Oregon Joins The Cause

What a difference four years makes. Last Presidential election cycle, states were running away from the idea of giving gay couples their rights. Now they're running in the other direction.

Domestic Partnerships Allowed in Oregon
By JULIA SILVERMAN – 2 days ago

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A state law allowing gay couples to register as domestic partners belatedly took effect Friday after a federal judge ruled the state's process of disqualifying petition signatures was consistent enough to be valid.

The state quickly announced that the domestic partnership applications were available online, and jubilant gay-rights activists predicted hundreds of couples would line up on Monday morning at county offices to register.

"We're a family. We've been waiting for this for a long time," said a beaming Cathy Kravitz of Portland. She said she and her partner of 21 years will be among those registering on Monday.

The law passed by the 2007 Legislature was to take effect when the new year started, but U.S. District Judge Michael Mosman suspended it to hear testimony about a petition drive that sought to put the law before voters.

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Oregon becomes the ninth state to approve spousal rights in some form for gay couples, joining Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Maine, California, Washington and Hawaii. Massachusetts is the only state that allows gay couples to marry.

One thing to keep in mind is that all this good news won't go very far until states start honoring reciprocity agreements with each other on this issue.

For example, Colorado recognizes common law marriage. New Mexico doesn't. However, if a common-law married Colorado couple goes into New Mexico, New Mexico will consider the Colorad marraige valid through the states' reciprocity agreement.

In other words, for now a Massachusetts gay marriage is valid only in Massachusetts. Once other states start recognizing valid gay marriages from other states, then we've got progress.