Comments on Surging Past Washington State on Gay Rights: California, Massachusetts, Oregon... and Colombia?

Columbia. Hmmm. The river? The University? Because surely Dan Savage can't be so geographically challenged that he doesn't know how to spell the name of one of our largest suppliers of caffeine and cocaine.

Seriously. What is it with you guys and the spelling of Latin American nations' names? Guatamala? Columbia?

Colombia, Dan.

...and not to make too fine a point, because I feel like I criticize you too much even though I admire your work, but....

The comparison between Massachusetts and Spain, Holland, etc is not equivalent. Of course, those nations have allowed what only a state of this burg has dared recognize.

Also, doesn't England offer civil marriage to same sex couples too? I know they do because my friend had to move there to be with her girlfriend (now her spouse) because they were tired of the expense of visas and the hassle from immigration as they traveled back and forth to be with each other.

Immigration rights are over looked way too much in this conversation (of sorts) about equal treatment.

I wonder how close England comes to equal treatment with their civil marriage law. Obviously, it offers at least immigration rights. MA can't do anything about that.

Sorry about the o/u issues. I'm a bad speller -- ask Amy Kate. But, hey, at least it was spelled correctly in the parts I copied and pasted out of Tribune's news story.

The UK has civil partnerships, which offer all the right and obligations of marriage.

Yes, MA can't do anything about the feds. But they've made it possible to, with continued efforts and never-ending lawsuits, move the feds one day on this issue.

Mr Romney, you surprise me. As a money-loving Republican, can't you help but see the financial boon of having thousands of men and women flock to Massachusetts to marry their partners in your great state? It's worked out great for Las Vegas.

Also, I hope that people are not taking Stephen Colbert literally when he says that gays should come with warning labels... If so, then I say to you "learn sarcasm."

gee, a "caring" 'n' kind, totally prophylactic, sarcasm warning-label: only in Seattle!

Couldn't find a warning label that fit from American warnings, but here's one in German that we could modify:

Rauchen macht sehr schnell abhängig: Fangen Sie gar nicht erst an! (Smoking is highly addictive: Don't even start!)

With regards to my own homosexuality, that first part definitely seems to be true. The more I do it, the more I can't seem to do without it. And once I started, I was immediately hooked. But then, I'd have to remove the "Don't even start!" Since I'm not the least bit sorry I did. So maybe it's not a good one.

How about "Homosexuality greatly reduces your chance of legal marriage"? Or "Homo Xing"? "This side up"? (I'd have to have mine on the front and back.) "Homosexual. Do not bend." There's one I can get behind.

Dan, you must visit South America! The article makes it sounds as if Colombia is some backward country. "How humiliating that they have more gay rights than us over here in the US of A!" you must think.

Having spent time in various parts of Colombia, traveling and meeting locals, I assure you that it isn't a bunch of mud-huts and poverty. Bogotá's financial district feels as upscale as San Francisco's. The ATMs use friggin' fringerprints instead of PINs! Medellín is a city of culture and art and home to many Latin music stars. Cartegena's lovely beaches and fantastic nightlife match anything I've seen in New York. In short: Colombia kicks ass. A shame about all the bad guys living in the jungles.

Now if Bolivia were to adopt same-sex marriage, that would be humiliation. That's a poor country with mud-huts and locals that will take a dump ON THE BUS if they can't wait for the next stop. That's a different South America.

If the US does not start changing soon, I think Latin America could run past it in terms of gay rights. Latin American culture has family as one of the most important values, which means that the family will always (in theory) remain together even if someone is gay.

Makes me mad that the Pope and religious conservatives have made Family a bit of a dirty word when it's one of the best things we've got going to gain gay rights.

Dan knows stephen colbert is being sarcastic right? Thats the point of his whole show...

No, Kiwi. Dan Savage doesn't comprehend sarcasm. Ever.

Yeah, Dan, MA is pushing the envelope in our struggle towards getting full benefits--including from the feds. We won a great victory here on June 14th. Check out how MA did it in our recently released book, "Courting Equality:A Documentary History of America's First Legal Same-Sex Marriages" (Beacon Press). Great color photos and text that gives the history. We captured the many strategies that worked to win. Our website gives details www.courtingequality.com

Hello! Good Site! Thanks you! rkkmochpbtuxqv

zrijkych louigfrp qwokalmji rfcu kbrjizf ubfc vkeacgwnf