Dick Cheney's Wyoming now has a more progressive policy on legally married same sex couples than the District of Columbia, which has one of the highest percentages of gays and lesbians in the population of any city in the country.
The Wyoming state House rejected (by one vote) a measure that would have denied legal recognition to same sex couples legally married elsewhere, such as in Massachusetts or Canada.
Casting the deciding vote against the measure: the straight Republican Speaker of the House, Roy Cohee (R-Caspar). Cohee was joined in voting against the measure by two other Republicans. From Wyoming Capitol Outlook (via Michael):
Several citizens and legislators defended the rights of gay couples. Rep. Pat Childers (R-Cody) spoke proudly of his gay daughter, “who was born that way,” and Rep. Dan Zwonitzer (R-Cheyenne) said that his study of American history revealed an ongoing extension of liberties and freedoms, “and if it costs me my seat…I can say I stood up for basic rights, and history can be my judge.”
I agree with Michael Petrelis' assessment:
What a magnificent development this is for us gays and our allies who endorse full marriage equality, that in Cheney's home state, we have not one, not two, but at least three straight GOP legislators to thank for delivering us some very good news!Many thanks to both Rep. Childers in standing up for his lesbian daughter, and to Rep. Zwonitzer, who is willing to risk his seat for gay equality. If that ain't bravery, I don't know what is.
1 comment:
hey scott,
thanks so much for noticing what i wrote about the brave GOP reps in wyoming doing the right thing for us. we need to applaud and support people like zwonitzer when they stand up for gay equality.
michael
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