Same-Sex Marriage Law an Economic Boon for State

[NewJeffCT]

Source: The Hartford Courant

Nikki Wells and Barbara McNickles, a 40-something lesbian couple from Ohio, didn't think of themselves as economic trendsetters when they got in their car and drove to Connecticut on a chilly day in March last year.

They just wanted to get married.

Wells, who owned her own title search company, and McNickles, an executive with the Arby's restaurant chain, had been together as a couple for three years and had dreamed of making their relationship legal. But they didn't decide to schedule their ceremony in Connecticut until a gay friend showed them pictures of his own wedding, with the scenic falls at Kent Falls State Park as a backdrop. Inspired, Wells and McNickles quickly went to the website of a minister specializing in same-sex weddings in Connecticut, booked rooms at the nearby Cornwall Inn and then headed east, enjoying what they later called a "perfect" wedding stay in Litchfield County.

"It wasn't simply that the falls were so beautiful the day we got married," Wells says. "The people of Connecticut were very welcoming and would buy us desserts in restaurants and get so excited when they heard we had traveled all the way from Ohio to get married. It never occurred to us that we would meet such nice people."

Read more: http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-same-sex-marriage-mecca-1010-20101009,0,3532973.story

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Edited to add - while I'm happy that my state is enjoying this economic boon, I will be even happier when it goes away because same-sex marriage is legal everywhere.

[xchrom]

1. Recommend

[John Kerry VonErich]

2. But which state would give recognition?

I think Ohio doesn't recognise out of state marriage licences of gay couples.

[CTyankee]

3. I know. But the more states that do this, the better the impetus to make it a right

for everybody!

[NewJeffCT]

5. Then, they have a basis for a lawsuit

for being denied equal protection under the law.

[John Kerry VonErich]

14. I'm a firm believer that marriage licencing will be ultimately put on trial

And I am against the licencing of marriage period

[Heywood J]

7. Then Ohio will get a welcome to the Full Faith and Credit clause in Article Four.

"Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State. And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof."

[ieoeja]

20. "And the Congress may by general Laws ..."

Is it Equal Protection violation? Yes.

Is it Full Faith and Credit violation? No. That clause grants Federal Congress the power to limit the "Effect thereof".


But the Supremes should rule DOMA a violation of Equal Protection.

[Hosnon]

21. There's an exception to that clause that has been recognized by the SCOTUS.

That's part of what DOMA was about.

I always thought that the constitutionality of gay marriage would be resolved via the FF&C clause but it looks like the Equal Protection Clause will beat it to the punch (via Prop. 8).

[Unvanguard]

8. New York, Maryland, and Rhode Island will.

Connecticut gets a lot of New Yorkers.

And sometimes people don't do it so that their home state will recognize it. They do it because they want to be married at least somewhere.

[Spyderama]

4. Economic Boon, Indeed!

What's the Downside?

<http://www.e-tabitha.com/2009/04/whats-downside.html>

[NutmegYankee]

6. Awesome!

[iandhr]

9. The SImpsons...

... as usual got there first.

In episode :There's Something About Marrying: Springfield's economy goes down the tubes. They legalize gay marriage to bring in money. Gay couples start arriving Reverend Lovejoy refuses to marry them. Homer hearing that go can get $200 a couple says "These people have rights the right to buy be a 62 inch TV." Homer then becomes a minster and marries every gay couple in town.


Marge originally supportive of gay marriage has some initial trouble with her sister Patty coming out but eventually excepts her.

[NewJeffCT]

10. That's awesome

great for Homer

[iandhr]

11. after marrying even gay couple

he says now he needs to wait for some people to turn and says "What about Lenny and Karl. Marge says "don't you push them. They have to work that out for themselves."

[No Elephants]

17. Turn homosexual?

[No Elephants]

16. Massachusetts got there first. Simpsons followed.

[activa8tr]

12. Of Course! This has been true for P-town for years, too!

There is ALWAYS GOOD GOOD money to be made from the simple act of making adults very happy people.

Basic business principle from ancient times.

[alp227]

13. I've heard these types of stories before. BUT...conservatives would rather grab power by...

- Denying gay rights on the grounds of "traditional marriage"
- Cutting taxes and doing other things like denying gay rights to purposely let economy fail
- Complain "liberals are hurting the economy and driving out jobs" and win elections due to a sheeple constituency

[No Elephants]

15. Why go to Connecticut when you could marry in the first state to recognize same gender marriage?

Don't settle for second, third or fourth. Marry in Massachusetts!

Cape Cod, Boston, Lexington and Concord, Berkshires--skiing, surfing, sailing, sightseeing--you can't go wrong!

[NewJeffCT]

18. Convenience

it's easier for people from NYC to get to CT than Mass. And, you'd have to deal with Red Sox fans up there, too.

:evilgrin:

[oberliner]

19. Hopefully soon it won't be

Once it's legal in all 50 states.