Montana Same-Sex Couples Sue State for Legal Protections for Their Families Seven Couples Seek Equal

[kpete]

Source: ACLU-Common Dreams

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 22, 2010
1:53 PM


CONTACT: ACLU
Amy Cannata, ACLU of Montana, [phone]; [e-mail]
Robyn Shepherd, ACLU National, [phone] or 549-2666; [e-mail]
Montana Same-Sex Couples Sue State for Legal Protections for Their Families
Seven Couples Seek Equal Protection Mandated Under Montana's Constitution

HELENA, Mont. - July 22 - Seven committed same-sex couples today filed a lawsuit against the state of Montana for failing to provide legal protections to same-sex couples and their families in violation of the Montana Constitution's rights of privacy, dignity and the pursuit of life's basic necessities and its guarantees of equal protection and due process. The goal of this lawsuit is ensure that same-sex couples are able to protect their families with the same kind of legal protections that opposite-sex couples are offered through marriage.

Because there is a constitutional amendment in Montana barring marriage for same-sex couples, the couples in the lawsuit are seeking the protection of state-recognized domestic partnerships, similar to those in place in several other states.

"Mary Anne and I are part of a family unit, bonded by love and mutual respect and a desire to share in a close relationship that benefits not only us, as partners, but our wider family and the entire community," said Jan Donaldson, a Helena nurse, of her 27-year relationship with her partner, pediatric neurologist Mary Anne Guggenheim. "We depend on one another, in all aspects of our life together. We want to be able to do that with grace and dignity and to feel secure that our relationship will be respected. We want our relationship to be recognized for what it clearly is - a loving commitment of responsibility worthy of security and protection by the state."

Montana law automatically grants married opposite-sex couples safeguards upon which they can depend in times of need. But, under Montana law, it is possible for same-sex couples to be barred from visiting their partners in the hospital and to be left out of conversations about emergency medical care. Montana inheritance laws refuse to recognize same-sex couples, and can leave surviving partners with nothing if their partners die without valid wills. Today's lawsuit seeks a mechanism such as the domestic partnership laws adopted by several other states to provide similar protections for committed same-sex couples.

Read more: http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2010/07/22-7

[Fearless]

1. And another domino is set to fall.

:applause:

[havocmom]

2. Wish all couples could just get married

While I applaud the lawsuit, it needs to happen, it will fatten GOP coffers around here. There are teaparties lined up. The RW fools don't realize that the GOP doesn't give a shit about them. The teaparties are just a way to get people together, get them riled up, then pass the hat, knowing sheep in a group will all fall in line, peer pressure is profitable for pols. The GOP takes the hat and blows town.

This will be twisted into a topic to make the messes feel that teh gays are threatening their marriages somehow and they will put more $$ into the hat.

The DEMS here in MT will just shake their heads and try to get some civil rights equality for gay couples. While MT has a long history of some pretty progressive movements, there are still some weird vestiges of the bad ol days left gathering dust.

Glad for the lawsuit. Cynical about how it will get used by some very bad people.