A federal judge halted a law, which gives same-sex couples many of the benefits as married couples, from taking effect on Jan. 1.
U.S. District Judge Michael W. Mosman granted the injunction on Friday at the request of Alliance Defense Fund, which is asking the courts to first review a petition effort seeking to overturn the law.
The Christian legal group filed a lawsuit on behalf of several Oregonians after the Secretary of State and clerks’ offices in 12 different counties ruled in October that they had failed to collect enough valid signatures for a referendum that would allow voters to decide the “civil unions” issue. Many state residents, however, showed up in person to revalidate their signatures.
The suit, filed on Dec. 3, contends that there was no legitimate reason why signatures were not accepted as valid.
In court Friday, Austin R. Nimocks, ADF's senior legal counsel, said the state's review process was flawed, disenfranchising citizens who had signed petitions.
"Our country is founded on the basic principle of government of the people, by the people and for the people," Nimocks said in a statement prior to the hearing. "It is un-American that Oregon citizens are being denied the right to have their vote count on this matter."
The new law would have granted gays and lesbians who wish to enter into "domestic partnerships" many of the privileges of marriage, including inheritance rights, child-rearing and custody, joint state tax filings, joint health, auto and homeowners insurance policies, visitation rights at hospitals and others.
But the measure will be put on hold at least until Feb. 1, the date of the scheduled hearing for the lawsuit Lemons v. Bradbury.
Meanwhile, gay rights advocates expressed disappointment over the judge's decision to halt the law.
The ruling does not affect another state law going into effect next week that bans discrimination against gay residents in work, housing and public places.
Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski signed the "domestic partnerships" bill into law in May. Given that the term "civil unions" was not used in the bill, the legislation has no ceremony requirement but the submission of a paper application.
Opponents of the legislation argued that it was an attempt to use semantics to bypass the state's law banning gay “marriage” by creating the same-sex union under "a different name."
Eight states have approved spousal rights either in civil unions or domestic partnerships for same-sex couples, including Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Maine, California, Washington and Hawaii. Massachusetts is the only state that recognizes gay “marriage.”
Comments
In any case, the halting of this law is a civil rights abuse and in time will be seen as unconstitutional.
The Bible wasn't written by God nor was it written by Jesus. The bible was written by men. It has it's strengths and it's discrepancies. You should take in with a grain of salt. In addition, there are thousands of ways to interpret the bible.
Are you kidding me? "beckyg" you need to go back and re-read the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, specifically Gen 19:4 - 19:13, where it tells of the "men of the city" seeking to have relations with the 2 (angelic) men that came unto Lot's house. These "men"of the city weren't interested in Lot's daughters, only the men. If that ain't homosexual desire then I don't know what is.
Regarding your other point: No homosexuality may not be pedophelia, it is deviant sexual behavior as is sex with minors and sex with animals and just as Porn distorts sexual truth and behavior, so does homosexuality.
There is only one form of procreation that was ordained and approved by God and two people of the same sex in a "consensual" relationship, are in the wrong. Go read Leviticus, it right there, spelled out quite litterally that man shall not lay with a man as he does a woman. Christ's presence on our earth did not negate that mandate from His and our Father. Try as you might, you will not successfully justify your perverted activities to right-minded individuals or more importantly, Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit.
beckyg, you are confusing issues. The ceremonial laws of Moses, such as wearing mixed fibers, were all fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The moral law of God is the same from the OT - Revelation. The NT book of Hebrews is an excellent treatise on this subject.
I had meant to add this to the following post: The apostles who ministered to Gentiles DID need to teach God's moral law, for those believers did not have the knowledge and understanding of that which the Jews had.
If pastors are faithful to the Lord, they will teach His entire Word and not just the parts which are pleasing to our ears. They often have thankless tasks, and carry great burdens.
beckyg, the reason I asked if you were a Christian is because I wondered if you accepted the Bible as the Word of God.
Jesus was not silent on God's moral law: He affirmed God's original plan for men and women in Matthew 19.
He did not mention homosexuality because He was always addressing Jews who already knew God's moral law. He also did not mention bestiality, incest, or other forms of immorality which the Bible deems abominations. Yet we cannot argue from His silence that He is 'okay' with any of those.
Thats not to say all liberals are sickos, just his type.
I live in Oregon and Ted Kulongoski and company are sicko liberals who will do whatever they want whenever. Not many in the state like Kulongoski and company right now.
Oh and Chris, I'm so tired of you people comparing homosexuality to pedophilia. Pedophiles hurt other people. They hurt children!!!! Two people in a loving same-sex relationship hurt no one.
Chris, Jesus himself says nothing about homosexuality in the Bible. The story of Soddom and Gomorrah is about power and rape, not about two people of the same-sex in a loving relationship. I do not live in fear. My soul is okay with God and so is my sons', I have absolutely no doubts about that. None what-so-ever. And please do not talk to me about "picking and choosing" my Bible verses. I'm assuming you do not wear clothing of mixed fabrics because that is forbidden in Leviticus. I'm also assuming that you do not play football because touching the skin of a dead pig is an abomination. Christians, including yourself, take things out of the Bible to support your own biases and prejudices.
As far as gays having mental illness, every major psycholigical, psychiatric, pediatric, and medical assocation in the United States disagree with you. Reparative programs as mentioned by marantha have been deemed unethical and harmful. My son was raised in a fundamentalist Christian church. All my children were raised with morals that any parent would be proud of. None of them have ever been in trouble a day in their lives. All of them were straight A students graduating in the Top 10% of their class with honors. All of them worked from their early teens and grew into responsible adults. I saw my son vomit and cry every morning before he came out because he didn't know if we would be able to love and accept him for who he was. After he came out, all of that disappeared. He is a healthy and happy adult. We love his life partner. He is a valued member of our family that we would not trade for the world.
And no becky, there is a father, there is only one way to get pregnant and have a child, and that is through insemination.
*do should be due below
becky, the Bible is very clear about gays. For your son's sake, I hope you are right, but I would not assume it just because it suits me, I follow the Bible, and I do not pick and choose what I want to be right. Yes the Bible was written by men, but we trust they were inspired, otherwise we can just pick and choose whatever we want to believe from the Bible. Someone could say, Oh well Christ did not really mean He was the only way to Heaven, that was just what corrupt men said He said. Christianity is not my personal faith that I can change at whim, it is either the Truth or not.
Yes, do to the fact that we live in a fallen world, some children cannot or even should not be with their biological parents, however, if it were an ideal world all parents would be good to their children and take proper care of them. If this were the case, homosexuals could not have children. As far as homosexuals becoming suicidal, I think there is other mental problems going on there than giving up their lifestyle, if a pedophile becomes suicidal because he cannot have sex with 3 year old girls we do not say, "oh just let him be a pedophile" We assess the actual nature of the problem.
While I do not agree with the way the pastor who criticized you did, you said, "Who made him God and let him judge me from the pulpit" I have to ask, who made you God and let you decide what ought and ought not to be in the Bible? Please understand, it is not lifestyles at stake here, it is human souls at stake, your son's included. If you are right then ok, but if not, then by your accepting attitude you are condemning them to hell. God is loving yes, but He also sets what is right and wrong and He is just. He does love the homosexual, but just like all others who do not accept Christ and repent their fate is decided. You are taking a gamble that is not yours to take.
Am I Christian? I have a firm belief in God. I believe the Bible to have historical information in it and some great words of wisdom. I do however recognize that it was inspired by God and written by man and men make mistakes. It is not a book that should be taken literally and I'm sure that even you do not do that Miranda. My husband attends a fundamentalist Christian church but he does not believe that God would create homosexual people and send them to hell for falling in love. That is not a loving God Miranda and my belief in God, IS that he is all loving. I choose not to go to that church anymore because I believe they do not follow the true teachings of Jesus and that is to love your neighbor as you would yourself. I was told from the pulpit that I cannot be a "Christian" because I support same-sex marriage. I wonder who made that person God and told him he could judge me from the pulpit??? I have gone to welcoming Christian congregations and enjoy those Christian churches very much.
beckyg, are you a Christian?
marantha...if your friends are happy then good for them! The truth is that most people who have gone through these ex-gay ministries are not changed. Some become suicidal and end up ruining lives of people whom they marry because they think they have been "cured". I will never subject my son to that. We love him for the beautiful person who he is.