I’ve suddenly had a lot going on and have been absent a bit, but had to take 30 seconds to mention this:
The Virginia General Assembly passed a law April 21 banning all contracts between partners in homosexual relationships. Not just marriage, all contracts. This law not only prohibits civil marriage between same-sex partners, but actively seeks to invalidate any and all legal contracts between these individuals—including durable powers of attorney, health care directives, even wills.
As such, the above linked website is asking for a boycott of businesses that are based in Virginia, including my sometimes-beloved J. Crew.
For years a certain orange J. Crew cap has been a staple of my club-going gear. I was even told once last year that a small group of guys in town referred to me as “J. Crew Boy” (as we homos tend to do—see The Broken Hearts Club) when one of them had a slight crush on me.
I don’t really think this boycott is going to help much (though the early-90s Colorado boycott did get some attention), but I’ll feel guilty if I don’t at least try to support it and see where it goes. If it at least gets media attention, the bad press for Virginia might be worth the effort.
The new law saddens and angers me for obvious reasons, but also because the ensuing homo boycott seriously cuts into my summer wardrobe options.
How’s that for being a concerned citizen and a shallow homo all at the same time?
May 16, 2004 at 10:42 am
Virginia Is Against Good Things
America is this really great place to be. Of course some places are certainly much better than others. Maryland is pretty nice, if you ask me. But today Virgina is the worst place to be. Driving on 95 in Virginia…
May 22, 2004 at 10:41 am
Well…it’s not quite as bad as you make it sound. But it is pretty dumb.The bill bans “a civil union, partnership contract or other arrangement between persons of the same sex purporting to bestow the privileges or obligations of marriage.” [source]
One of two things will happen:
1. Courts will strike the entire law down.
2. Courts will narrowly define what the “privileges or obligations” are. Most likely, limiting it to actually getting married. In other words, this law is just a fancy gay marriage ban.
Which makes one wonder why the Assembly even took the time to pass the law, in essence duplicating laws already on the books.