florida, a ban on same-sex marriage passed.

In Nebraska, affirmative action was declared unconstitutional.

In South Dakota, serious limits were enacted on the right to a medical abortion (it will now be legal only if the patient's life or health is at risk, or if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest, and then only in the first 20 weeks.

Edit: Looks like the news was better than it appeared when I wrote this last night: the anti-choice initiatives in California, Colorado and South Dakota failed when all the votes were in. Thanks to lawlesslawyer and lavendertook for clueing me in on the good news on the pro-choice fronts.

Alas, as lawlesslawyer points out below, it appears that a majority of voters in the U.S. still don't get it that queer people are people like other people who deserve rights because they are people.




The good news:

Michigan will legalise medical marijuana and allow stem cell research.

Washington will allow limited physician-assisted suicide.

Comments

[lawlesslawyer.livejournal.com]

For some reason CNN is not calling either California ballot measure yet, but Proposition 4 (the parental notification measure) does look poised to fail.

A majority still hate the gays, though.

[lawlesslawyer.livejournal.com]

Oh, and the South Dakota abortion measure also failed.

[lawlesslawyer.livejournal.com]

Last one - Colorado human life measure failed.

[morgan-dhu.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the updates - I've edited the post to note that the anti-choice measures failed.

[jenwrites.livejournal.com]

Massachusetts changed our marijuana laws to make possession of up to an ounce punishable by a mere $100 fine and banned dog racing.

[morgan-dhu.livejournal.com]

I've always said that if I had to live in the U.S., Massachusetts would probably be the place for me. ;-)

[jenwrites.livejournal.com]

Massachusetts: come for the gay marriage, stay for the weed :)

[morgan-dhu.livejournal.com]

Sounds good to me!

(Odd personal fact: my mother was born in Everett. Her mother was in Mass visiting relatives. I probably still have relatives somewhere in that region, even though I have no idea who they are.)

[e-moon60.livejournal.com]

I cannot grasp the mentality of those who want to regulate other peoples' sex lives but not corporate financial behavior.

[morgan-dhu.livejournal.com]

Me neither.

I especially don't get the arguments against same-sex marriage. I may not agree with the anti-choice position on abortion, but I can understand how that position is one reasonable conclusion to be drawn from a belief about the nature of human life.

I simply do not understand this stuff about how same-sex marriage threatens the fabric of society or the sanctity of marriage. These arguments make no sense to me.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

No, all the anti-choice measures failed, so the US really is on the pro-choice side of things. Queers however, who don't live in the upper northeast corner, are shit out of luck and don't deserve civil rights. And with a record Democratic turnout, this one can't be blamed on the Republican voters.

[morgan-dhu.livejournal.com]

Thanks - I've edited the post to include this information about the anti-choice measures.

One the anti-gay measures, I guess the fight must go on. I'd have thought that if any state outside the upper northwest corner could have done the right thing, it would have been California, but then, that's just the impression I get from the outside looking in.